Education in Bhutan

[1] Until the 1950s, the only formal education available to Bhutanese students, except for private schools in Ha and Bumthang, was through Buddhist monasteries.

[4] The RTC campus, covering an area of 25 acres in Ngabiphu provides a secure and pleasant living environment.

[1] Since that time, following one year of preschool begun at age four, children attended school in the primary grades—one through five.

[1] The Department of Education administered the All-Bhutan Examinations nationwide to determine promotion from one level of schooling to the next.

[1] The Department of Education also was responsible for producing textbooks; preparing course syllabi and in-service training for teachers; arranging training and study abroad; organizing interschool tournaments; procuring foreign assistance for education programs; and recruiting, testing, and promoting teachers, among other duties.

[1] The core curriculum set by the National Board of Secondary Education included English, mathematics, and Dzongkha.

[1] Founded in 1973, Royal Bhutan Polytechnic offered courses in civil, mechanical, and electrical engineering; surveying; and drafting.

[1] In the year it was established with UNDP assistance, the college enrolled 278 students, and seventeen faculty members taught courses in arts, sciences, and commerce leading to a bachelor's degree.

[1] Education programs were given a boost in 1990 when the Asian Development Bank granted a US$7.13 million loan for staff training and development, specialist services, equipment and furniture purchases, salaries and other recurrent costs, and facility rehabilitation and construction at Royal Bhutan Polytechnic.

[1] Most Bhutanese students being educated abroad received technical training in India, Singapore, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Britain, Germany, and the United States.

[1] The number of girls in Bhutan receiving an education is increasing however, women still fall behind men due to things such as early pregnancy and gender stereotypes.

[7] Tertiary Education is a field in which Bhutanese women fall behind in, mainly due to high maternal mortality rates and early pregnancy.

On April 4, 2023 the spokesperson of the Indian Ministry of Foreign Relation confirmed that India would continue to extend educational assistance.