Let’s TALK about SEX

            The recent news of introducing Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) as a part of the school curriculum by the Ministry of Education is much needed, if not long overdue. 

        During my brief stint as a science teacher – who involved teaching adolescents living at the age of numerous life-changing or sometimes life-threatening circumstances, I identified the significance of making materials associated with CSE to be made more accessible in our learning institutions such as in schools. 

        Empirical findings based on CSE were also orally presented in two national seminars held at teacher education institutes – one at Samtse College of Education and the other at Paro College of Education, in 2016 and 2019 respectively.

        Elsewhere  and 4 years back in my blog post, I have contended: 

“Sex is everywhere. It has noticeably invaded the public square than ever before. Music is sexually toned while the music videos are highly galvanized with sexually explicit content. Songs postulated to produce quixotic flavour are genetically mutated with degrading lyrics that would either objectify feminism or reify the supremacy of masculinity. Advertisements and endorsements are increasingly becoming the brothels of obscenity by the growing use of immodest sexual imagery believed to elicit sexual responses and in so doing invite consumers. And almost intolerably, sex has developed itself into a language of social media that is understood by the culture of any origin. 

 

While sex has openly colonized practically almost every sphere of human space, it has undoubtedly remained injured after the collision of numerous existing cultural and religious taboos in discussing it within a family circle. Restrictions of these measures are highly detrimental that the adolescents are often risked to gather misconstrued knowledge and irrelevant myths from various sources that may be passed down to the generations” 

My presentation slides during the "Adolescent Sexuality and Wellbeing in the 21st Century", October 22-25, 2019. Paro College of Education 

        Adolescence is a period of human development that is often confronted with increased freedom to make choices. Their ability to confront these choices and make healthy decisions are key to development.

        It is our responsibility to offer the right information and skills for adolescents to navigate and make informed choices for their reproductive health and general well-being – both physiologically and psychologically.  

        Despite the evidence that it is necessary and valuable, materials on CSE are not easily accessible. In a cultural setting like ours, CSE is frequently confined to the conversation inside our home premises. Because it is so delicate and sensitive, many parents avoid it and find it intimidating. 

        According to the literature, some parents are concerned about encouraging early sexual experimentation by arousing sexual interest in their children, if they commence open talks about sexuality with them. In our scenario, many of our parents shy away from communicating about sexuality with their children. In some cases, some parents feel ill-equipped, hesitant, or afraid of talking about CSE. 

            Because we grew up in a cultural setting that did not encourage us to talk about anything related to sexuality or reproductive health, we generally feel unknowledgeable and uncomfortable talking with our children, thus resulting in the same trend of rearing the children in the same way we were brought up. I found this trend of prohibits not only predominantly visible but highly worrying. 

            The existence of such cultural and religious barriers in discussing sexuality with adolescents may lead to the growth of numerous negative health consequences that would be life-threatening to our kids – which may be otherwise avoidable. A gap such as this can be minimised by initiating consistent open communication about sexuality with children. 

            Being aware of this practice, I used to discuss sexuality with my pupils in class, in addition to academic obligations. As a science teacher, it was a huge benefit to me because I didn't have to feel embarrassed about discussing reproductive health or concerns linked to CSE. As a result, I encouraged them to speak up openly, which inspired me to investigate adolescent-parent communication regarding sexuality in the Bhutanese setting. And that's how I learned that our parents say, NO to talk about SEX with our children.

            Given that I wanted to put CSE sexuality education into the spotlight of conversation from the perspective of the school environment, I endeavoured to find a platform where key stakeholders could hear it. But only a handful take interest to listen, even though our society is rapidly amassing a wide variety of sexual risks, including, but not limited to, sexual harassment, sexual abuse, sexually transmitted illnesses, sexual orientation (LGBTI), rape, and suicide, to mention a few.

            Let alone individuals who are out of my work circle appreciate my tiny efforts, several of my immediate bosses supplied me with hitches in freeing me to attend conferences — on the pretence that I would miss class. Approval to attend any academic conferences was first, difficult to get, and if approved, took a very long time for mysterious reasons. Regrettably, the same boss who restricted my move to attend such academic meetings has submitted my research papers for his promotion —  without my consent and was successful after a 9-year wait — despite the fact that he had no research publications.

            This narrative is not designed to be a protest. No! by any means. It is my grievance and regrets that I have been so dedicated and loyal to our culture of respect and tha-damtsig (committed leader-subordinate relationship). Thinking back, at times, I feel that our leaders exploit loyal and industrious individuals and utilise them as promotion mules widely, instead of nurturing them. Our leaders at times, want us to perform better in life, but never better than them. No! by any means.  

        But nothing is permanent, and it is worthwhile to move on. And now here I am – away from them and near to my dreams.  

Your Problem is Your Problem

        The vexatious part of politics is that during the election campaign, every political enthusiast – or politico-maniac as neologism may define it – propagandise the slogan: Your Problem is My Problem. Post elections, when one is at the helm of power, the same words, or actions, manifest to demonstrate that Your Problem is Your Problem.

        Whether those lines are crafted on the spur of the moment or with the intention of hilarity, the recent commentary by the Minister of Education about the teacher transfer was grossly unwelcoming. As a figure who has dominion over the Ministry, speaking illogically at this magnitude inside the august parliament house only signals how scornful and contemptuous we are regarding the already dwindling veteran teachers that are triggered predominantly by the miscarriage of deployment business and tsunamis of faltering avowals from the Education Ministry.

                On the one hand, we bellow of teacher attrition as grave educational anxiety that demands the immediate engagement of different stakeholders to moderate the injury to our education system. On the other hand, when we hit on the right cord to discuss within the circle of the nation’s prime lawmakers, we lampoon with hypothetical and impracticable metaphors thereby, only rubbing salt to the injury. This paradoxical fascination of teacher attrition and retention has now become a phenomenon in Bhutan that everybody knows but nobody really knows.  

            By status and power, parliamentarians are the privileged populace that has the closest access to His Majesty the King’s visions and aspirations. Listening to their discussions, however, gives the impression that they are still thousands of miles away, for they appear to have never hearkened to the Royal vision for education. 

                If what we heard is correct, questions for any MPs are filed a week ahead of time before addressing them in the National Assembly. One week is a lavish amount of time for anyone to research and generate meaningful data, especially when it comes to the issues surrounding teachers. After all, the syndrome of teacher deployment crisis and its consequences continued as one of the immortal issues in the cellar of educational forums for over decades now. 

            History has it that issues such as quality of education, teacher deployment, teacher workloads, and improving teaching environments were on the catalogue of discussions since the evolution of the Annual Education Conference almost 2 decades ago. Closely following, every annual education conference held until today still recites this same inventory. With inconspicuous outputs from these conferences every year, it has now largely camouflaged as the Olympic event of the Ministry of Education, held annually for school leaders to review the same issues that emerged many moons ago. 

 

            What we fail to realise when we arrange a conference of such scale are the cumbersome costs it has to the government coffer – especially to the Kingdom like ours that runs on a shoestring budget and where development plans are predominantly conceived based on foreign aid. 

 

            If we as citizens are seriously concerned about these national educational disasters, even if we cannot discover the pill to cure it, by now, we would have generated some indigenous prescriptions to nurse the cause. In the simplistic sense, it is time that we attend to these issues seriously and practically rather than throwing gibberish opinions. 

Image courtesy: Click LINK

                By the time I finished writing this perspective, the video had gone viral on social media, attracting over a thousand comments. Many people appeared to find it comical and hilarious, while others despised it for its hollowed viewpoint. 

            As a teacher who was disconnected from my family due to this transfer whirlpool for eight years during my twelve years with the education ministry, I did not observe even a morsel of amusement or material in the discussion. In contrast, it resembled me more of a harangue or a sarcastic rage for the miscarriage of our education system. 

                Categorically speaking, even as a retired teacher, it aches my heart when people in higher social hierarchy taunt already impoverished teachers who are taking the humongous role in architecting and engineering the future of our generations despite sterile work settings and withstanding the drought of societal succour. 

            This inflicts me with a conviction that, teachers’ problem is teachers’ problem and nobody's problem. And that the erosion of teacher attrition will visibly perpetuate in the land of our education system. 

 

Attrition and Retention: A Paradoxical Fascination

In recent years, we have witnessed an increasing number of teachers leaving the profession. The phenomenon has not gone unnoticed. Educational conferences, ministry briefings, and public discussions often cite concerns over teacher morale, workload, and retention. 

It implies that while there is ongoing fascination – interest, discussion, concern – about teacher attrition and the need for retention, this interest is paradoxical because it is not matched by proportionate action and system-wide measures to address the issue. 

Why is it that a nation that holds teachers in such high regard is unable, or perhaps unwilling, to retain them? 

Why does concern not translate into commitment? 

And what must change if the education system is to move beyond this cycle of fascination without action?

A Paradoxical Fascination? 

I introduce the term ‘paradoxical fascination’ intentionally here to describe this teacher attrition-retention phenomenon. 

As briefly stated earlier, there appears to have a genuine interest in teacher attrition – in media, policy circles, and public opinion. Reports are written, exit interviews conducted, and data of teacher attrition collected. Teachers are even praised for their sacrifices and referred with multiple superlatives such as the “torchbearers of the nation”.

However, such fascination appears superficial and shallow. Simply by praising teachers in words or through the broadcast media, it does not spur the kind of transformative action required to address systemic issues. Instead, it takes the form of symbolic gestures – support, recognition, incentives – rather than structural reform. Metaphorically speaking, there is a sense of watching a fire burn while admiring its glow.

This paradox reflects a deeper problem for our society where we are concerned about losing teachers but reluctant to invest in keeping them.

 

Why Teachers Leave 

With over a decade of experience as a teacher, I have gained a grounded understanding of the practical reasons why many choose to leave the profession. 

First things first, teachers do not leave the profession on a whim. Their decisions are often the result of accumulated fatigue, disillusionment, and a lack of opportunity for personal and professional growth.

Here are several reasons (not exhaustive) that are commonly applicable across all the schools that face teacher attrition:

Excessive workload that extends beyond teaching such as administrative paperwork, club responsibilities, supervision duties, and extracurricular coordination.

Limited career pathways. Most teachers feel they are on a flat career track, with few chances for advancement or specialisation.

Inadequate remuneration relative to qualifications and workload.

Burnout and emotional fatigue, often exacerbated by increasing class sizes, high expectations, and low autonomy. 

A lack of professional respect, especially when decisions affecting classrooms are made far from the teachers themselves. 

Limited or low professional development (PD) opportunities for their career growth. 

Even passionate educators begin to feel they are sacrificing their wellbeing in return for minimal recognition. When other sectors begin to appear more promising, teaching becomes a stepping stone rather than a destination.

 

What Retention Actually Requires 

If our education ministry is serious about retaining its teachers, then retention cannot remain a rhetorical goal. It must be pursued through thoughtful policy, institutional reform, and cultural change. 

For example, teacher retention maybe enhanced by practically improving the working conditions in the schools. This includes reasonable class sizes, adequate teachers, balanced workloads, and adequate planning time. 

And not to forget, a culture of wellbeing, where teachers’ mental and emotional health is supported, not dismissed as weakness. Teachers are basically humans, they need love, respect, motivation, and appreciations. 

There should also be a genuine career development opportunity, including leadership roles that do not remove teachers from the classroom, and access to higher studies or training without financial strain. 

The recognition we give for teacher must be beyond words, not just ceremonial appreciation. For instance, instead of showing teachers value through verbal praise, public speeches, or symbolic gestures on special occasions, a true recognition, I believe, must go deeper than those actions. It should involve meaningful actions like improving their working conditions, involving them in decision-making (e.g., curriculum or policy development), offering opportunities for growth, and treating them with genuine professional respect.

There is often little space for teachers’ voices in policy formation. School leadership is sometimes more focused on administrative compliance than pedagogical innovation. This disconnect discourages the very people, the teachers, who are meant to drive educational change.

It is not about pampering teachers. It is about creating an environment where they can thrive, contribute meaningfully, and stay fulfilled. Considering my experience, I can argue that a contented teacher (not necessarily a great teacher) in the school can overcome poor curriculum but even the best curriculum cannot compensate for a discontented teacher.

 

From Fascination to Action

Our (particularly Ministry of Education’s) fascination with the issue of teacher attrition must evolve into focused, sustained action. Awareness, while important, is not sufficient. Respect, while valuable, must be translated into working conditions that retain quality educators.

The future of education depends not just on attracting teachers, but on holding on to them. The time has come to stop admiring the problem and start addressing it. We need to realise that failing to properly support, respect, and retain teachers does more than harm the teachers themselves. It also negatively affects the students – the future generations – who depend on these teachers for their learning, growth, and guidance.

Courtesy: Click LINK

...those failing to meet standards might have to leave the profession (Kuensel, November 1, 2021). 

A Petty Patent in my Name

        After waiting for circa 6 years, The Department of Intellectual Property of Thailand eventually granted a Petty Patent (Petty Patent 18158) that registers my name. This is one of the premier remarkable feats that I have achieved thus far! 

 

        Indeed, it was glad tidings from Dr Monamorn Precharattana, my Advisor during my candidature for a Master’s degree in Science and Technology Education (International Program) at Mahidol University, Thailand, who announced me through Facebook interface. Under her professional supervision and technical assistance of my Co-advisor, Dr Paisan Kanthang, the Rajamangala University of Technology Phra Nakhon, we developed a Low-Cost Hands-on Model to Demonstrate the Law of Mechanical Energy Conservation as a part of my thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the degree in Master of Science in 2015. 

Patent No 18158

        Like any other global education framework, our curriculum policies also identify learning scientific concepts through a constructivist approach with more emphasis on using hands-on learning (at least in the written documents). It is of paramount importance that students experience learning through materials that can be directly touched, felt, and manipulated to produce meaningful learning. By meaningful learning, I refer to a phenomenon where students can fragment complex and abstract scientific concepts into more concrete and clearer understanding within the classroom premises. 

A Low-cost Hands-on Model to demonstrate the Law of Mechanical Energy Conservation 

        Based on my experience as a former middle school physics teacher, I shouldered this onus because energy is one concept that is not only abstract but also largely misconceptualised by our students. Students must understand energy because it enhances their understanding in appreciating the nature of any physical phenomena taking place physically, biologically, or technologically. More importantly, it is only through knowing energy that students will be able to comprehend the Law of Mechanical Energy Conservation – a fundamental concept of any introductory physics – which is even more grossly misconstrued. 

        Based on these remarks, I contended in some of my publications that,

A similar trend of learning this concept [law of mechanical energy conservation] has been observed and found prevalent even in Bhutanese-based classroom situations… While teaching this concept [law of mechanical energy conservation], our classrooms are still dominated by the conventional method of using theoretical and imaginary examples and illustrations provided in the textbooks (Wangdi, 2015:2; Wangdi, Precharattana & Kanthang, 2017; Wangdi, Precharattana & Kanthang, 2020, Emphasis added). 

        Teaching students with some impact has been one of my favourite passions and I considered teaching more than a profession. Despite tsunamis of denigration directed to me or in general for teachers, I worked industriously – which can be fathomed ONLY by my students. But I have a long history of wanting to bring contributions to action than mere texts.   

A theoretical illustration used in our textbook. Courtesy: Grade 10 Physics

        Some 14 years ago, on the night of December 17, 2007, I became the recipient of the most coveted F L Goropse Prize for Academic Proficiency in B.Ed Secondary Science. This scholastic accolade is awarded to the pre-service teacher candidate that demonstrates outstanding academic performance in a bachelor’s degree in Secondary Science Education Program. I was also adorned with the Institute Prize for Invaluable Contribution along with other laurels for champagning as the editor for 3 magazines – the first of its kind in the history of Samtse College of Education. 

 

        That evening at the (farewell) banquet, I had the pleasure of sharing the dining table with Associate Professor Sonam Rinchen (PhD) who was the precursor of the same honour in 1992. Of the sea of communication that betided during that lightning togetherness, I was amused to religiously encapsulate one of his best phrases: “Let Your Work Speak, Not You”. 

 

    What a flywheel is to the machine, an engine to the car or nourishment to the starving, his words were for my continuance. 

 

        In many circumstances during my last 12 years of the teaching profession, when I sank so low in my life due to the sickening policies, fatiguing work nature, awful bosses, dilapidated working milieu or snubbed acknowledgements, his lines became the lifeline of hope, the mainspring of motivation, and slogan of enthusiasm to show my mettle. Keeping in mind Kopmeyer’s (2006:10) over compensation, I withstood the test of every adversity. At best, I never trumpeted my works as Facebook stories even if it is efficacious, at least in the sense of garnering outcomes. Most Facebook stories are more than eyes can meet.

 

        I survive by my life’s motto: Does not always have to be a rose to smell sweet. I also travel on the road most travelled by gathering raw stones of ideas seen on the way that may glitter one day if charily polished. 

 

        That is how I presented my first academic paper during the 9^th Siam Physics Congress co-hosted by the Thai Physics Society and some leading universities and research institutes based in Thailand, just 3 months into my postgraduate study. Like the primrose that heralds the beginning of spring, I boast this academic forum as a harbinger of my academic shoot.

        In 2014, during the 40^th Congress of Science and Technology of Thailand held at Khon Kaen, Thailand, I marketed the idea of constructing A Low-Cost Hands-on Model for Demonstration on the Law of Mechanical Energy Conservation – the result in the form of the petty patent that I have recently received. 

 

        2 years later, I recorded my first academic footprint in the maiden publication of Educational Innovation and Practice, a peer-reviewed journal of Samtse College of Education. This invitation by Dr Sonam Rinchen was another hallmark to set as a harbinger for a few publications that I have under my belt today.

 

        Besides editing more than 15 theses on a pro bono basis, I have also reviewed some papers for International journals. 

Acknowledgement Certificate for being a Reviewer. The title of the paper was removed for confidential purpose 

        But for now, I have the most obligation of all the responsibilities. I have gambled with my career to move the last mountain of my academic dreams that I always kept dreaming of. 

 

And yet, I still have ONE FINAL DREAM that I always keep dreaming of.  

 

Farming Self-Leadership First

In social science research, ethnomethodology (Garfinkel, 1967) is widely employed as a novel approach to analyse data that are often “seen but unnoticed”. I applied this strategy to communicate with my bosom buddy who was appointed as a school manager sometime last year but took over the helm of the school only at the beginning of this year. He was seeking some candid opinions from our circle of childhood friends – who never hesitate to disclose truth even if it is venomous in content – which he thought would have some bearings on him to mutate into a virtuous leader.  

While I am neither a leadership guru nor possess any managerial familiarities, what I lack in experience, I make up for in observational acumens. Until I voluntarily bow out from teaching on 19 October 2020, I worked in 4 different schools (Community Primary School, Lower Secondary School, Middle Secondary and eventually at Higher Secondary School) during my duodenary stint as a science teacher. Within the span of those dozen years of my service, I worked under 7 school managers.  

Considering those experiences and familiarities of working under different leaders, I supplied him some of my contextual understanding of a good Bhutanese school manager – opinions that were churned out through the lens of subordinates – which are often seen yet unnoticed by many of our leaders.

I have specifically unveiled 10 points based on the events that were either experienced or associated with me or witnessed as a former school teacher.  

Photo courtesy: RIGSS

1. Practise the Farming of Self-Leadership First 

When I attended the prestigious Young Professionals Leadership Program (YPLP) in 2018 at the Royal Institute for Governance and Strategic Studies (RIGSS) which is a premier leadership institute and think tank envisioned by His Majesty the King in 2013, the first catch of my sight was on His Majesty’s words that read: 

What we need is not a leader to lead the masses – we need leadership of the self

Very Profound and mesmerising.

 

During those 28 days of the intensive leadership program, we were consistently emphasised on changing ourselves first instead of looking for a change in others. The change of the world begins by changing ourselves first. We need to change our mentality, our habits, and our actions. These are the elements that influence the flavour of our character. What or how we cast in our mind frames the skeleton of our thought, judgement, and belief. 

Although it is easier said than done, but, if our thoughts and actions are not innovative and are rather obsolescent for the mass to consume, – even if we are at the helm of that institution – we should not hesitate to shut down the idea of manufacturing those ineffectual intentions. If we consciously control ourselves and have that mentality of leading the change in ourselves first, changing others under our control would not require any subtitles to understand. Imposing change in others using the force of our title and status will only homicide the motivation, positive mindset, and injure the health of the social bonds we share with others. 

Our social world is constructed in diversity – everyone having their own choice, mindset, and perspectives. Learn to respect others’ views and stop being judgemental even if they are young to understand, new to the work, or inexperienced, perhaps what or how they see the world may also turn accurate based on their standpoints. The attainment of such self-actualisation in oneself can be a good lever to pivot others into the direction of change. 

Leaders need to know that, by starting to lead yourself first, you are stepping on the first rung of the ladder to be a great leader. Self-leadership is all about how you lead your own life as much as you want to see yourself leading others. If we garnish our life with positivity, integrity, justice, compassion, or any other humane values, our environment is what we sow. The fertility of any leadership garden depends on how consistently one enrich with humus of values and principles. If we are a bad nutrient, the only environment we will yield is a barren land, if not, full of weeds.