Nim Dorji | Trongsa
With many class 11 students in Trongsa dzongkhag opting to study Arts, Samcholing Higher Secondary School is overburdened with students, leading to hostel congestion.
This is because the dzongkhag education sector had initiated stream segregation for three high schools in Trongsa since last year. Students opting to study Science are enrolled in Sherubling Central School, Commerce in Tsangkha Central School and Arts in Samcholing.
It was learnt that rooms, which are supposed to accommodate 20 students, have to adjust more students. The school management had to convert the recreation room in both dormitories into rooms to accommodate the students.
A class 12 student, Phurpa, said 12 girls shared a room last year but there are 26 girls this year.
Rooms are filled with bunk beds.
Students said those staying in lower bunks do not have a proper lighting system.
They also said it will be worse in summer, as Samcholing is a hot place.
The dzongkhag’s chief education officer, Pemba T Gyeltshen, said they did not expect many students to opt Arts stream.
He said hostel congestion problem will be resolved in the coming year, as either class seven or eight will be transferred to Sherubling school. “There is a plan for new hostel construction in the next financial year,”
Samcholing School has 426 students studying from classes seven to 12.
Meanwhile, Pemba T Gyeltshen said stream segregation was done to enhance and professionalise student’s capacity. “Teachers can focus on the specialised subject.”
He said that it would also help solve teacher shortage, as only the required number of teacher as per the stream will be deployed in the respective school.
The education officer also said stream segregation would help in minimising the budget allocation. “If all schools have Science stream, they should have a lab and procure the chemicals and other materials which would incur a huge cost in all three schools.”
He said that with a school taking students on only one stream, resource allocation is also easy.