Samtse College of Education observed and celebrated its 51^st Foundation Day on May 29^th, the day when Late His Majesty Jigme Dorji Wangchuck inaugurated the College as a Teacher Training Institute in 1968. Zimpon Wongm Dasho Chewang Rinzin, Director of Royal Institute for Governance and Strategic Studies graced the occasion as the guest of honour.  The celebration was attended by Venerable Lam Neten of Samtse Dratsang, Heads of the government and non-government sectors in Samtse, retired faculty and staff, alumni, staff and students of SCE. The first part of the program was organized at the College Heritage Centre that included Marchang Ceremony, Lighting of Butter Lamps, Marmay Moenlam, Photo exhibition of Late His Majesty the Third King Jigme Dorji Wangchuck, and launching of the Bougainvillea Plantation Project for 2019.

The second part of the programme was organized at Namgay Khangzang (College Auditorium) that comprised of a welcome address by the College President and the Guest of Honour, speeches by retired faculty, alumni representative, and student representative, followed by a cultural programme and quiz questions about the history of the College. In his opening welcome address, Dr. Rinchen Dorji, President of the College expressed his heartfelt gratitude to our beloved Third  Druk Gyalpo Jigme Dorji Wandchuck for having established this college in 1968 as Teacher Training Institute in the country. He said “In our last 51 years of service to the nation in preparing teachers, Samtse College of Education has trained close to 7000 teachers, who serve selflessly under trying conditions in the nooks and corners of the country. As a College of Education that has the mandate to educate and train secondary school teachers for the Bhutanese education system, we are consciously cognizant of the persistent challenges that we face in terms of producing teacher graduates who are not just motivated and competent but who also possesses the personal and professional qualities to inspire the young Bhutanese children to pursue knowledge and learning as a life-long endeavour”.

The Guest of Honor Dasho Chewang Rinzin talked about the importance of education in the socio economic development of the country. He applauded the College for being the premier teacher education institute in the country and producing quality teachers. He also wished the College to strive and achieve excellence in producing professional teachers.

The morning programme concluded with a lunch for the invited guests, faculty and students in the College Student Mess. The faculty and staff of the College had a friendly football match with the alumni teachers from a nearby school in the afternoon as part of the final activity for the 51^st College Foundation Day.