The Tendu Central School principal is being transferred following the reinvestigation confirming allegations of alcohol use during a party held in the school’s multi-purpose hall in March.

Though the education ministry is yet to decide on the transfer, Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay who visited the central school posted on his Twitter and Facebook pages on April 1 that the principal is being transferred following the reinvestigation. Lyonchoen Tshering Tobgay announced the decision during his visit to the school.

Lyonchoen stated that while the central schools have been given additional autonomy, it comes with additional responsibility for principals. “I informed the teachers that the principal is being transferred because of this unfortunate incident,” he posted online.

The Prime Minister also wrote that he has volunteered to support the school in celebrating their 40th anniversary next year under the condition that it reaches out to involve all their alumni in the celebrations.

Education minister Norbu Wangchuk said that the human resource committee is in the process of deciding the next course of action. “We will have to go by Lyonchoen’s directives. The principal will be transferred,” Lyonpo Norbu Wangchuk said.

This course of action comes in the wake of allegations of the principal giving away the school’s multi-purpose hall to the army to organise the party. An anonymous user on Facebook, Bhu Drukpa, questioned the integrity of the school and alleged that a bar and smoking zone were in place during the party. A group of alumni from the school also caused some minor problems. While the initial investigation cleared the school of all the allegations, the ministry had to call for a reinvestigation into the matter following information surfacing that supported the allegations.

The reinvestigation then confirmed all the allegations. Though the principal had given away the multi-purpose hall with good intentions of building relations with other organisations and the local government, the ministry is holding him accountable.

Tempa Wangdi