students

All the students presently admitted at CTAS are from rural areas of Bhutan. They come from poor family backgrounds. The students range from those who never attended school to those who completed the primary level of schooling (which is equivalent to Class VI in Bhutanese standards). There were 44 students during the 2002-2003 academic year.

Presently, the school admits only about 15 students every year because of cost and space factors. The present campus still requires construction of more buildings, a hostels for both boys and girls and a building for kitchen, dining hall, and practical classes (thangka painting, sculpture, carving etc). Once these facilities are available, the school can admit more students and plans to grow to accommodate more than 100 students.

Admission Procedure:

The academic year begins from March every year. The selection interview is normally conducted in the first week of the same month. The availability of seats and the dates of interview are announced through students when they return home for winter vacation and the national newspaper, Kuensel. Students are qualified to appear for interview if they fulfill certain criteria.

Criteria for Selection:

1. Must be 15 years or older;
2. Must not have medical weaknesses;
3. Must have basic knowledge about painting; and
4. Must not have any criminal record.

The requirement of a basic knowledge about painting for admission was introduced mainly due to admission pressure and to ensure that the selection process is fair in terms of the school's overall objective. The minimum age required for getting admission to CTAS is 15 years. This is mainly because during practical classes (presently the most popular being traditional house painting), students are required to be at least physically strong enough to cope with frequent painting of two storied Bhutanese houses and carrying poles and other materials that are too heavy for younger children.