Dechen Dolkar

Sonamgang Primary School in Phuentsholing, one of the Special Educational Needs (SEN) schools in the country, is faced with a shortage of SEN teachers.

The school has around 30 SEN students, 17 of whom are dealing with severe cases of disabilities.

The school has only eight SEN teachers.

The teacher-student ratio is currently 1:4, meaning there is one teacher for every four students.

Principal Tshewang said that the school required four more SEN teachers to provide full attention to all the students.

He said that more than 50 percent of the SEN students faced severe cases that required one-to-one attention and also needed different skills training.

Currently, teachers attend to two to three students in each class, depending on the severity of their disabilities and their skills.

The school is equipped with SEN facilities such as ramps and rails from the gate to the classroom. The school has a special toilet for students inside the building.

The school is also constructing special toilets with modern facilities for SEN students outside the building.

The classrooms are designed for the comfort of the children, with specially designed tables and chairs. The school also has a play garden and facilities for skill training.

There are two categories of classes with different sizes of furniture, one for bigger students and one for smaller students.

The principal added that since there is no separate structure for SEN students, two classrooms are currently used for SEN students. These classrooms are partitioned to accommodate different classes.

Teachers also teach different subjects at various standards. In each class, two to three students sit with the teacher.

He said that one of the agencies sponsored the furniture and interior design in the classrooms. The school has proposed construction of a separate structure for SEN in the 13th FY plan.

“Currently, the classrooms are very congested, and there are disturbances from other classes,” he said.

The principal said that the school focused more on academics, although it also provided skill training for students.

A SEN teacher, Sonam Zangmo, said that the school offered various skill-training programmes to students in addition to academics. Those who are not severely disabled, she added, receive skill training and attend classes with regular students.

However, she said that severely disabled students required one-to-one attention. “A few of them are very difficult to manage in the classroom.”

After completing Class VI, SEN students are transferred to Phuentsholing Rigsar Higher Secondary School.

In the fiscal year 2024-2025, the education sector has plans to upgrade facilities in 20 central schools and increase the number of inclusive schools from 39 to 44.

The Royal Civil Service Commission has plans to recruit 55 SEN teachers this year.