World through the Bhutanese context: (My idea of a Nationalized and a new approach to history curriculum)

The ownership to my work and belongingness to my job after the curriculum review is the best feeling I had in a long time. Teachers had been implementing policy makers design since the advent of modern education system in Bhutan and still doing but recent change is a nice solace.

With such prospect at hand I would like to put forth my dream of a history curriculum in Bhutan. The current history curriculum served us well and can still serve with appropriate and timely restructurings. I have FIVE key points for restructuring as stated below but note that its entirely my own perception would like to welcome your valued suggestions.

1.   Teach regional and world history from the Bhutanese context and not as a separate entity: An integrated history.

Current history curriculum supplies us three books of history starting seventh grade. We learn Bhutan, Regional and world history as a separate entity hardly having any link. BCSEA too designs questions separately in the same booklet and in doing so we learn a little of everything or nothing at times because all the focus throughout the year is to cover up the vast syllabus and three separate books. Therefore, people adopted providing handouts and rote learning for exams only losing all the charms of history in the process.

History isn’t just remembering a date or mentioning an event, history shall be a reflection and a teacher from the ages. History speaks the goods and evil of mankind from the past and shall let the learner reflect upon past and define the future. It shall enable learners to links events at home with the ones around the globe, connections of each event and their implication to other shall be drawn, nothing teaches analytical skill more than good history lesson does.

So if we list the historical chronology of our nation and relate each event with the ones around the globe and analyse the implications of each event to our geo-political, socio-economic, cultural development and survival and progress of our nation state through each event and time then we not only understand the A-Z of ourselves but as an important player in global arena. Example: as we study reign of Second Druk Gyalpo, we can relate the time at home to that of the world around, we can also link up the immediate impact of those global event on us and around and its tremendous waves to us aftermath and today. 

2.   Focus on retaining the Bhutanese belief system as we become a global master: think globally, act locally

Losing oneself is the byproduct of an inadequate planning; therefore a nation of our size cannot afford to lose a slightest of it. The strength of the Bhutanese lies in our uniqueness to the world that comes with our belief system that spins around our myth and mythology, culture and tradition, legends and folklores that are deeply embedded with Buddhist philosophies yet diminishing with so called contemporary maturity. So designing an activity that involves researching and writing of local and family history according to their level and ability would not only bring them up and soak them deep into Bhutanese belief system but also prepare and acquaint them with research skills and literary competencies. This kind of recording keeping and researches will bank our legends, beautify each locality with a story to narrate and bring back the forgotten glories.

3.   Pursue history as much outside as inside classroom: Abolish chalk and talk in history

Allocate adequate funds and design adventurous, satisfying and documentable activities like the inclusion of family and local history will do a magic in lifting children’s curiosity for the history instead of supplying truckloads of outdated text. The upcoming history curriculum should aim to get rid of the notion that history is a sleeping pill or history class a bedroom. Had it not for vast curriculum and limited time, history has the nature and scope to provide an outdoor learning experience, allocate adequate fund for at least one or two outdoor field trip or site visit to the historical venues. This can really enhance a positive outlook for the subject students can in fact get infatuated to history. Example: Mr. James A Percoco, the professor of History and writer points out ‘how a trip to former USSR sponsored with his history tutor Neal Adams changed his complete view of the subject’ as narrated in his book Passion for the past: A creative teaching of U.S history. 

The point here is design a activities that requires a children to be an explorer, adventurer and thinker apart from being a great reader.

4.  Provide a frame work with definite required outcomes and not prescribed text: Textbook is a problem in itself.

This is a point I raised during honorable Sherig Lyenpo’s and am so glad that we have a similar outlook here. We are always been instructed to go beyond the text and class but on the other hand there’s BCSEA and time who obliquely forbid us to look beyond that prescribed shabby text. Every history teacher has twenty more pages to add on to each topic or a total differing view to every point but will time allow us to narrate another sixty books? Will BCSEA award marks to a differently approached answer? That won’t happen at least with current system and curricula, better don’t risk student’s mark and ones plate.

I would rather suggest provide an adequate fund, hard and soft copy materials to schools across the country and let the learning be fun, but make sure ends need is met in the most joyous adventure …

5.  Instill a unique passion for history: Let the History be a Hobby  

Anyone aspiring can romance history if we can build a passion in them, never confine books and teachers to be the only arsenal of history, wing them and let them bring the historian from anything and everyone they meet, provide a space in a curriculum to hearten their innate love for History and Let the history be hobby at the least...

Some books that drew me to History

Light In The Darkness: A Book Review

The kid’s Spiritual maturity and seriousness in his dealing with life is so impressive.

Married or single, divorced or marrying, young or old, student or teacher you must read Norbu Jamtsho’s uniquely narrated yet truly touching non-fiction Light in the Darkness. 

Norbu is the fourth of the seven children born to Jampel and Tshering Yangzom on 2^nd of September 1996. Life was easier with parental warmth where togetherness was the culture, herding in the rain and leeches were the only worries then. Norbu’s educational journey begun at the age of eight with self motivation and interest for learning, everything went well until his father had to say goodbye to this world and his mother had to play the dual role.

The cover of the Book

The coming of a new father worsened their lives as step-parent to step-child’s relation isn’t always sweet like Passang Passu’s case. Not long after their mother’s union with their new dad the elder sibling started to abandon the family and finally their only world (mother) also left leaving the wingless checks. Now Norbu had to become a father when he’s still a boy and decided to hold the axe when he should be holding a pen if not for constant insistence of his teachers and his undying interest for learning.

Norbu's  shortened  childhood is a becoming of a man.The boldness he exhibits in becoming the man of the house is an inspiration. At such a tender age he had to undertake physical jobs while bearing the mental turmoil.The audacity the "manly child" undertakes to Feed the younger ones and the circumstances he overcomes against the departure are the sheer joy to admire.

Amid such emotional burdens, excellence in anything he does only tells us how serious he is with life. This 78 paged book of 26 short articles  sends out so much of messages about the choice and acceptance, spirituality and reality, mentality and hope in despair.

This book is for the old and young alike; it must raise the hope of those in despair and edify how it feels to have nothing to those in abundance.This honest autobiography indeed is a revelation of all virtuosity that every individual will not be reluctant to grasp. It can be a handy hand book for the counselors across the country dealing with mental health of our youths. I suggest everyone to buy a copy to contribute a little amount for Norbu and his siblings Education.

To Mr. Letho and Mrs. Lenzen I always had great faith in humanity and two of you just exhibited it convincingly. I am thoroughly induced to belief that this world will ever be a better place to live as long as people like you keep inspiring… Thank you for the kindness
NOTE: The book is written by a class 9 student of Nankhor Central school,he must be in class 11 currently... 

What can Dorokha learn from the recent monsoon disaster?

We can develop only when we grow our own food and now is the perfect time we feed ourselves 

Roads still unstable and shops still short of its usual stocks, people wait for hours and rush for the limited arrival each Sunday. It’s been almost two weeks now that I relied on chilies and potatoes for all my meals. I have tasted potatoes in all possible shapes and styles but potatoes are still potatoes LOL. 

satellite view of Dorokha

Maps and books say Dorokha lies in southern foothills with subtropical climate and rainfall usually being above 2000mm per annum but I bet anyone coming with these geographical facts will be shocked to experience the drastic variation. Dorokha in fact is against all geographical and bookish facts, here we experience sub-Alpine in early spring to real sub-tropical from mid May-mid September followed by a brief temperate freshness before we welcome the Sub-Alpine back.



My little knowledge demands me to say this place can serve to be a vegetable hub for Bhutan as any seed that fall off your hand reaps the product, let me list down the fruits and vegetables that grows very well here:-

The list of Fruits n Vegetables prepared by me and my students

In fact Dorokha have all the potentials to feed the whole of Haa, Paro and Thimphu round the year, if such potentials across the country especially in the southern part of the country are harnessed we could reduce the import by at least 20%  in next two years and in next five years approximately 2-5% of urban population will return to the villages while income of our farmer will rise drastically and country could boast rupee reserve by a good figure in next two to three fiscal year alone and Vegetables will always have market but that’s something I am dreaming and keep sharing with my students without knowing what they would actually be thinking.

Southern homes are famed for their flowering culture no longer boast the same as cardamom did not even abscond these gardens. People here earns well through cardamom cultivation and exports and I always pray for their successes but at the back of my mind I always ask myself do they have a contingency plan? Almost all the dry lands, more than 70% of the wet lands and flower garden are under cardamom cultivation. What next if the crop fails or the market fails is my question as I ingest all the imported foods through the Bhutanese throat...

The southern homes once so reputed for flowering culture no longer boast the same now

#Thank you For Reading...

Enter the Exit...

With each entry an exit is assured

 here I watch, the nature's dual act, 

The ENTRY and EXIT plays in Unison

Life begins to end here. 

Truly, it's Entry the exittttt.... 

maternity ward the place where life makes its entry n the back door for exit

Note: life enters by maternity ward and exit by the back door...  

My Inspirational Teacher…

A lady who spent all her childhood herding in the mountains and all her womanhood in the muddy fields happened to be the greatest teacher with so much of inspiration that changed the very essence of my outlook. She knows not a single word of English nor does she know how to dial a number to direct a call but that doesn’t make her any short of inspirations to inspire.

At a very tender age of five she was separated from all her paternal links in Shar  and linked with her maternal ones at Haa, owing to large number of siblings at home she was given to her aunt at the age of nine who haven’t borne  a child in their long marriage. They were caring and loving but she had to work as the couple needs helping hand. Her indispensability at domestic chores and herding cost her opportunity to study. And marrying a man from the village sealed her fate.

Here is the lady who would never cease to smile and inspire
against all adversities

She lacks literacy and outlook but she would never cease to smile against all adversity, to all that I have known; patience is her religion while smile is her god. For her everyone has equal status of importance in the family or outside and protects the weakest. She would save anything special for family gathering and would wait hours to dine together. She would always discourage gossips and will constantly have praises for all’ that’s the inspiration of love and humanity I drew. 

I was the beneficiary of all that during my troubled teenage.

 I had never been a good student all through my primary and secondary schools, my egoistic approaches always retrieved bullies and physical forces from seniors which I would instantly complain to my grand mom, who in all her primitive ideologies would discourage my schooling and that’s the kindest word I would carefully listen to but my mother in all her softness would take some pieces of chugo (Dried cheese) and approach those elders and request them to help me instead.  In a chain like approach I too bully my weaker mates and juniors and have broken many lunch pots with my little tae Kwando, (During those days it takes thousand sweat drops off my mom’s forehead to afford a school bag for me, so i used to carry my lunch pots behind my humechu and every kick would unluckily break the pot or hurt my legs if it’s made of steel). The very next morning somebody would approach my home for refund or wait for me at bus stand for repay. In either case my mother had to fall at their feet to rescue me. In one instance I remember somebody with money and power from the neighboring village took my mother by hand to the principal’s office ignoring all her plea, the reality is I had like most of the time bullied her nephew verbally and she in return wanted me out of school or want me beaten up in her presence. Only my mother’s tireless begging with teary eyes stopped my termination letter half way.

On my return that day I expected the worst at home but all that awaited me was a beautiful smile and like always she served me tea and edibles. She took me with her to make fire in the field so as to keep the wild animals away. It was that diminutive walk that brings tear even to this day, in a very soft and caring voice she told me that education is something nobody could steal or take away from me and that it would remain with me all my life. She wants me never to quit it and in a low tone she told me that even if she dies her soul would never find peace if I remain the old me. She also said; I am the son with most potential and that with little change in my attitude, she believes my life would be an oyster though she feels same for all her four sons. She was always a constant motivator and her Robin Sharma tone would always rescue me from the hot water. But who knew that there more puddles and hurdles when you travel the rough road all alone most of the time.

Once the teenage fantasy led a group of us into substance abuse and slowly habitual abuser, the whole locality knew of our mischievous act and started isolating us with cautions to stay away from their kids. People started complaining and she knew what I was into but she would never accept my fault and would defend me against all blames and slowly people stopped talking openly of me with fear of hurting her. When two of us are alone she would in a soft tone tell me all the harm of these substances, she would firmly say I and only I can prove her right to the world. She would say she fought against all odds just because she knew I’ll never let her down. The amount of trust she had in me would fill me with regret and then determinations to quit silently. In dealing with the students as a teacher today, I follow her firm techniques to correct those turning into my teenage line. It’s the most effective way I have practically experimented.

She instilled a belief in me that I started valuing myself and to this day I recall that little moment every time I feel low. In a course of time that line became my greatest motivator. Today, as I run back into time, I comprehend how desperate I was for that timely drive to lift me up. I knew greatest teacher inspires from the heart.

During her short stay with me last year, she taught me something I haven’t learnt in my four years B.Ed course. As a young man I often lose temper dealing with diverse student but moment she sense it she would say never lose your head or try using force, that’s not the option. She said; “see, the most venomous snakes are tamed with soothing flutes and constant training, students are human take time and nurture”. This line is my MANTRA now. In an ever reflective sense I just realized that you must be trained to teach books but to teach life you only need a bigger heart…J

In you I learnt the patience and kindness, in you I saw calmness and love, from you I learnt to trust and belief. With you I learnt lo SMILE…

For your patience and caring, for your kind words and sharing, for your trust and beliefs

 I just want to say Thank you.

Note:- i made a point to write about a inspirational teacher every year on teacher's day and here is the first person who inspired me.... Thank you for reading...

THE GYELSAY LHADHAR

 On the auspicious occasion of the zhabdrung Kuchoe, we the family of Dorokha Central School join the nation in commemorating the naming ceremony of His Royal highness the Gyelsay. We offered our prayers for our Gyelsay’s long life and good Health by hoisting a 15 metre tall lhadhar dedicated to the royal birth, lighting of 108 butter lamp and reciting Jigten Wangchuk 100,000 (one hundred thousand) times.

A wonderful line found on facebook

The lhadhar During the consecration

Lhadhar represent victory over the forces of evil, and are commonly inscribed with the four powerful animals , the tiger, the snow lion , the dragon , and the Garuda (a celestial royal bird ). These four sacred animals represents the four virtues of Wisdom, Strength, Confidence and Joy that our royal highness represents.

As the wind Passes over the surface of the flag, the air is purified and the wind energized, just as the birth of His Royal Highness the Gyelsay ensures continuity and a brighter future for the Bhutanese people...

Here's the photo story of building the Gyelsay Lhadhar since the day i started the work till it commanded the valley as  noted by Mr. Tobgay  through his facebook "It now stands tall and strong, commanding the whole blue sky and overviewing the whole valley... THE GYELSAY LHADHAR"
here it goes  :-

Sight of the pole taken up to the way

cutting and welding done in the ground

 

Two and half Meters hole dug by TARAYANA Club Members coordinated by Mr. Tobgay

welding being done to join poles

Monetary Contribution received from Staff of DCS... Thank U everyone

   
Poles being painted with aluminium paint to protect against  the agent of rusting. paint Sponsor : Mr. Sonam Gyeltshen (Parob) painters : UNESCO club members

  
Lhadhar getting ready to be raised:

  





Lop Tshangpa ties the ZUNG and Gyeltshen at the astrologically right time and there after the Staff and students raised it, some started plastering the base part while some still holding the rope to keep balance and alignment. as can be seen below:
  
After plastering at the right alignment the pole was left with ropes still tied to keep its balance right unless the cement becomes strong enough to hold the pole on its own.

Finally on the morning of 10th day of 3rd month (Zhabdrung Kuchoe) on 16th April, 2016. all the staff and students gathered to hoist the flag with the prayer for the long life and good health of our GYELSAY...
  

 
  
A quote by Mr. Tobgay posted on Facebook sometimes after successfully hoisting the flag
"It now stands tall and strong, commanding the whole blue sky and overviewing the whole valley... THE GYELSAY LHADHAR" 

   

after the consecration of Gyalsay lhadhar everyone gathered in the school chosam (alter) and offered 108 butter lamp for the  wellbeing of all the sentient being

 finally the one hundred thousand (100,000) recitation of Jigten Wangchuk Begun for the day....

100,000 Jigten Wangchuk recitation by students and teachers of DCS begun for long life and good health of HHH the Gyelsay and in commemoration of 400 years of zhabdrung's arrival in Bhutan ...

NOTE:- it was written a week ago on Zhabdrung Kuchoe's day but due to recurrent power cut and slow net, i couldn't upload un-till today... Thank you everyone for your valuable supports without which my dream would not have been successful.

Astrology OR Perception…

My recent visit to the capital reminded me of an old story that I almost forgot.  The story telling was the best pass time we had as a rusty village boy herding the cattle and collecting firewood to keep ourselves warm through the harsh cold winter of Haa valley.

I have heard myriads of folktales imbedded with myth and mythology custom and tradition, religion and culture, divine and devil, and so on. An oracle or an astrologer predicting or foretelling fortune or calamity would always fascinate me as a young boy, and frankly had it not for my fate and modern education at doorstep I would have become an astrologer under Tsib jagar  of paro .

Thimphu main Traffic

As a student, we still have to herd the cattle during the weekends and once during our usual Sunday lunch time story telling session an elderly man who joined us narrated a story of an astrologer predicting the life of a newborn. He said the astrologer arrived as requested and did all the cleansing rituals and formalities and finally sat down to do all the calculations of the child’s birth signs, star and so on and after long silence in a meditative posture he finally spoke. “The child will have many vehicles around him and will deal with it almost all his life,” enunciated the astrologer. Happiness filled the house and it’s all smiles around, family and villagers were all happy and some said the birth brought YANG (riches of the world or bless by the god of wealth) some predicted the child to be a great builder/contractor while some thought the boy would be an mechanical engineer. Perception matters here for no one sees the future. Can you see the future he would question? Then he continues… the days pass into months, months in to year, years piles and finally came the judgment day. The boy finally turned man; He joined arm force and became a traffic police and remained surrounded by vehicles every day.

Thank you for Reading........