Education in the Bhutanese Refugee Camps

The Bhutanese refugee camps in Nepal have been in existence for almost twenty years, as the first temporary camps were established in 1990. One of the first formal systems established in the refugee camps was the education system. The refugee population played an integral in establishing the education system in the camps which is formally referred to as the English Medium Education Programme. The program is run almost entirely by Bhutanese refugees, although there are management officials on the national level who help to run the program. Most of the classes in the schools are taught in English, and the schools in the camps accommodate grades preschool through grade 10. Students in grades 11 and 12 and those students in college or university must go outside of the camp to attend school. It should be noted that there are few scholarships available for students attending university or college, and students are not able to attend higher education unless their family can fund the education.

All of the traditional subjects are offered through the schools, as well as some classes that are less traditional, such as Dzonkha, which is the national language of Bhutan. Teachers in the refugee camps are not paid a regular teacher’s salary, but instead receive an incentive salary which does not allow most individuals to support their families. There is a high-turnover rate for teachers in the schools as a result of the incentive salary. The enrollment rates at the camp schools have been quite high since they were established. In 2006, the number of students enrolled in the camp schools was 37, 403.

The Photograph was taken from the Bhutan News Service web site.