Bhutan

MDG 2: Achieve Universal Primary Education

The Gross Primary Enrollment Ratio (GPER) for Bhutan has increased from 55% in 1990 to 115.73% in 2009, which shows an average growth of 4.0% per year. Bhutan’s Net Gross Primary Enrollment Ratio (NPER) in 2009 was also increased to 91.82%. According to the Ministry of Education,  around 1% of the 6-12 year old children are studying abroad and around 2% of the 6-12 year old are enrolled in the monastic institutions.  While there is insufficient data dating back to 1990 for net enrollment, the Royal Government is confident the target will be achieved well before 2015.

The success rate of primary school completion has been rising steadily but still it will require sustained effort to continue scaling up educational efficiency measures. In 2007, 92.4% of students starting grade 1 reached grade 5 while 85.4% reached grade 7 with survival rates for girls slightly better than for boys for the year. However, survival rates beyond grades 7 and 8 show significant declines with these grades marking a particular phase when many students tend to drop out of school.