… community is happy with upgradation of the school from LSS

KP Sharma 

Sherubgatshel Lower Secondary School in Norgaygang gewog, Samtse recently upgraded to Middle Secondary School (MSS) is the first middle secondary school in the gewog.

The school will have its first batch of class IX students starting the academic year 2023.

Education minister Jai Bir Rai inaugurated the school on December 26 while on his tour to Samtse and Haa dzongkhags.

It was established in 1952 and was later upgraded to junior high school in the late 1970s. The school reopened in 2001 as a community primary school.

Since it was the only school to cater to the growing number of students in the region, it was upgraded to lower secondary (LSS) in 2008.

According to the education ministry, there are currently 466 students, of which 210 are boarders, with 26 teaching staff.

As the school is in its initial phase of upgradation, it is going to face challenges in terms of not having adequate classrooms, hostel, and quarters for the warden and matron.

Vice Principal of the school, Ram Bhakta Sharma, said that the school was exploring all the possibilities to accommodate class IX students this year.

“We will have a shortage of facilities like science laboratory and hostel for the students,” he said.

To address the classroom shortage, the school had to adjust 3 rooms and they are now ready. “We will use the study hall as a hostel until the new hostel comes up,” said the vice principal.

The school has requested the dzongkhag education office for more teachers, especially those teaching subjects like economics and science. “We are informed by the education office that they will work on it and send the teachers on time,” he said.

The up-gradation of the school is expected to benefit the entire gewog which has 950 households.

Norgaygang Gup, Shyam Kumar Gurung said that with more students passing out every year and Tendruk being far, the need to upgrade school was felt urgent.

More than 70 students from Sherubgatshel LSS were sent to Tendruk Central School for higher studies leading to more congestion in the school. “It is the collaborative effort of parents, school and Gewog for the successful up-gradation of the school,” the gup said.

He said that the decision to upgrade the school was endorsed by Dzongkhag Tshogdu after repeated requests from the gewog tshogde.

The school will benefit Dangreyboog-Patshaling, Miphelgang-Sampheling, Chongzhu-Tshachu, Khababgang-Noryok, Joenpang-Lingarnang, and Chugo-Phendeygang chiwogs.

The school occupies over 12 acres. However, the gup said that they are planning to acquire additional 5 acres to set up a primary school separately.

“More than 12 people from the village came forward to give their land for the school set up,” said the gup.

Students from Sangacholing LSS and other schools would be transferred to the school in class IX this year.