Thromdes or dzongkhags to decide home exams dates for affected schools 

Yangchen C Rinzin  

The education ministry has postponed the board examination to February next year. The ministry issued a notification yesterday stating that the Bhutan Certificate of School Examination and Assessment (BCSEA) would hold the main examinations from February 14 to 28 next year.

The practical examination, including the practical test for the seven Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutes, will be held on February 12.

The board examination usually starts on December 1 and ends on December 13.

The BCSEA will conduct the evaluation of the answers from March 5 to 24 simultaneously for both classes X and XII so that schools could reopen in time for the 2022 academic year. 

Results for students of class XII and class X will be declared on April 3 and April 10 respectively.

The BCSEA will now prepare the examination and logistics for the evaluation.

Kuensel learnt that the ministry proposed to postpone the examination so that students of Phuentsholing and Samtse, whose studies were affected due to the Covid-19 pandemic, would get enough time to complete the lesson and prepare for the examinations.

The affected schools are schools in Phuentsholing thromde, Chumithang Middle Secondary School (MSS) in Chukha, classes IX and XI of Phuentshothang school in Phaduna, and two private schools in Phuentsholing.

These schools have remained closed for more than six months and classes for PP-VIII students are continued online whereas classes IX-XII students were relocated to Phaduna in Punakha recently, which is now called Phuentshothang School.

The education ministry has also decided that the home examination for classes IV-IX and XI for those schools unaffected by the pandemic will be held in the third week of November this year.

However, as for the affected schools (classes IV-VIII), the respective thromde and dzongkhag can decide an appropriate date for the examination. Once the examination date is confirmed, the ministry will approve the date.

The vacation for unaffected schools for classes X and XII will be from December 19 to January 14, 2022 before they return for the board examinations. Some principals said that this would help students since boarding students could not go for midterm break.

The notification signed by the education secretary also mentioned that the same would be also decided for classes IV-XI of schools in Samtse. The schools are Gomtu, Peljorling, Tashicholing Primary School (PS), Gayshinggoan PS, Depheling PS, and Phuentshopelri PS.

However, there will be no vacation for all affected schools for classes X and XII and the students would have to join the new academic 2022 after the examination.

Meanwhile, the ministry has decided to reopen the new academic year for 2022 by March except for schools used to conduct the evaluation camp. Schools used for evaluation camp will reopen from March 26.

Schools will reopen from February 15 for Classes VII-VIII.

Edited by Tshering Palden




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