Implementing a voucher system could address the dual challenges of overcrowding in public schools and weakening private educational institutions say experts

KP Sharma

As public schools in urban areas face pressure from increasing student admission driven by migration patterns and exacerbated by high teacher attrition each year, could a school voucher system be another option for the country?

The current challenges have  pushed education experts and a number of National Council members to discuss the introduction of a voucher system as a potential solution.

What is a school voucher, really? School voucher, also called education vouchers, is state-funded scholarships or  a certificate that provides government funding for a student to attend a school of their choice

So, how could it address the problems facing schools in urban centres? The voucher system could reduce the burden on limited infrastructure in public schools by redistributing students to private schools.

Redistribution could also help maintain manageable class sizes in public institutions, while ensuring access to quality education.

Some educationists believe that this could promote competition among schools.

The system also has the potential to help address the challenges private schools are facing because of changing government policies. Once a thriving arm offering alternative educational options, many private schools have now closed.

Many private schools continue to face financial difficulties despite the recognition of the private sector’s role in economic growth.

Some argue that implementing a voucher system could address the dual challenges of overcrowding in public schools and weakening private educational institutions, creating a more balanced and sustainable education system.

Benefits

The voucher system could offer several benefits to the country, according to the National Council’s special committee for education. During the winter session, the committee suggested that such a system could provide parents with greater choice and flexibility in selecting their children’s schools.

“The initiative aims to foster the development of both private and public education sectors, while ensuring access to education for all children,” the committee said.

It is widely believed (backed by some studies) that school vouchers could improve the overall education system by encouraging competition between public and private schools, operating within a free market framework.

A private school representative raised concerns when the previous government absorbed Class X pass students from public schools, arguing that this policy disregarded the private sector.

He said that thromdes and dzongkhags administrations were pressured to absorb students from private high schools, forcing urban schools to adjust classroom sizes, leading to overcrowding.

He argued that had the government collaborated with private schools to utilise available space, the cost would have been far low. “Instead, the government spent an additional Nu 500 million every year to construct extra classrooms to accommodate the influx of students, neglecting the unused private school spaces.”

Explaining the potential benefits of the voucher system, he suggested that providing private schools with at least 30,000 per student voucher would have cost the government much less than  constructing new classrooms, hiring additional teachers, and installing other facilities.

“It will cost the government less, strengthen the private sector, and over time, reducing the burden on government schools,” he said, adding that the cost of educating a student in a government school has risen, particularly with recent pay increases for teachers and civil servants, while private schools, operating under open competition, are often more cost-efficient.

“If the government decides to provide vouchers, the choice of school will remain entirely with parents and students,” he said.

However, he cautioned that school and class size limits should be established to ensure a basic standard of quality.

Comparison by STR  and class size

As per the education statistics for 2024, the average student-teacher ratio (STR) in public schools is 16 students per teacher, compared to 15 students per teacher in private schools.

Private primary schools have an STR of 11 students per teacher, while public primary schools have an STR of 15 students per teacher.

In the public school system, Higher Secondary (HHS), Lower Secondary (LSS), and Middle Secondary Schools (MSS) have the highest STR at 16; special institutes have the lowest at 4.

In private schools, HSS have the highest STR at 18 and LSS  have the lowest at 10.

The average class size in public schools stands at 14 students. LSS and MSS levels have higher averages of 18 and 23 students per class, respectively.

HSS have much larger class sizes, averaging 27 students per class. The Special Institute has a small average class size of 6 students.

On the other hand, in private schools, the average class size is slightly lower at 16 students per class. Primary schools have an average class size of eight students, while LSS and MSS have averages of 13 and 18 students per class, respectively.

HSS in private institutions also have larger class sizes, averaging 22 students per class.

The data indicates that class sizes are generally smaller in public schools compared to private schools.

The larger class sizes in private schools is attributed to the limited number of private schools.

Despite the government offering the opportunity to study in public schools after Class 10, private HSS still have large class sizes. This also indicates a large number of students continue to prefer private schools.

As of 2024, there were 1,732 students in private primary schools, 233 in LSS, 736 in MSS, and 5,099 in HSS, making a total of 7,800 students in private schools.