Mongar dzongkhag education sector resolved to conduct an impact assessment on the dzongkhag common examinations, which started in 2016.

The decision was taken at its 34th education conference. The conference proposed to discontinue dzongkhag common examination in line with the ministry’s plan to do away examination from class PP to III from the academic year 2020.

Yadi Central School Principal, Pema Wangchuk said the continuation of dzongkhag common examination was contradictory to the ministry’s plan to do away with examinations, which according to the principal was implemented with proper assessment and studies at the national level.

The dzongkhag education office for the last three years facilitated dzongkhag common examination for classes II, IV, and V at the cost of about Nu 400,000 to Nu 500,000 annually.

More than 50 principals and the school representatives of the dzongkhag attended the conference that focused on enhancing teamwork among educationists to implement and resolve challenges facing the education sector.

Chaskar Central School principal, Sonam Rinchen said the proposal to discontinue the examination was contradictory to the resoltuion of the previous conference, which decided to continue with the examinations.

“The common examination was on for the last three years because of the positive impacts it had,” he said. “The common examination enabled student’s competency to be tested by the questions based on various sources. Otherwise, teachers would be testing students’ competency based on the lessons taught.”

While the plan to drop the examination would ease the dzongkhag education office, Deputy Chief Dzongkhag Education Officer, Ugyen Thinley said it was important to understand and analyse the need to discontinue the programme.

“We need to have adequate reasons to drop the plan and also come up with an alternative programme in place,” he said.

The plan to conduct a common examination by the dzongkhag education office was aimed at developing a standard competency test among schools in the dzongkhag.

It was also aimed to enable teachers to frame questions with integrity, standardise the competency of teachers and solve issues of some schools promoting students without conducting proper examinations.

The conference agreed on the need to conduct an impact assessment before deciding to continue or discontinue the initiative and resolved to conduct the assessment by mid-term examinations.

Meanwhile, participants also discussed the need for uniform activities on Saturdays, which was inline with the national education conference’s resolution to use the day to develop the teacher’s professionalism and extra co-curricular activities whenever required.

The need for appropriate names for central schools according to the category of the school, career progression for Vice Principals, Principals, Dzongkhag Education Officer, and Thromde Education Officer are some of the issues the conference expects the 19th National Education Conference to deliberate.

The two-day annual education conference at Gyelpozhing Central School ends today.

Nima | Gyalpoizhing