Paro College of Education will introduce two new programmes and upgrade the 9 months Postgraduate Diploma in Dzongkha Education to 18 months programme from 2020. This according to the college is to make academic programmes, teaching and research responsive and useful to societal need.
Currently, Paro College of Education offers Masters of Education in Leadership and Management and Dzongkha, Bachelors of Education in Primary, Secondary and Dzongkha and Diploma in Physical Education and Early Childhood.
The college also offers a Postgraduate Diploma in Dzongkha Education for 9 months. However, this programme is restructured to an 18-month programme to emphasize on the quality of student engagement and learning.
“University graduates come here and spent 9 months undergoing the programme including the 6 weeks of practicum in schools. In consultation with the Ministry of Education and the Royal Civil Service Commission, we have actually increased the duration of the existing programme to 18 months. So this will be very good for the students because then they get to spend almost a semester instead of 6 weeks in the school learning how to teach, plan lessons, manage a classroom, understand child psychology and so on,” said Dorji Thinley (PhD), the President for Paro College of Education.
The college will start with a Masters Programme for Special Education and Bachelor in Education for Dzongkha by next year.
Paro College of Education was first started as Teaching Training Institute and later in 2000, the institute was renamed as National Institute of Education after introducing the first Bachelor of Education Programme.
Since its establishment in 1975 as a pre-care Teacher Training Centre, today the college provides Bachelors and Masters degree in Education. The Paro College of Education celebrated the 44th Foundation Day on 4th November.
Sangay Chezom.