26/03/2026
𝐏𝐂𝐄 𝐋𝐚𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬 𝐓𝐄𝐒𝐎𝐋 𝐂𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞 (𝐎𝐧𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞) 𝐭𝐨 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭
Paro College of Education, as one of the two teacher training institutions in the country, has long carried the responsibility of shaping the quality of teacher education in Bhutan. Its journey reflects decades of comitment, hard work, evolving demands, and a steady pursuit of excellence in preparing competent teachers for the nation. Today, it continues to play a central role in the education, training, and professional development of teachers.
Yet, professional development in Bhutan faces persistent challenges such as uneven access, limited scope and duration, inadequate funding, the absence of strong professional learning communities, and concerns around training quality. In response, the College envisions a more accessible, sustained, and high-quality professional development ecosystem grounded in continuous learning and collaboration.
In this spirit, Paro College of Education launched a TESOL Certificate Course on 25 March 2026, with the support of the Regional English Language Office, US Mission in India. This 150-hour, fully online and asynchronous course focuses on TESOL principles and practices for teaching English to young learners, emphasizing communicative methodologies and practical classroom application.
Structured across six modules, the course equips teachers to design engaging lessons, assess learners meaningfully, and reflect critically on their practice. The inaugural cohort includes in-service teachers from the Master of Education in Primary English at Paro College of Education and six Master of Education in English students from Samtse College of Education.
The College acknowledges the contribution of Alix Slayton, TESOL Specialist and course developer, and the dedicated English faculty members who worked alongside her for over one and a half years in developing the course. Grounded in a needs analysis involving 409 primary school English teachers, the programme is designed to respond directly to classroom realities.
This is more than a course launch; it is a deliberate step toward strengthening teacher practice and advancing the future of English language education in Bhutan.
