Games and sports in schools are important. Besides keeping children physically fit, it also helps them develop confidence and leadership skills. But at Thinleygang Primary School and Kabesa Central School in Punakha, access to sports is a challenge due to the lack of proper sports infrastructure.
Thinlaygang Primary School in Toedpaisa Gewog has a small playground which is one of the only two sports facilities. The school has another small space which the children use as a playground.
But with almost three hundred students, the two playgrounds become cramped when children come out to play.
“Currently, we only have the small playground down there for the children to play in. And we have to manage that as well. For instance, if girls play on it on Saturday, we let the boys use it on Sunday,” said Tshering Wangchuk, a teacher of Thinleygang PS.
“The children gather here at the assembly ground and play among themselves,” said Sonam Tshering, one of the students.
“If we want to improve education in schools, we also need to give importance to sports,” said Kinley Yangzom, the Principal of Thinleygang PS.
It is the same at Kabesa Central School. It had a basketball court but a students’ hostel and staff quarter was constructed over it. The construction of a football ground was started in 2017 but could not be completed due to budget constraints. Currently, there is no sports facility in the school.
“We have so many sports competitions every year between schools. But our children cannot compete with other students because we don’t have a sports ground or structure for them to play or practice in,” said Sangla, Principal of Kabesa CS.
“Without any sports facility here, the students have nothing to do so we just loiter around the campus,” said Dorji Gelay, one of the students of Kabesa CS.
The issue was also discussed at the recent Dzongkhag Tshogdu.
“The School has large and well equipped classrooms and is more than a High School. But without sports facilities, students are becoming overwhelmed with only classes,” said Namgay Tenzin, Toedpaisa Gup.
Meanwhile, the Dzongkhag Education Sector says it is looking for an appropriate space in the case of Thinleygang School. The DEO said a few people came forward offering their land for the school to use in exchange for land elsewhere. But they found that the land was swampy and unusable.
As for Kabesa School, the DEO said the office will ask the ministry for funds to complete the construction of the football ground.
“Most probably I am planning to propose the budget during this coming financial year and hopefully we are waiting for it to be approved. But considering the pandemic situation, it’s really a concern too for the nation,” said Lemo, Chief Dzongkhag Education Officer of Punakha.
For now, the two schools will have to continue in the same way it has functioned until now.
Changa Dorji, Punakha
Edited by Yeshi Gyaltshen
