𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐃𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐆𝐚𝐩 𝐁𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐔𝐫𝐛𝐚𝐧 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐑𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥𝐬

…𝑵𝑬𝑨 2024 𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒔 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒔 𝒓𝒖𝒓𝒂𝒍 𝒔𝒄𝒉𝒐𝒐𝒍𝒔 𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒌 𝒅𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒄𝒆𝒔, 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒏𝒆𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒂𝒅𝒆𝒒𝒖𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒕𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏

By Kinzang Lhamo

Despite improvements in internet connectivity, the country’s rural schools continue to lag behind their urban counterparts in digital learning opportunities, according to the National Education Assessment (NEA) 2024. While urban schools enjoy faster and more reliable internet, rural schools face frequent outages and limited access to digital tools, restricting students’ ability to participate in e-learning, online assessments and digital assignments.

The NEA report highlights a persistent performance gap between rural and urban students. Grade III students in urban schools scored, on average, 39 points higher than their rural peers in English Reading and Mathematical Literacy, a disparity that has remained largely unchanged since 2021.

Officials and teachers attribute this gap partly to unequal access to digital resources and teaching and learning materials (TLMs). Nearly four in ten schools reported that Information Technology (ICT) related TLMs were either unavailable or in poor condition.

“Although all schools have internet connectivity, frequent weather outages, unstable electricity, and damage to fiber cables caused by rodents or falling tree branches often delay restoration,” said Pelden Wangmo, Chief Dzongkhag Education Officer (DEO) of Zhemgang Dzongkhag. “ICT infrastructure is still underdeveloped; only a few schools have proper ICT labs, and in most schools, three to four students share a single device. Frequent power fluctuations have also damaged many computers and laptops.”

Rural schools have attempted to bridge the digital gap with measures such as offline learning apps, shared WiFi hotspots and lesson-sharing through pen drives. However, these remain insufficient to match urban schools’ access to digital learning.

A primary school teacher explained the challenges faced by rural institutions. He said, “Our school lacks a proper ICT lab, and the few desktops we have are not enough for the class size. Unstable internet and the absence of trained ICT teachers limit the use of digital resources. This affects all subjects, including Dzongkha, where students miss valuable opportunities for digital reading, writing and typing practice.”

He added, “With more devices, students would be able to access ICT individually, get sufficient time to practice technology skills, and use both digital devices and learning platforms during their leisure time, which would greatly enhance their overall learning experience. Teachers also need professional development on how to use ICT tools and digital resources effectively, subject-specific digital resources, especially in Dzongkha, and basic technical training to maintain and troubleshoot small issues on their own.”

ICT integration in classrooms remains weak nationwide. Kinley Dorji, Executive Specialist at the Bhutan Council for School Examinations and Assessment (BCSEA) under the Ministry of Education and Skills Development (MoESD), said, “One in four teachers received no ICT training in 2024. Low teacher confidence and limited digital resources have left ICT use minimal, hindering opportunities for students to develop critical 21st century skills. Strengthening ICT in schools is not just about technology; it is about enabling students to access modern learning methods and preparing them for the demands of the future workforce.”

Even schools with better infrastructure face challenges. A school principal from Eastern Dzongkhag said, “Our school is near the gewog center, so we have good fiber service and a separate ICT laboratory, though the structure is old. Sometimes the internet is hampered by weather, but overall, we have a specific ICT teacher and do not face many issues.”

In contrast, a principal from Tsirang Dzongkhag highlighted ongoing rural challenges: “As I remember, it was in 2019 that even rural schools in the country were connected to the internet for ICT, and we benefited from it. Though the internet sometimes fluctuates, we do have ICT infrastructure in our school. However, due to large class sizes of 30 to 32 students, the school has only two ICT periods per week. Students share computers, with two students per device, which limits hands-on practice. We provide only two to three days of basic ICT training for teachers, and there is no teacher available to teach ICT in depth. Because of these challenges, we do not have a full-fledged ICT teacher, and students often cannot get sufficient individual practice or advanced ICT learning.”

The NEA 2024 recommends targeted investment to reduce disparities, including improving rural connectivity, ensuring the consistent supply of quality TLMs and expanding teacher training in ICT integration. Experts warn that without prioritization of these measures, Bhutan’s digital education efforts risk leaving thousands of rural students behind.