Education at a glance in Bhutan: Education during the pandemic

 

The last 60 years have seen tremendous breakthrough in provision of education to all in Bhutan. Bhutan faced huge challenge when the country experienced first COVID-19 case on 5^th March 2020. Thereafter Bhutan started experiencing plethora of uneven crisis since schools, entertainment and business centers remained shut. Education system and student’s learning is likewise upended with no end in sight by the unrelenting global pandemic. The unending threat has necessitated education ministry to ramp up capacity to address teaching learning disruption caused by the pandemic. Online education in Bhutanese schools has remained almost, a Black Box over the decades until the implementation of Moodle-based online learning system known as Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) in 2011 by colleges under Royal University of Bhutan. But it went on striking the blind spot of education system as education in Bhutan was yet to experience the long unwalked journey towards digitalized teaching and learning. It was not up until 2020 when the whole educational ecosystem was disrupted by the global pandemic. Closure of schools has not only allowed digital transformation but infusion of new teaching-learning modality into Bhutanese education system. As brick and mortar classrooms have shifted to virtual classroom, online teaching in Bhutan has gone far from emergency novelty to a ubiquitous teaching learning tools right from day one of the school closure.

Education during the school closure

Had Bhutan not experienced the pandemic, new chapter in education system would not have unfurled. Indeed it provided green signal and came as a wakeup call particularly to education fraternity to rethink education in more than one way. Accordingly, education ministry in collaboration with relevant stakeholders started spearheading number of preparations and tangible initiatives in the short time available. Activities include Education in Emergency, a comprehensive guideline for schools and teachers to maintain the continuum of education in new conditions. Gradually, a group of teachers voluntarily started broadcasting video lesson through BBS channel 2 popularly known as Bhutan E-Learning Project. Hence E-learning and online teaching has increasingly become revolutionary system in schools across the country. Teachers on the other hand found niche to conduct mobile teaching and home visit ensuring that every students get equal opportunity to education during the pandemic. The Ministry of Education developed Self-Instructional Material (SIM) and distributed to students who do not have access to television, smart phone and internet.

New normal education

Schools across the nation geared up for new normal education, ensuring all precautionary measures in school campus to stop the spread of COVID-19. Classes X and XII students rejoined school on 1^st July but then the normal flow was once again interrupted due to nationwide lockdown. However, schools in Bhutan reopened on 14^th September and a week later, classes IX and XI resumed face-to-face teaching. Classes IX to XII started applying prioritized curriculum, a well sort out curriculum comprising key knowledge, skills, strategies, methods and procedures. Adapted curriculum, theme-based curriculum was applied for classes PP to VIII. In addition to the provision of curriculum book, schools with Special Educational Needs program and special schools received both prioritized and adapted curriculum to support learning for students with disability. Although schools at present are on full swing with face-to-face teaching and classes PP-VIII undergo blended teaching and learning, the certainty of all those measures are not sustainable in long-term.

Academic reforms

End-of-year examinations for classes PP-VIII have been cancelled and their transition will depend on the assessment records maintained by teachers so far. The most important adjustment, is that the academic year for classes IX-XII is extended till the end of March, 2021.

 

Disclaimer: The information shared and views expressed by the author is intended to provide general understanding on the education during the pandemic.