CHONEY ZANGMO
Thimphu
The Opposition Party formally submitted a letter to the Prime Minister urging the Government to reconsider their decision to reinstate cut-off points for class X.
The letter, among others, outlines substantial evidence and national-level implications that make the reinstatement of cut-off points both unnecessary and potentially harmful to Bhutan in general and Bhutanese youth in particular.
The Opposition Party expressed strong disapproval to the Government’s decision to reinstate the Class X cut-off point in our education system.
They added the move is not only redundant, given the fact that one-tier retention mechanism already exists, but also runs counter to international education trends and Bhutan’s own national objectives.
Desk research and global experience show that multiple retention layers in school education have detrimental impacts.
High-performing education systems such as Finland, Norway, and Japan have already moved away from grade retention entirely and countries like Portugal and Spain, which once employed retention policy, are now reforming their systems to do away or minimize it.
International studies have also found that retention policies without robust remedial support tend to increase dropout rates, lower self-esteem, and disproportionately affect disadvantaged students.
Bhutan’s education system already includes a functional retention filter; – for instance, class 10 students who cannot score at least 40% in English plus best four subjects including Dzongkha, Mathematics and ICT subject are declared fail (Pass Certificate Not Awarded (PCNA) and therefore, not eligible to study Class XI in the next academic session.
For instance, out of 8,900 students who appeared in the class 10 examination last year, 2,260 students accounting to about 25% were declared failed.
Re-introducing cut-off points is an additional layer of retention policy and it is not justifiable especially when constraints with which the policy was initially introduced is no more relevant.
According to the Ministry of Education’s own data, public-school system now has the holding capacity to accommodate about 8,580 students in grade 11 whereas the current enrollment is only 6,310.
The enrolment, according to the estimate provided by MoESD is expected to decline in the succeeding year.
Further, seven high schools, namely Gyelpozhing HSS in Mongar, Gomdar HSS, Minjiwoong HSS and S/Jongkhar HSS in Samdrup Jongkhar, Yoeseltse HSS in Samtse, Samcholing HSS in Trongsa and Phobjikha HSS in Wangdu Phodrang Dzongkhags have discontinued class 11 and 12 for want of adequate number of students.
The holding capacity of these schools were not included while computing the actual holding capacity in class 11 mentioned earlier.
The Opposition also warned that this policy could possibly undermine national unity efforts of the Gyalsung National Service Programme.
By the time students’ complete class 10, most will only attain age of 16. At 16 years of age, students are too young to transition meaningfully into vocational or labor pathways if excluded through arbitrary cut-off points.
This puts them at risk of disconnection or going astray before they reach the mandatory national service age of 18, thereby disrupting participation and compliance with Gyalsung National Service Program.
Not reinstating the cut-off points will definitely bridges the 16–17 age gap by keeping students in structured education until they qualify for the program.
The Opposition also urged the government to reverse this regressive policy and instead focus on policy that promote inclusive, future-ready education.
“Bhutan must not move backward by reintroducing exclusionary practices that the global community has already discarded or being discarded increasingly,” it stated.
The Education and Skills Development Minister Yeezang De Thapa announced in February this year that the ministry plans to reinstate the cut-off point for class ten by next year, alongside other developments in the education sector.
The decision, according to the minister, is based on experience and observations indicating a decline in the quality of education. The minister said that most class ten students have scored between 40 and 50 marks in higher grades.
Emphasising the ministry’s priorities, the minister reiterated that delivering quality education to students remains their priority. The cut-off point for class ten was discontinued by the previous government.
