Bhutan Prime Minister Lotay Tshering has said if there is a COVID-19 community transmission in the country the government will ensure there is no long nationwide school closure this time around. He said the government will make sure schools do not remain closed for an entire academic session as seen in 2020.

However, he was quoted by the Kuensel newspaper as saying that a nationwide school closure is a must for a few days during the lockdown to study the situation.

But schools in a particular area where local transmission happens will remain closed. “If there’s a community transmission in Thimphu, there’s no way we can run the schools in this locality. We have to close the schools.”

“We’re still in a preventive mode. So, if there’s a positive case, we have to have lockdown and schools will have to be closed too,” he said. “After studying the situation, we’ll reopen schools in other areas.”

The Prime Minister added that it was not easy to plan as to how to keep schools running amidst these risky times.

“How do we make sure the local transmission doesn’t affect the academic session? This is in individuals’ hands and we all must work together to keep the virus at bay so that students aren’t disrupted,” he was quoted by the daily newspaper.

The one way to ensure, he said, is to make sure that there was no local transmission.

“The answer is: don’t be complacent, and practice safety protocol to protect our children,” he said.

Last year, schools till Class eighth remained closed from March 18.  More than 100,000 school-going children had to stay at home.

Though, some schools in highland and far-flung areas in which no COVID case was reported and authorities decided not to close them, stayed closed.

The education ministry saw more than 700 dropouts last year after Classes IX-XII were re-opened in July, which was attributed to the school closure for a longer period, the newspaper reported. Officials said they are trying to track down all the students, who dropped out, and have asked them to continue the education from this academic session.

While more than 400 students decided to leave school because of domestic or health issues, more than 90 students got married, 49 found jobs, 37 became monks or nuns and 21 joined the armed forces, it was found.

Schools in areas like Thinleygang and Wangdue, Shengana and Khuruthang in Punakha and Dorokha in Samtse will reopen from April 1.