KARMA CHIMI | Thimphu
The Annual Education Statistics 2022 released by the Ministry of Education and Skills Development (MoESD) on 30 January, reports that the year 2022 had trainees increase in Technical Training Institutes (TTIs) of 246 compared to 2021.
There were 1125 trainees in 2021, while 1371 trainees were present in 2022.
The report claims that over six years, there has been a fluctuation in the number of trainees enrolled in technical and vocational education.
Additionally, it mentions that the number of trainees enrolled in 2020 was among the lowest, but that figure climbed by more than 100 percent in 2021 and by a further 22 percent in 2022. Overall, there hasn’t been a consistent pattern in the increasing rate of the trainee population. “However, the number of trainees is anticipated to increase due to the growing relevance of skill building.”
In the country, in terms of gender, there were 973 male trainees, compared to 398 female trainees, pursuing technical and vocational education in a variety of fields.
The gender parity index (GPI) for technical and vocational education has been slightly increasing till 2017 followed by a decrease thereafter.
Since the GPI for technical and vocational education is 0.41 as of 2022, it is clear that the majority of trainees are men. The data reveals that over the previous seven years, there have been more male trainees than female trainees, with a correspondingly smaller number of female trainees each year.
Today, there are six TTIs, and two Zorig Chusums (13 traditional arts and crafts) managed by the MoESD with a combined capacity of around 1,800 students in a year.
The Education Blueprint meanwhile, requires the technical and vocational education and training system to absorb about 40 percent of the secondary high school graduates, around 4,800 students, by 2034 on an annual basis.
In 2011, the former Ministry of Labour and Human Resources introduced a vocational skill curriculum as an optional subject for Class IX in five schools (Khuruthang Middle Secondary School (MSS), Bajo Higher Secondary School, Chumey MSS, Rangjung Central School (CS) and Bayling CS) located near TTIs. This initiative was taken to promote vocational programs starting from school education.
Under the vocational skills curriculum, students are taught general electrical and house wiring, basic automobile engineering, carpentry, plumbing, tailoring, hardware training, and Zorig Chusum.
Meanwhile, the annual education statistics show that there are a total of 171 trainers teaching in TTIs and institutes of Zorig Chusum across the country. There is a greater number of males with 118 trainers (69% greater than females) and female trainers with 53 numbers.
Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) began in 1965 as Don Bosco Technical School in Rinchending, Phuentsholing. It was renamed Kharbandi Technical School and later Royal Technical Institute. In 2001, it was upgraded to the College of Science and Technology.