The Chairperson of the Social and Cultural Committee, Member from Wamrong constituency moved a motion to reconsider and reassess the Ministry of Education and Skills Development’s decision to reinstate the Class X cut-off point starting from the 2026 academic session.

Presenting the motion, the Committee emphasized that the cut-off point-initially instituted due to limited intake capacity in Higher Secondary Schools-had lost its relevance with the expansion of infrastructure, now totaling 77 Higher Secondary Schools across the country. The Member highlighted that seven schools ceased Class XI enrolment in 2024 due to under-enrollment, confirming that capacity constraints no longer exist.

The Committee highlighted  that the 2019 policy to remove the Class X cut-off enabled equitable access to higher secondary education, alleviated financial burdens, and supported national efforts toward inclusive and quality education. Reinstating the cut-off, they argued, contradicts Bhutan’s commitment to Sustainable Development Goals (particularly SDG 4 on Quality Education and SDG 5 on Gender Equality) and undermines the goals of equity and human capital development.

The Committee raised the concerns regarding invalidity of Intake Capacity Constraints,  irrelevant of to  cutoff  to quality assurance, Adverse Impact on Rural Students, Risk of Human Capital Loss, Exacerbation of Socio-Economic Inequality, Negative Impact on Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), Gender Inequity, Disruption to the Gyalsung Program and Premature Vocational Redirection.

In view of the above, the Committee recommended that the Ministry of Education and Skills Development reconsider the decision and defer implementation of the Class X cut-off policy.

During the deliberation, Members expressed varying views - some expressed support for the motion, while others raised concerns acknowledging the potential negative impacts of the decision on youth development, equity, and the achievement of national goals. Following the discussion, the House resolved that the Ministry revisit its decision, conduct comprehensive research, and provide a detailed justification based on the Committee's submission. The findings are to be presented to the House during the upcoming Winter Session. The motion was adopted with 38 Members voting in favour and 1 abstaining, out of the 39 Members present.