All teachers across the country will undergo training to improve their English language and communication skills.
The English proficiency development training will be provided under the English for Effective Communication Professional Development Programme, which was launched today.
A total of 155 trainers are currently attending the five-day Training of Trainers programme. They will be deployed in 50 centres spread across the country to train the teachers next month.
“Teachers have to speak English day in and day out to communicate with students,” said Tshering Phuntsho, a Senior Programme Officer with the Education Ministry. “We are not saying they will become proficient by attending the five-day training. What we hope is that it will spark their interest in learning English more and encourage them to look at it as a lifelong journey,” he added.
Speaking at the launch of the programme, the Education Minister underscored the importance of preparing the children for the 21st century.
“If you continue to do the same things, we will make these children irrelevant obsolete. And that’s why we need to change the way we do things,” added Lyonpo Norbu Wangchuk.
The English proficiency development training for teachers is one of the resolutions endorsed at the 18th Education Conference held in January this year.