The government’s decision to reinstate the cut-off percentage for students sitting for the Class X examinations has not been taken well by the Opposition Party, Bhutan Tendrel Party (BTP), with the party saying that the policy decision lacks evidence and the government has not followed proper policy making procedures. The Opposition Party has also called upon the government to suspend the implementation of the policy and to reconsider their policy decision until a comprehensive, evidence-based review is conducted- including assessment of socio-economic impact by consulting all relevant stakeholders and mandatorily aligning with nation’s education and development strategies.
In a written response to the paper, the Opposition Party says it firmly believes that sound public policy decisions should be guided by evidence, stakeholder engagement, and long-term societal impact, rather than short-term administrative convenience or isolated performance indicators. “Without such approach, we risk compromising quality and equity of educational opportunities, diminishing public trust and confidence, and waste of national resources.”
Further, the party has said that it opines that this policy decision lacks evidence and that the government has not followed proper policy making procedures. According to the party, the Government should have considered a wide range of factors including vocational training opportunities, the consequences of frequent policy changes, the maturity of class X students, the dropout rates, social issues including youth crimes, the absorption capacity of schools, and school enrolment trends rather than solely basing on one factor – the student’s academic scores.
The Opposition Party has thus called upon the government to suspend the implementation of the policy and to reconsider their policy decision until a comprehensive, evidence-based review is conducted- including assessment of socio-economic impact by consulting all relevant stakeholders and mandatorily aligning with nation’s education and development strategies.
Citing another example, the Opposition Party says that the abrupt removal of pedestrian fees at the Phuentsholing Pedestrian Terminal is a clear example of a poorly planned policy change. “This move has resulted into a massive revenue loss, poorly managed infrastructure with little or no impact on the efficiency and effectiveness of pedestrian traffic and management.”
“Education policy decisions must be rooted in long-term national interests rather than short-term performance metrics. The Opposition Party remains committed to advocating for policies that ensure equitable, inclusive, and high-quality education for all Bhutanese children, in line with the nation’s developmental aspirations.”
Underlining that the Opposition Party is not convinced about the issues and consequences as a result of doing away with cut-off points, it has said that if the government can convince the party and the general public of the issues with evidences, the Opposition Party will definitely work towards coming up with proper solutions.
During the last Meet the Press session, Lyonpo Yeezang De Thapa, Ministry of Education and Skills Development said the government would reinstate the cut-off percentage, from the next academic year. She expressed concerns over students’ academic performance and said that students may be taking their studies lightly due to the absence of a cut-off percentage.
Sangay Rabten from Thimphu
