Scouts & Sports Division

Background

The Scouts and Sports Division (SSD), Department of Education Programmes (DEP) under the Ministry of Education and Skills Development is the nodal agent established to look after the organised sports and physical activities (SPA) in schools. Since the year 2000, the SSD, DEP has been promoting and developing organised SPA in collaboration with various stakeholders. Whereas Health and Physical Education (HPE) was instituted as a curriculum subject in the year 1999/2000 and was coordinated by the then Curriculum Department and later by the Royal Education Council (REC).  

However, as per the approved National Strategic Framework for School Sports and Physical Activity (NSFSSPA) 2016-2023 by the Education Ministry (Ref. No. DYS, GSD (02)2016/…….. dated ………) implementation of HPE was delegated to the SSD, DEP to ensure a better coordinated and effective delivery of the curriculum along with the School Sports Program (SSP).

The primary objective of the SPA is to make children ‘Physically Literate’ as a part of the School Education so that they have the required knowledge, skills and confidence to enjoy and remain healthy throughout their life. With the program’s philosophy “Youth Development through Sports’, SPA is used as a medium to foster lifelong healthy lifestyles, instil values, skills, enhance emotional and social wellbeing and to enhance teaching-learning process. The other primary objective of the Division is to foster ‘Mass Participation’ so that children of all ability, gender, sex and age can enjoy and derive the myriad benefits that the SPA has to offer.

The Division’s activity includes development of polices, standards, guidelines, conduct of sports educational activities, mobilize resources, research and organise school sports competitions. In addition, the Division coordinate the recruitments and trainings of HPE teachers and School Sports Instructors (SSIs). The Division also collaborate with the Bhutan Olympic Committee, National Sports Federations and other relevant agencies in the development of healthy lifestyle and sports.

Vision:

Enriching lives and social bonding of Bhutanese children through sports and physical activities.

Mission:

To foster all-round development of children through sports and physical activities whereby all Bhutanese children grow into healthy, responsible and productive citizens.

Mandate:

• To formulate policies, standards and guidelines aimed at facilitating all round harmonious development of children through sports and physical activities.
• To develop programs and activities to inculcate lifelong healthy lifestyles, values, skills and enrich teaching-learning experiences and foster mass participation.
• To promote and preserve indigenous Bhutanese sports.
• To administer sports personnel management and development programs.
• To set standards and ensure sustainability of the SPA both in terms of resource and continuity.
• To facilitate sports excellence as appropriate.

Education is about nurturing the whole child. Education means developing the child morally, intellectually, physically, socially, emotionally and aesthetically.