Fridays for primary schools and Saturdays for middle and higher SS in Thimphu Thromde

Thimphu Thromde has decided that the students of the thromde schools will be allowed to wear tracksuits, their health and physical education (HPE) attire on Fridays and Saturdays.

This means, the schools wouldn’t assemble students for the morning prayers on Fridays and Saturdays and scheduled classes could be attended in tracksuits. The thromde has decided that primary schools should schedule HPE classes on Fridays while the middle and higher secondary schools should have HPE classes on Saturdays.

On these two days, students can come to school in HPE uniform and do not need to wear gho and kira while leaving school, the thromde decided.

The two-day review by the thromde was conducted following public resentment after the thromde resolved during its education conference on March 8 to allow tracksuits only during HPE and annual sports day.

Schools were notified on March 16 to make students change into gho and kira after the HPE class. The students were also required to wear gho and kira while coming to and returning from school. The rule remains implemented since the recent decision has not reached the schools in writing.

All 34 schools including 15 private schools in the thromde were earlier asked to schedule their HPE classes only on Saturdays. The decision was however unpopular among parents and teachers who considered the rule impractical since it would impede classes.

Thimphu Thrompon Kinley Dorjee said the thromde has reviewed and consulted all school principals who have agreed to have HPE class on Friday and Saturday. “We decided to have HPE class on Friday for primary schools because most don’t have classes on Saturdays,” he said.

The Thrompon said students should wear only gho and kira for the rest of the week since HPE classes are also theoretical. He said the thromde would be issuing notification to all schools this week for immediate compliance.

The decision according to the thromde was taken to promote the country’s national dress.

Most school principals welcomed the decision since this would now give schools some room to adjust and arrange HPE class.

Schools in Thimphu started introducing tracksuits when the department of youth and sports circulated an order to allow students to wear sports outfit during HPE. Schools slowly adopted the tracksuit to make it a part of their uniform.

Yangchen C Rinzin