Tshering Namgyal

A class XII student of Sherub Reldri HSS in Mongar, Ugyen Yangzom chose to discontinue her study and remain home to look after her ailing grandmother. There was none to take care of her grandmother who raised her after her parents died. 

Ugyen Yangzom is one of the 15 students in Mongar dzongkhag who did not return to school after the government ordered reopening classes X and XII from July 1. 

A class X student of Mongar HSS decided to continue next year in a different school alleging that some teachers teased him as ‘drugsman’ after he was arrested for abusing drugs. He is working at a construction site. 

His mother told Kuensel that her son didn’t heed to advice from relatives. “He was into drugs a few times but he isn’t an addict,” she said. “And he promises to quit and continue his study next year in a different school.”

Of the 15, three were class XII students and the rest of them were class X.

Four students each from Drametse Central School and Mongar High School followed Gyalpoizhing High School and Sherub Reldri HSS with three each, and one from Yadi Central School.  

Among the dropouts, three students had expressed their wishes to repeat next academic session to the school authorities as a reason to stay back, four due to domestic problems, two didn’t want to continue for no stated reason while one left for job.        

Two class X students of Mongar HSS became nuns at Yakpogang. Three other girls studying in class X married and discontinued their study.  

A parent of one of the girls who married during the break said, “We don’t want them to suffer like us and wanted her to complete at least class x.”

 “But she went ahead and we couldn’t do anything.”

Dzongkhag education officials said more students wanted to discontinue because they came from the economically disadvantaged families. They were working at construction sites. 

 “Some students told us that they don’t have TV or smartphones and couldn’t update the lessons from the BBS TV and wanted to continue in the next academic year,” an official said. 

 “We encouraged them and a few students changed their mind to join,” he added.

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