The Bachelors degree in secondary education was launched in 1983 at Samtse when the Department of Education realised that there is a need to train secondary Bhutanese teachers. In 1986 the first batch of secondary teachers graduated from the erstwhile National Institute of Education. The Institute became one of the member colleges of the Royal University of Bhutan in 2005 and in 2006 the Institute was renamed as Samtse College of Education. As of 2008, 754 B. Ed secondary student teachers have graduated from the college. The establishment of B. Ed secondary programme has to a large extent assisted in the capacity building and meeting the shortage of human resource in the Ministry of Education and the Colleges of Royal University of Bhutan.

Aims and Objectives of the Programme:
The national school curriculum framework recommends that the education system in Bhutan should aim at developing a technological society and promoting socio-economic development in the kingdom, while it should also aim to preserve and promote the country’s rich cultural heritage and instil in the minds of our student teachers a deep sense of self-discipline, knowledge and confidence, and love and loyalty towards the three foundations – the King, Country and the People. The educational programmes in the teacher training colleges should, therefore, be designed in the context of the general aims of school education in the country (CAPSS, 1996). The Bachelor of Education secondary programme of the Samtse College of Education (SCE) has been designed in accordance with the larger goals of education that the Royal Government of Bhutan sets.

The following are the aims of the B.Ed Secondary Programme:
i. produce competent and committed teachers, who can teach effectively two subjects of specialisation from classes VII – X in schools in Bhutan;
ii. facilitate in the student teachers the growth of positive attitudes towards their profession and learning, which they will pursue throughout their lives;
iii. equip the student teachers with knowledge, skills, and attitudes to participate fully and confidently in the education system in particular and in the Bhutanese society in general, and to be able to function as an effective agent in significant areas of national development;
iv. instil in the student teachers a true sense of commitment and loyalty to the Teachers’ Code of Ethics;
v. begin the development of professional maturity in terms of experience, competence, and confidence;
vi. develop awareness of the social context in which they belong, and the organisation of the institutional system in which they will be working as teachers;
vii. inculcate in the student teachers a need for incessant professional growth and for a deep knowledge of the areas of their subject of specialisation and other aspects of education;
viii. develop confidence in the areas associated with teaching practice;
ix. be knowledgeable about and apply the Bhutanese curriculum framework and policies; and
x. carry out evidence-based improvement in teaching practice.

B. Ed Secondary Programme Committee:
There is a working committee called B. Ed Secondary Programme Committee comprising of about 10 members representing various subjects that deals with the operation of the programme. The programme committee meets every semester where major decisions and issues pertinent to programme development are discussed and further submitted to the College Academic Committee for approval. The College Academic Committee in turn takes it up with the Academic Board, Royal University of Bhutan for endorsement.

Members of B. Ed Secondary Programme Committee:
i. Dean AA: Chair
ii. Program Leader: Member Secretary
iii. HoDs contributing department: Member
iv. Two student Representatives: Member

The Course Structure and Programme Structure with Modules...
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