Bhutan is exploring ways to provide an electronic tablet to each student of 12th standard in order to bridge the widening learning gap, especially after the COVID-19 situation, as per a report by Kuensel, the government-owned newspaper.

The proposal came as the Ministry of Education is developing an e-learning platform, the Learning Management System. The necessity for the programme was especially felt immediately after the Covid-19 situation. 

“I don’t feel there is anything wrong in giving a tablet to each student, because it is necessary now,” said Bhutanese Prime Minister Dr. Lotay Tshering. He, however, added we haven’t yet decided anything on it, we will wait for the proposal to come.” 

One of the main objectives of the new Learning Management System is to reduce disparities among the students, said Education Minister Jai Bir Rai. The minister said, in order to make that possible we felt the need to providing tablets to all 1,73,000 students in the country. 

The ministry is drafting a proposal and will make a presentation to the prime minister this week to explore the possibility of issuing tablets, informed the minister. 

Highlighting the limitations of the current education system, Prime Minister Tshering said today students who can answer what is written in the textbooks are considered intelligent and there is little scope to learn beyond the textbooks. 

He said he would consider any such initiative positively which could provide good learning outcomes.