While Dzongkha remains the least favorite; favorite subject contingent to teacher

…𝒔𝒕𝒖𝒅𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔 𝒇𝒆𝒍𝒕 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒊𝒔 𝒊𝒎𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒂𝒍𝒎𝒐𝒔𝒕 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒔𝒕𝒖𝒅𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒈𝒆𝒕 𝒂 𝒋𝒐𝒃 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒈𝒓𝒐𝒘 𝒖𝒑

Tenzin Lhaden

The National Education Assessment (NEA) 2021-Grade II report published in 2023 by the Bhutan Council for School Examinations and Assessment, Ministry of Education and Skill Development reveals that the grade III students has positive attitudes towards learning. Almost all students, 99 percent agreed that they felt learning is important.98 percent of students wanted to get job when they grow up and to do well in their lives and 97 percent wanted to gain knowledge.

It is encouraging to see that most of the students maintain good habits of self-study, reading, and playing after school. Many students (89%) did self-study at home, 88 percent read at home, and 86 percent played outdoor games at least half an hour every day. Watching TV and using a mobile phone were among popular activities students did outside their schools. On the contrary, using an iPad or tablet PC and playing computer games were not popular among students probably due to unavailability of devices.

“I feel learning is important for me. I want to get a job when I grow up and gain knowledge,” said majority of grade III students of Thimphu schools while being asked.

41 percent of students chose Mathematics as their favorite subject, followed by English (33%) and Dzongkha (26%) from the test domains of NEA 2021. This choice was further confirmed when students were asked about their least favorite subject. More than 40 percent of students (44%) picked Dzongkha as their least favorite subject. English (30%) and Mathematics (26%) came at the second and the third places respectively.

64 percent of students reported that they like their favorite subject because it was interesting and 60 percent responded that they liked the subject teacher. Less than half of the students (47%) agreed that they liked the subject because it was easy.

From the reports of NEA 2021, it is concluded that grade III students have positive attitude towards learning. Nearly all students (99%) agreed that they felt learning is important and almost all students wanted to get a job when they grow up (98%), to do well in life (98%), and to gain knowledge (97%).