Starting this July, Wangsel Insititute for the Deaf under Drukgyal Central School in Paro and Muenselling Institute in Khaling under Jigme Sherubling Central School in Trashigang will be back to being a separate Institute.
These institutes, however, will be entitled to all the benefits of a Central School with separate management and financial independence.
The students at the Wangsel Institute are visual learners and a classroom of these students according to the principal should comprise of visual aids such as projectors, laptops, boards and flip charts. However, today one can only see a board and a few charts with pictures in a classroom.
Clubbing Wangsel Institute and Muenselling Institute under a central school in 2016 have somehow helped realize the inclusionist dream. But due to the different needs of the students in these institutes, budget allocation as same as the general students have impacted educating the students and serving their needs.
Budget allocation in schools according to the Education Ministry is based on the number of students. While Wangsel Institute has 106 students, Muenselling Institute just has 41 students.
“Since we have fewer students, when we divide the budget, we get based on a number of students. Last year, the principal of Drukgyal Central School understanding the need of the students here, he gave ngultrum 200 per student when he kept Ngultrum 100 for the other students. Despite that, for example, to buy sports items, we just got 6000 for a year,” said Dechen Tshering, the Principal of Wangsel Institute for the Deaf.
The principal of Muenselling Institute in Khaling also shares the same experiences.
And according to the principals, the expenses for one student in these institutes are approximately 3 times the general students. Managing time and event according to the timing of central school also became a problem for the management of Wangsel Institute.
“When we interact with our students, the way we communicate is different. In other schools, we speak to each other but here, we have to use sign language. So when it takes just 5 minutes for other students, it takes around an hour for our student to understand the programme and organize an event. They can’t match the timing. If we are given separate management, we can organize events at our own pace and this will help the students get educated better,” he added.
Moreover, the students after class 4 have to take up vocational trade such as painting, carpentry, tailoring and crafting to have a carrier. Meanwhile, under the central school with no separate budget approved for vocational trade, the institute has to depend on funds from outside.
“We don’t have the budget for vocational trade. Now that’s not because the ministry doesn’t want to give but because there is no proper area or allocation. When we are with the central school, we don’t have any provision to request for the budget. So if we are separate, then we can ask for a budget separately and I hope the Ministry will also approve the budget. If we get the Budget, then everything here can function properly,” the principal further added.
Separation of the Institutes from central school came out as a resolution of the 19th National Education Conference.
