During our first two years, the overall results of our students was tarnished by a number of students who simply had no interest in studies. Paying their fees seems to have been interpreted as their ticket for staying in the school. This is obviously not the case as the school can help only those who put in effort and we have no desire to retain those who do not.
From 2012, we introduced a system of Academic Probation where all students are expected to maintain passing marks, particularly those in Classes X and XII. The Unit I test results were evaluated and those failing were placed on AP. A notice was sent to all these students of their need to get out of AP by the end of the first term with a warning that those failing to do so would be asked to leave the school. Students are intelligent enough and the passing marks are low enough to guarantee a 100% pass rate. Not being able to clear such a low bar can only be attributed to a lack of effort.
We are pleased to announce that our strategy has shown some very positive results. Students on AP have visibly put in more effort during the last months of the first term. Not surprisingly, the number of failing students has dropped dramatically after the Midterm test.
- Class X – After Unit Test I : 18 After Midterm: 3
- Class XII Sci – After Unit Test I: 9 After Midtern: 5
- Class XII Com – After Unit Test I: 4 After Midtern: 3 (all 4 previous passed, 3 new failed)
- Class XII Arts – After Unit Test I: 14 After Midtern: 7
The act of placing students on AP and actively monitoring them has placed a pressure many have not faced before and most have been motivated to work harder. Our parents have also been supportive and cooperated with our program. The 3 students who failed after the midterms in class XII Com were not on AP and therefore not under this pressure. They have now been notified of the need to get out of AP by Unit Test II. We are confident they will also clear the bar by then.
The hard reality is that most students in Thimphu are subject to numerous distractions that do not let up even during the board exam period. We need to impose active and aggressive interventions to break these patterns. Our dayboarding program has played a very important role in this regard with the students kept well-supervised until 5pm everyday. We hope our parents will try harder and work to cultivate daily study timetables at home. It is this sort of discipline that will hold every child in good stead in their future.
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