Members of Parliament call for strategic interventions, one being to hold regular stakeholder meetings between lawmakers and educators/students
Bhutan’s higher education landscape faces a significant challenge, with only 35% of Class 12 students enrolling in universities within the country despite the Royal University of Bhutan’s (RUB) capacity to accommodate many more. As reported during the fourth Parliament session, Bhutan’s universities had a total capacity of 10,180 seats in 2024, but only 7,211 students were enrolled, leaving 2,969 seats vacant.
This issue of under-enrollment was highlighted by Lhaba Lhaba, the chairperson of the Social and Cultural Committee, who urged the government to take strategic steps to address the imbalance between university capacity and student enrollment.
The Gedu College of Business Studies (GCBS) is nearing full capacity, with only 63 seats available. In contrast, the Samtse College of Education (SCE) has a significant under-enrollment, with 590 vacant seats. Similarly, the College of Language and Cultural Studies (CLCS) reported extremely low enrollment, with just 248 students against a capacity of 1,000, leaving 752 seats vacant.
The committee proposed several measures to address under-enrollment, including increasing student intake in government colleges to better utilize existing capacity, establishing a National Education Council to guide long-term education strategies and, facilitating regular coordination meetings between the Ministry of Education and Skills Development (MoESD) and universities.
A parliamentarian also noted frequent policy changes with each administration as a contributing factor to the current challenges, citing the lack of research-driven decision-making in curriculum design.
The discussions underscored the need for Bhutan’s education system to align with job market demands. A parliamentarian stressed the importance of a research-driven educational model that prepares students for emerging industries. “While many Bhutanese obtain advanced education abroad, limited domestic job opportunities hinder the effective utilization of their skills, leading to a waste of human potential,” the parliamentarian observed.
To address this, the government was urged to diversify the domestic job market by investing in sectors like technology and innovation, establish partnerships with foreign universities to enhance curriculums and align them with global job market trends and, project vocational training as a solution.
In response to these challenges, MoESD Minister Yeezang De Thapa highlighted the government’s efforts to improve educational quality and infrastructure. The ministry has introduced vocational training programs for Class 12 graduates, aiming to equip students with practical skills for the workforce.
The discussion also invoked Bhutan’s constitutional provisions on education. Article 9, Section 15, emphasizes the state’s duty to provide education that develops knowledge, skills, and values, while Section 16 mandates free education up to the 10th grade, with technical and professional education based on merit.
“The issue of under-enrollment reflects deeper structural challenges in Bhutan’s education system. While institutions like GCBS are thriving, others like SCE and CLCS struggle with low demand. To bridge these gaps, the government must adopt a holistic approach, enhancing infrastructure, aligning educational outcomes with market needs, and fostering international partnerships,” another concerned parliamentarian noted.
By addressing these challenges collectively, Bhutan can harness its educated workforce to drive socioeconomic development. “The parliament’s ongoing dialogue signals a commitment to improving the education system and fulfilling its constitutional mandate to empower citizens for future challenges,” she noted, adding that it is high time educators and students are also invited to participate in stakeholder meetings with the lawmakers on a regular basis.
By Sherab Dorji, From Thimphu
