History of Drukgyel Higher Secondary School
History of Establishment of the School
The present school is an offshoot of the erstwhile Paro High School, which had to be located to a new site after a dreadful landslide hit present Paro LSS in 1986, causing a
major damage to the infrastructure. This is a product of a close partnership between the Royal Government and the British Government. The foundation stone for the construction work of the school was laid in December 1991 and most of the work completed by 1994. The total cost incurred in the construction of the school amounted to 1.05 million
pounds sterling (roughly Nu. 62 million) which was exclusively British Government’s ODA grant to the Royal Government. The school was inaugurated on April 7th, 1994 by the then British High Commissioner of India, Sir Nicholas Fenn in the presence of high-ranking government officers of the RGoB. The school was named Drukgyel High
School on the 7th of April, 1994.The first Principal Aum Namgay Om started the school with 399 students and 29 teachers and today there are more than 800 students with about 60 teaching and non-teaching staff. Location of Drukgyel High School
Drukgyel High School is located in Jitsephu village of Tshentok Gewog, at a distance of 12 KM from Paro main, at the upper end of Paro valley. Driving up to the school from Paro along the left bank of the Pachu, one crosses the Kyichu Lhakhang and the road ends at Drukgyel Dzong – one of the most historic, ruined fortresses which is only three kilometers away from the school. The holy monastery – Taktsang faces the school almost directly opposite, across Pachu. Jhumolhari mountain peeps shyly from further north, fanning Drukgyel constantly with her fresh air. The actual site of the school slopes gradually from the Drukgyel Dzong-Paro road to the river in a south easterly direction. Next to the high school site, across the fence, is located Drukgyel Lower Secondary School. The School lies at an altitude of about 2511m above sea level and within 27029’05.6” North Latitude and 89019’56.6” East Longitude. The Historical Significance of its Location
The school bears the name of the Dzong as well as our country Druk and for an appropriate reason. Drukgyel Dzong which means the “Fortress of the Victorious Drukpas” is distinctively visible from the school. It was here that the Bhutanese under the Great Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyel had defeated the Tibetans in 1644 and the fortress was built, not only to commemorate the famous victory but also to curb further Tibetan incursions. Today our school has derived its name from the Dzong, reminding every Bhutanese of a great historical achievement of our country. Roughly translated, Druk = Bhutan and Gyel – Victorious. Aptly the school’s motto is ‘Ever Victorious’.
