COUNTRY BACKGROUND - Gross National Happiness Commission

Education
Higher EducationHigher Education
11.11 Higher educational institutes consist of Sherubtse College which offers general degree courses in Bachelors
of Arts, Science and Commerce and the National Institute of Education in Samchi for Post Graduate Certificate in
Education, B. Ed and primary teacher training courses. The enrolment in Sherubtse College and National Institute
of Education in 1990 were 345 and 174 respectively in 1990.
Teachers Training InstitutesTeachers Training Institutes
11.12 In addition to the National Institute of Education, there is another teacher's training institute : the Teacher's
Training Centre in Paro which had an enrolment of 59 in 1990.
Technical and Vocational EducationTechnical and Vocational Education
11.13 There are three formal technical institutes in the country: the Royal Technical Institute in Phuntsholing, the
Royal Bhutan Polytechnic in Deothang and the National Trade Training Institute in Phuntsholing. The Royal
Bhutan Polytechnic provides diploma courses in electrical, civil and mechanical engineering. In 1990, the Royal
Bhutan Polytechnic had an enrolment of 147, the National Trade Training Institute had an enrolment of 63 and the
Royal Technical Institute had an enrolment of 292. The Royal Technical Institute in Kharbandi, Phuntsholing was
established in May 1965 and it is one of the oldest technical institutes in the country and had produced 298
certificate holders by 1990. The Royal Technical Institute offers certificate courses in three main trades i.e.,
Electrical, General Mechanics and Motor Mechanic with four allied trades : fitting, carpentry, welding and sheet
metal trade. The National Trade Training Institute offers courses in masonry and plumbing.
Royal Institute of Management (RIM)Royal Institute of Management (RIM)
11.14 The Royal Institute of Management provides in-service training for civil servants and the private sector
particularly at mid and junior management levels. Its pre-service and in-service courses include personnel
management; decentralised rural development; financial management and audit; communication and report writing;
development policy orientation and computer training. The RIM also undertakes research connected to
management, public administration and training techniques. RIM has a Library Learning and Documentation
Division which caters to general readers especially civil servants. While external training is necessary in most
cases as an interim measure, the Government recognises that it is the in-country training that can provide a greater
training coverage at a relatively low cost and also meet the specific training requirement of the civil service and
private sector. It is in recognition of this fact that the Royal Government established the Royal Institute of
Management at Thimphu in the beginning of 1986, with its own Board of Directors. The RIM had a staffing
strength of 47 in 1991.
Other InstitutionsOther Institutions
11.15 There are 5 Hindu religious and linguistic education institutions -Sanskrit Pathsalas- in Southern Bhutan with
a total enrolment of 458 students and a school for the blind - Zangley Muenselling School in Khaling - with an
enrolment of 27 students. Other educational institutes include the Forestry Institute in Taba, the National
Agriculture Training Institute in Paro, the Natural Resources Training Institute in Lobesa, the Royal Health School
in Thimphu, the National Institute of Family Health in Geylegphug, etc. They are discussed under the relevant
chapters.
C. ConstraintsC. Constraints
Lack of School Facilities and Remoteness of SchoolsLack of School Facilities and Remoteness of Schools
11.16 The lack of adequate school facilities, as a result of financial resource constraints, is the major reason for
the modest enrolment figure. The remoteness of many communities and thus the long distances children have to
walk to school, ranging from 30 minutes to 4 hours, is another factor contributing to poor enrolment in primary
level education.
11.17 The enrolment of girls is much lower than boys. As shown in Table 11.1 there were only 18,469 girls out of
48,051 primary schools pupils in 1990. The distance between the schools and homes is thought to be an important
factor for the lower enrolment of girls in primary schools, besides social and economic reasons.
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