In Pursuit of Human Excellence: Samtse LSS's first school magazine

In over 50 years since the school was established, there has not been any attempt to produce a school magazine for Samtse Lower Secondary School. Perhaps other important activities in the school might not have given room  for a school that stands out for being one of the oldest seats of learning and alma mater of many contemporary eminent figures, to embark on the idea of producing a school magazine. Or there wasn't anyone to take the initiative. 

But this year the school saw a turn of events. The school administrative team decided to produce it's maiden school magazine. An editorial team was selected from among the teachers. The team comprised some senior teachers and language teachers, Mr. H B Viswa, a seasoned teacher was the chief editor. The idea of producing the maiden magazine was regarded special as it coincided with Sherig Century or the commemoration of 100 years of education in the country. 

This month, the production team successfully launched the magazine. Although rudimentary, the magazine marks an important milestone in the history of the school. It lays foundation for producing successive editions. It opens avenue for students to showcase their literary skills. Mr. H,B Viswa said that it will be published annually and he hopes the magazine to get better in the following years.

As the school is an alma mater of the reigning Education Minister, Lyenpo Thakhur Singh Powdyel, the magazine enjoys the privilege of having a message from Lyenpo. Despite busy schedule Lyenpo has spared time and mind to write a message in the magazine. He reminisces about his days in the school, pays tribute to some of his 'learned teachers' and informs how his 'dear alma mater' was a 'regular theatre of literary, dramatic, cultural, social and community activities'.

The content of the magazine is essentially a compilation of students' literary fortes in the form of  essays, stories, jokes, poems both in Dzongkha and English.

As I read the magazine, to my surprise I found an article written by my daughter. She had written it while I was away overseas studying. It read-

I miss you, father!

Father when are you coming home? I miss you very much. Yesterday mummy showed me your photo and when i looked at it I cried a lot. When Mummy saw me crying, she cried too. 

Father come home soon. I want to hold your hand and walk with you. Father you told me to be good girl at home and at school. I will do that. Father I miss you.

Pema Tshoki Yangzom, I D 

PS: 

Samtse Lower Secondary school is very close to Samtse Higher Secondary school, the school where I currently work. They are separated only by a road. Prior to my placement to Samtse HSS, I worked in Samtse LSS for a year and half. It really was a 'seat of learning'. As a greenhorn teacher I gained a lot of experiences from the school.  

My younger daughter turned 4

My younger daughter (Sonam Choki Dema) turned four today. Few days back she insisted me on arranging a celebration on her birthday. I had to scratch my head but I couldn't turn down her plea. Kids get excited of birthday parties. They enjoy eating cake, sweets, singing birthday song and dancing. So my wife and I promised her a  simple one. We planned to invite her neighboring friends and make the night for her. But we felt sorry for not being able to afford her a grand one. 

                                                                                                                                       

Wishes and Messages: Apa, Mummy and Sister wish you a very happy birthday. May God bless you. You have come to us as a special gift. We love you so much.

                                        

There is special message from your sister. She requests you not to pull her hair when two of you fall out. She says she is no-match for your deft hands. She wants you to try something other than pulling  her hair. 

But Apa and Mummy want two of you to be best siblings. No fights. Don't yank anything from each other but share. We want two of you to love, care each other and stay safe.

Hard-work paid off

Today marks an important milestone in my career. I secured another degree in Education, Masters Degree. I majored in Curriculum and Instruction.

I was relishing the prospect of receiving the degree for the past few days. Today when time came for the University to confer me the degree my mood escalated to its peak.

With the President of the University

What more happiness can there be than to know that our hard-work has paid off? Working deep into night with my mind thinking hard, fingers and eyes running over pages after pages, it was arduous.  At times it got me thinking ‘it sucks’ but I kept going relentlessly. I could successfully meet all datelines and fulfill all requirements of the course, including my thesis. And today I feel a great sense of accomplishment and contentment.

My mates

In life we have dreams and I usually refer a ladder as a metaphor for our dreams. Today, of the several rungs that lie before me in the ladder of my dream, I have climbed one and inched one step forward. But there is no room for complacency. I got more important roles to play. What lies ahead is even a bigger dream, a dream to educate children of our nation with greater degree of competence. skills and vigor. That is another rung to climb. 

Acknowledgement

I am indebted to the Royal Civil Service Commission of Bhutan and the Government of Thailand for granting me scholarship to study at Rangsit University, one of the finest in Thailand. I would also like to thank the Ministry of Education for approving my candidature for the scholarship.

I owe my sincere gratitude to the course director, for M.Ed. Curriculum and Instruction program, Dr. Manit Boonprasert, Ph.D. who was also my thesis adviser for her unwavering guidance and support. Her wide knowledge and logical way of thinking have been of great value for me. 

Besides my Course Director, I would also like to thank other lectureres, Professor Dr. Pruet Siribunapitak and Associate Professor Dr. Somchanok Phuamphai, Associate Professor Dr. Wiwat Puntai, Dr. Wanida Ploysangwal and Dr. Boonsri Chaevakumjon for teaching various subjects. 

I owe my sincere gratitude to Mr. Norbu Gyelpo, District Education Officer, Samtse, for allowing me to conduct my research project at Samtse. My thanks are also due to Mr. Tshering Tobgay, Principal, Samtse Lower Secondary School for permitting me to conduct the research experiment at the school. I am also extremely indebted to Mr. Rinchen Drakpa, Science teacher of Samtse Lower Secondary School helped me with my research by taking the role of a lesson observer. 

Last but not least, I would like to thank my wife and two daughters who patiently endured difficult times in my absence and for their moral support. 

A visit to a museum in Vietnam.

Last week I visited Vietnam on a study tour. We were a mix group of Thai and Bhutanese Students. Thanks to the University for the trip. The objective of the tour was to study the education system especially the curriculum and instructional practices of the country. We visited several schools and universities and learned many best practices, some of which can be useful in Bhutanese education system. However, my intention of this post is not to recount what I learnt from visiting the schools and universities (perhaps I will keep it for the next post) but to share what I encountered when I visited the museum of the University of Social Science and Humanities at the country's capital city, Hanoi. It is one of the finest universities in the country.

I felt lucky to be walking and looking at the archaeological artifacts kept on display, which according to the person who ushered us, dated back to some 1000-1500 years. As I walked past the artifacts I was surprised by how some of the artifacts looked similar to what we have in Bhutan.

Look at this half woven cloth set on a loom. The patterns woven on the cloth are so much like the ones in Bhutanese hand woven clothes.

The loom too is similar to a Bhutanese loom. The frame, the beater, the pedals, the seat, the shuttle and weft, they all look similar to what we have in Bhutan.

These are agricultural tools used by ancient Vietnamese and they are similar to the sickles and spades that Bhutanese farmers use.

These are traditional violins. They resemble Bhutanese violin known as Pchiwang. Like Pchiwang the body of these violins are made from horns; are two stringed; have two tuning pegs and I can imagine that the sound they give out is also similar to the sound that Bhutanese Pchiwangs produce.

This is a rice beating device.It is basically built on the principle of lever. The U-shaped stone is the fulcrum. On pushing the shorter arm of the lever with our feet the longer arm that has a vertically attached wood thuds the rice in the stone container like a hen pecking from the stone container. Such devices are used by people in southern Bhutan.

The above two are mortar-and-pestle like devices used for beating rice and such devices are heavily used by people in eastern Bhutan.

These are bamboo baskets and they look like the Bhutanese bamboo baskets known as Tsew used by people all over Bhutan.

This is a Dulcimer and it looks like Bhutanese dulcimer known as Yangchen.

Look at the patterns on these clothes. They are similar to the ones on Bhutanese hand woven clothes.

A Lesson in a lot-song-thaew

Like in many other countries you will find many local transportation services in Thailand. There are public-bus transportation services, taxi, Lot-mey, tuk-tuk, motorsai, lot-song-thaew (forgive me if my spellings do not match the actual Thai pronunciations) not to mention sky-trains in the cities. Public-bus, taxi and sky trains cover the highways while Lot-mey, tuk-tuk, motorsai, lot-song-thaew cover the road network other than highways. Taxi fares are relatively high because it’s more comfortable to travel by Taxi, while Lot-mey, tuk-tuk, motorcy and lot-song-thaew operates at a cheaper fare.

Public bus

Taxi

Sky train

Lot-mey

Tuk-tuk

Motorsaii

Lot-song-thaew

In and around our university there are Lot-mey, tuk-tuk, motorsai, lot-song-thaew and taxi.

Going to the shopping centers on free time is a popular recreation for Bhutanese students in the university and most often we travel by Lot-mey and lot-song-thaew.

A lot-song-thaew, carries about fourteen passengers, twelve in its rear passenger seat and two in its cab. They wait at the university entrances for the students and local people to board until all seats are filled. It also picks up passengers along the way but they have to travel standing.

Last Sunday I was going to a shopping center and I boarded a lot-song-thaew. I was the only Bhutanese passenger in it. There were about eight male passengers including me and the rest female.

Few minutes down the road, the vehicle stopped to pick a woman passenger. As the women treaded in, a young university boy stood up to give her his seat. ‘What a kind fellow’ I thought. The women took the seat without even saying ‘thank you’.

After sometime a young girl boarded the vehicle and this time the gentle man sitting straight opposite me stood up to offer her his seat. By then of the eight male passengers in the vehicle, six of us were still sitting.

A few minutes down the road the vehicle pulled over yet again to pick this time a group of five university girl students. As they stepped in the vehicle all five male passengers sitting stood up to give them their seats. While the girls sat without even thanking the men.

Then I was the only male passenger sitting and I hoped ‘If the pulls over again to pick a passenger  let it not be  female ’

We traveled for some time and the vehicle stopped again to pick a passenger. I craned my neck only to find a lady stepping in. A question sprang in my mind ‘should I offer my seat to the lady? No I shouldn't because there is a long way before I reach the shopping center.’ So I continued sitting and pretended to be oblivious of the presence of the lady.

But after sometime I noticed that all the passenger in the vehicle were gazing at me and some even glaring at me. I thought ‘is something wrong with my face? Have I got sweat on my nose?’ and wiped my face but the passengers were persistently gazing at me. ‘Are they looking at me because I am a foreigner? Have I become something of an oddity?’ So I turned my face away from them and looked at the trees and houses that passed by.

However, few minutes later my conscience pricked me and I felt awkward to be the only male passenger sitting, so I offered my seat to the woman. Surprisingly, the passengers withdrew all those stares, gazes and glares. It was only then that I knew that those glares and stares meant that I should stand and give the lady my seat. And it dawned on me that it must have been customary for men to offer their seat for female passengers. I also knew the reason why female passengers who took the seats offered by male passengers didn’t say ‘thank you’ because when something is a customary there isn't any need for saying ‘Thank you’

After ten minutes, we were at the parking lot of the shopping center. We unboarded and queued up to pay the fare. I wasn't quite convinced of why men had to give their seats for female passengers. So I couldn't help asking the student before me in the queue ‘Why did men stand up when women got in?’ but he dint seem to be speaking much English. So I rephrased it and said ‘Why men stand up when woman get in?’ He stammered and finally forced out ‘sss..sss..ss sacrifie…’. He meant sacrifice. That said it all. Men sacrificed their seats for women.

The following Sunday I found myself travelling in a city bus and this time when a lady got in I was the first person to stand up and offer her the seat and I dint mind even if she dint say thank you.