Understanding the Experiences of Dropouts During COVID-19 Pandemic School Closure: A Qualitative Study

In order to have education continued and effectively delivered to the students, the Ministry of Education (MoE) in collaboration with Bhutan Broadcasting Service (BBS), Bhutan Telecom, Volunteer Teachers of Bhutan and the Department of Information and 25 Journal of Bhutan Studies, Vol.48, 2023 Technology implemented a national plan for Education in Emergency to impart education to the students. [...] In this study, the word “dropouts” refers to students who were enrolled in school at the beginning of the academic year 2020 but have not returned to complete their education after the school reopened under the directives of the government. [...] The dropout could not do the tasks and so had to leave school because of the fear of unknown punishment and consequences of not doing the assigned task. [...] The most positive finding was that the relationship between teachers and students, as well as the bond between the school and the community, strengthened during the pandemic. [...] Thus, the findings from the study would not represent the dropouts from all over the country and so cannot be generalized to the schools of the other Dzongkhags.