The education ministry has announced 170 more government scholarships in the B.Ed Primary and B.Ed Dzongkha categories at Paro College of Education.
According to the education ministry notification issued on April 14, the scholarships will be extended to arts students who may have otherwise been eligible and received admission under regular arts programmes that have been discontinued.
The ministry said that the government has directed the education ministry to facilitate and support arts students into tertiary institutions through merit-based scholarship.
The scholarship programme, the ministry said, is a crucial component of the government’s broader initiative to promote equitable access to tertiary education and to build the skilled human capital that can contribute to the country’s economic growth.
The Acting Education Secretary Tshewang Chophel Dorji said that the ministry had to take a little more time after the cabinet’s approval as it has to do consultations with Royal University of Bhutan and other stakeholders.
“We have to identify programmes that have higher prospects for employability in future,” he said.
He said that the ministry had to cross-check with various colleges and institutions on seat availability and request if they could accommodate as per the ministry’s requirement.
He added that as most of the scholarships offered will be for day scholars, the ministry wants to support students who are socially disadvantaged to grab the opportunity.
“If a student gets a scholarship to Royal Thimphu College as a day scholar, we have to see if they have any relatives around and while doing so, we took a little time,” said Tshewang Chophel Dorji.
Prime Minister Dr Lotay Tshering said that policy intervention should not affect anyone and that’s why the government took extra initiative to help the disadvantaged students.
He said that the government could have asked the RUB to discontinue the arts courses after three to four years, but the new courses introduced at Sherubtse College do not have adequate space to start the new programmes.
The scholarships, he said, will solve the minor complications of reforms and make it a win-win situation.
He added that the majority of the scholarships will be in teaching and nursing and not in the old courses which have fewer employability opportunities in the market.
The ministry further said that it is currently discussing with tertiary institutions on various programme options, including nursing. The details will be announced by the end of April 2023.
