After the written test in Motithang school yesterday

Dzongkha Teacher Shortage 20 March, 2010 - A human resource officer in the education ministry spent yesterday afternoon making phone calls to various monastic institutes outside the country.

He was calling to confirm whether the graduate certificates, some of the shedra graduates had submitted, along with their applications, to fill in the slots for Dzongkha teachers, were authentic.

The ministry had recently announced vacancies for 100 contract Dzongkha language teachers with a graduate certificate or six years of monastic studies, which is equivalent to a bachelor’s degree in Dzongkha. More than 160 people had applied, all from monastic institutes in India, Bhutan and Nepal. 130 were shortlisted, of which 77 were from India.

“I called several places, but no one answered,” said the chief human resource officer, Sonam Wangyel, who had received a written anonymous complaint, naming at least five of the shortlisted candidates with fake certificates from a monastic institute in India. None of the Dzongkha graduates from the institute of language and cultural studies or Sherubtse college had applied.

More so, the education ministry started recruiting shedra graduates under the Light Drukyul project in 2008. These shedra graduates will be sent to different parts of the country as Dzongkha language teachers, of whom the country is facing an acute shortage. The shortage was also highlighted in 2008, when the education ministry reported that 150 of 523 schools in the country did not have a single language teacher.

This project, a former monk from Mysore said, had been a new career opportunity for many monks, especially in India. “I was shocked to see many of my monk friends, who hadn’t completed six years of monastic study, shortlisted,” he said. “Many of these monks hope to be sent for post graduate degree in education at Paro college after the two-year teaching contract is over.”

Sources said that some of the candidates had submitted fake documents, which are very difficult to verify unless the human resource officers call the institutes. “Some of these candidates from India, after spending just two or three years at the monastic institute, come to Bhutan with a degree-equivalent certificate,” said one.

The chief human resource officer said that they are being careful and verifying all original mark sheets and have conducted a written test for the first time yesterday. “We have an acute shortage but we can’t compromise on quality,” said Sonam Wangyel. “These people have come forward at a time when we really need them, but we’re making sure that we don’t recruit people with fake documents or without Dzongkha knowledge.”

Before the written examination, Sonam Wangyel asked the candidates yesterday morning to voluntarily withdraw their application by March 22, if they submitted fake documents or “face the police if the ministry found out.” He also asked the candidates to withdraw if they were dissatisfied with the Nu 10,000 salary or that a post graduate diploma in the Paro college of education is not guaranteed.

“About 27 candidates withdrew before the written test, but not the five people whose names were submitted by the anonymous complainant,” he said. Which means that only 103 candidates will sit for another interview on March 22 for the 100 slots. “We also found, through the written test, that some shortlisted candidates couldn’t write a proper sentence in Dzongkha.”

Sending shedra graduates as contract Dzongkha language teachers after an intensive two-week crash course to address the immediate shortage, especially in primary schools, has also raised several issues on quality. “If we’re not careful with the recruitment, those with two to three years of monastic study or with the degree certificate might not be able to teach and provide solid foundation in Dzongkha to primary school children,” said a former Dzongkha teacher in Thimphu.