Misfortunes and Milestones of 2018

    While some misfortunes and shortfalls in our systems are involuntary, a majority of these wrinkles can still be ironed – after all, the system itself is man-made.

    The blame game malady that has plagued our officialdoms strangulated my privilege to receive the medal of the dedicated service bestowed by His Majesty the King this year. While my mates of 2007 were adorned with such recognition from the Golden Throne for their 10^th Year of service, my name was mislaid from the eligible list.

    On asking the District Education Office why my name was missing, “the list of the entitled recipients from your school has not been submitted on time to the district office” I was told. 

    Then, I asked the relevant stakeholders in the school and they replied, “We have already attached the list of those eligible teachers”. 

    Instantly, I was roasted with the conflagration of frustrations and choked with a throbbing defeat of this very blame game. By now, I have witnessed the drama of blame game occuring repeatedly in every part of our system and came to realise that it has officially become a culturally approved phenomenon.  

    Unless rewards and recognition are drifting into the tunnel of our direction, cautiously delivering our service – even if we are mandated to – has now become a forgotten story.    

    Had it not been the recognition from His Majesty the King, I would not mind slipping other accolades – for I have achieved a lot.

    However, realizing that life isn’t a dress rehearsal, I have nonetheless, solaced myself to entomb the memory of this misfortune with some embroidering milestones I conquered this academic year 2018.

    

    Even if the act was deliberate ignorance or accidental negligence by the people who were tasked to do it, I only wanted to focus on what I have achieved thus far. 

My Milestones

   

1. December 21, 2017 – January 10, 2018 (PISA-D Science Coder)

    Following the endorsement of Bhutan’s participation in PISA-D – an international standardized assessment to measure 15-year-old students’ knowledge, skills, and competencies in the three domains of reading, mathematics, and science during the 18^th National Education Conference held at Phuentsholing – I was privileged to be one of the six Science Coders selected amongst hundreds of school PISA-D focal persons. It consumed almost a week to be a qualified science coder after running through a series of evaluating processes based on international standards. 

    In my capacity as the school PISA-D focal person, I conducted a preliminary assessment on PISA-D preparations under Wangdue district. The manuscript, after subjecting to a blind-peer review got published in the Bhutan Journal of Research and Development (BJRD) – an academic journal maintained by the Royal University of Bhutan.  

  

2. January 1 (Publication in an International Journal)

    One of the manuscripts supervised by my advisors during my post-graduate study at Mahidol University got published in Asia-Pacific Forum on Science Learning and Teaching. This same academic paper was rejected twice for publication by high-impact factor-bearing journals.

2^nd in Asia and 13^th in the world in Education by ranking, this journal indexed in Scimago sufficed my thirst for academic publication.  

3. February 12 (The Precious gift)

    The most precious gift, not for this year alone but for my entire life is my little princess. More than infusing me with complete happiness and joy of an unfathomable measure, the birth of my daughter Tshering Choden Wangdi brought me a stroke of luck. Nothing in my life gave me durable happiness of this sort, which is unequivocal and infinite. She has now been the synonym of my life’s purpose and my vision for the future. The love between us knows no distance that we miss each other even if we are separated by a wall. 

4. March 18 – April 14 (6^th Young Professionals Leadership Program)

    19 days after my little angel was born, I was selected for the prestigious Young Professionals Leadership Program held at Royal Institute for Governance and Strategic Studies (RIGSS) at Phuentsholing.

    RIGSS, a premiere leadership training institute is a brainchild of His Majesty the King. YPLP is a course intended for mid-career professionals based on meritocracy and their potential to be prospective future leaders.

    The birth of my little lucky charm blessed me to be the recipient of this prestigious program. Having an audience with His Majesty the King for more than an hour itself was equivalent to this dedication medal.   

     

5. April 2 (Sherig Endowment Fund)

    I have been the recipient of the Sherig Endowment Fund – the research grant bestowed by the Ministry of Education to bolster research enterprise at the school level. While the proposal of some schools could not make even once, I was lucky to be the recipient of this grant 2 times. The study conducted last year through this grant was published in RABSEL – the CERD Educational Journal. This year’s manuscript is currently under blind peer review.  

6. June (6 – 9) and (13 – 17) (Facilitator for Action Research)

    Erasmus has aptly put in, “In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king”. By the virtue of having a few publications and research know-how, I was humbled to facilitate Action Research Workshop for 88 School Principals of the five districts (Punakha, Wangdue, Gasa, Tsirang, and Dagana).

    My presentations were grounded in 3Rs: Research, Resources, and Reinforcements. I also shared some tips on using SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Science) by beginner researchers.

    The Chief of the Teacher Professional Support Division on her visit to assess the program acknowledged my voluntary academic contribution. I am yet to collect my acknowledgement certificate which I am told to do so.  

7. June 14-16 (Writing Project Work with Research Components)

    Writing Project Work with Research Component which has now converted as one of my personal annual academic events since 2016 is a platform where I impart to students of grades 9-12 how to write a research-based project work.

    The new science curriculum demands that students submit work largely based on investigations, inquiries, experiments, and explorations. But the majority of our students are still stagnant with the conventional form of writing project work – i.e. having an only introduction, body, and conclusion.

    No matter who recognizes me, by this year, I have impacted thousands of students. In a move to make it inclusive, I extended my volunteerism to teach grade 12 Arts students how to undertake qualitative research as well. 

8. July 3 – 12 (BCSE Physics Test Developer)

    Never in my wildest dreams that I saw myself developing a Board Examination paper for the nation. Thanks to the Bhutan Council for School Examinations and Assessment (BCSEA) for entrusting this sacred duty. It was an eye-opener for me to learn about developing competency-based questions, the kind of which our national-level exam papers are made up.

  

9. September 12 (Presiding Officer)

    Without the slimmest hesitancy during the political debates, any candidate sodden with a political temper would opine on the availability of electricity, mobile connectivity, and road linkage in every nook and corner of the Kingdom. Repentantly, this claim of accessibility is largely a definitional morass in the arena of politics. 

This only device that could receive signal exactly at this spot for me to report voter turnout

Declaring the election results

Reporting the election results

    Having presided over during the primary election 2018 at Wogyal was a bitter-sweet experience. Wogyal is a small hamlet under Wangdue district, situated at the forehead of the nation’s acclaimed Punatshangchhu Hydro-power project but lacks energy accessibility. Mobile connectivity is 99.9% sterile while the motorable road is left halfway. 

10. August 10 (BCSE Physics Guide and Extension)

    1000 copies of a comprehensive Physics guide and extension book jam-packed with 420 competency-based questions were published from the Kuensel Corporation Limited, Thimphu. With this publication, I got the taste to embark into the publishing business, right from receiving a registration number from Bhutan Info-Com Media Authority (BICMA) to getting ISBN from the Centre for Bhutan Studies (CBS) to bargaining the printing cost with the publisher.  

 

11. October 26 (Oral Presenter at Faculty-Student Research)

    I have done an oral presentation on one of my academic papers at the Faculty-Student Research Convention at Samtse College of Education. Presenting in the attendance of professors, college faculties, enthusiast trainee teachers and M.Ed professionals was not only enriching but fulfilling. I travelled the Phuentsholing-Dorokha Highway, the most peaceful, safe, and unused highway.  

13. November 14 – 21 (Chief Visiting Examiner)

    I was entrusted with the role of a Chief Visiting Examiner for Physics at Nima Higher Secondary School during the Bhutan Higher Secondary Education Certificate (BHSEC) by the BCSEA. As an examiner, I had the opportunity to evaluate science project works and conduct science practical examinations for Physics, Chemistry, and Biology along with two Biology and Chemistry professional examiners. 

14. November 28 (Manuscript submitted to an International Journal)

    Following the critical reviews and suggestions from the editors, I have submitted another manuscript for publication in the Turkish Journal of Science Education which is also indexed. Since I have made the required amendments with justifications, I am hopeful that it merits publication. 

15. December 6–7 (Facilitator for Action Research)

    At the request of the Principal of Samtengang Central School, I have facilitated Action Research Workshop for 35 teachers. The elucidation of the action research model (Maxwell’s model) popularly followed in Bhutan, developing research questions and generating their own research proposal was done successfully. At the end of the workshop, the principal gracefully endorsed the action research topics submitted by 5 subject departments. My appreciation to the Principal who assured me to render administrative support and financial incentives for the team to complete the action research next year on their proposed topic.   

  

16. December 20 – January 4 (Chief Marker for Physics)

    More than 13,000 grade ten students have appeared at BCSE this year. 38 physics teachers along with thousands of other subject teachers will assemble at the College of Science and Technology for the winter evaluation camp. Thanks to the BCSEA again for giving me this privilege to coordinate the marking of Class ten Physics this year. With the generous guidance from the organization and 37 other markers, I wish things will sail smoothly.

May the Kenchog Sum bless me as always!!!

‘The best achievement in life is doing something you think you can’t do” – Anonymous

          

Green School in Green Bhutan

Green Schools in Green Bhutan 

An English teacher once gave her Class 7 students to write an essay in their half-yearly examination: 

“What do you understand by Green Schools in Green Bhutan?”

 

The concept was gaining popularity at the time, thanks to Bhutan’s Education Minister actively promoting it. 

As I read through one of the essays, a particular student’s words caught my attention: 

“Green Schools in Green Bhutan means schools having lots of green trees and plants. All schools look the same with green vegetation”

I could not help but smile 😊. The student was not entirely wrong. Green schools should indeed have trees, plants, and a clean environment. But was that truly all there was to it? Something seemed to be missing. 

 

To be fair, I could not entirely fault the student. Many educators themselves were still unsure about the true essence of the concept. How could we expect our students to understand something when we, as teachers, had not fully grasped it ourselves? That moment marked the beginning of my decision to explore and explain the real meaning of Green Schools in Green Bhutan—something everyone, even young students, could understand.

What is a Green School?

A Green School is not just about trees and plants. It is a school that nurtures both nature and people. It teaches students to grow not only in knowledge but also in kindness, respect, and happiness. Bhutan introduced the Green Schools in Green Bhutan concept to make education more than just studying books. Schools should help students become good human beings while also caring for the environment.

 

This idea was led by Thakur Singh Powdyel, Bhutan’s former Education Minister, and was inspired by His Majesty the 4th Druk Gyalpo Jigme Singye Wangchuck. It became a key part of educating for Gross National Happiness (GNH).

 

But what exactly makes a school green? There are 8 important aspects or areas:

1. Natural Greenery 

2. Intellectual Greenery

3. Academic Greenery

4. Social Greenery

5. Cultural Greenery

6. Spiritual Greenery

7. Aesthetic Greenery

8. Moral Greenery.

 

1. Natural Greenery – A Clean School

Natural greenery is one of the most important parts of a Green School because it shows how the school looks and feels. A school with natural greenery is clean, fresh, and well-organised, with beautiful trees, plants, and flowers. There is no litter, plastic waste, or anything harmful to the environment. It is a peaceful and healthy place where students and teachers respect nature. A school like this does not allow things like graffiti, junk food, or substance abuse. Having natural greenery helps students learn values like cleanliness, love for nature, peace, and responsibility for the environment.

 

Imagine walking into two schools:

School A has trees, gardens, fresh air, and students taking care of the surroundings.  School B has trash on the ground, no plants, and dusty air.

Which one would you feel happy in? Of course, School A! 😁 

 

Natural greenery makes a school feel peaceful and healthy. We can promote this area by:

Planting trees and flowers around the school. 

Keeping the campus clean – no plastic, no litter. 

Setting up a waste segregation system for recycling. 

2. Intellectual Greenery – Growing Our Minds

Intellectual greenery is about growing our minds and understanding the real purpose of coming to school – to learn and think wisely. Just like a field needs to be prepared before planting crops, our minds need to be open and ready to absorb knowledge. If we do not fill our minds with good learning, they might be used in the wrong way.

 

A strong and healthy mind should welcome good ideas, moral values, and creative thinking at all times. If we do not challenge ourselves to learn and think deeply, we miss out on the real benefits of education. Intellectual greenery helps students develop focus, confidence, curiosity, determination, and the ability to think and make good decisions.

 

Here is an example. A teacher asks, “Why do we have seasons?”

Student A just memorise the answer from the book. Meanwhile, Student B, thinks critically, asks questions, and tries to understand deeply. 

The second student is growing intellectually green! 

 

We can promote intellectual greenery by:

Encouraging students to ask questions.

Organising debates, discussions, and creative learning activities.

Teach the value of curiosity and critical thinking.

3. Academic Greenery – The Love for Learning

Academic greenery helps us appreciate the knowledge and ideas shared by great scientists, philosophers, educators, poets, and authors. Without this, we may not truly understand why subjects like science, economics, and literature are important. These subjects are filled with valuable ideas – science helps us understand the world, literature adds meaning to life, and economics teaches us how societies function.

 

By valuing the hard work and discoveries of thinkers from the past and present, we keep the spirit of learning alive. Academic greenery ensures that knowledge is passed down and continues to grow for future generations. Students who embrace academic greenery develop qualities like appreciation, curiosity, respect, gratitude, and joy in learning.

 

In a school where academic greenery is strong:

Students do not just study for exams; they enjoy learning.

Teachers make lessons interesting and fun.

Everyone values books and knowledge.

 

We can promote this dimension by:

Have a library full of interesting books.

Encourage project-based learning, not just memorisation.

Invite guest speakers to share real-life knowledge.

4. Social Greenery – Living in Harmony

A school is a place where teachers and students, with different skills and knowledge, come together. It is more than just a building with classrooms and sports fields; it is a community. In this community, people share different values and beliefs, and they learn from each other every day. They understand that working together peacefully and depending on each other is important.

 

When one person succeeds, everyone feels proud, and when someone faces failure or illness, the whole team feels it too. Through social greenery, everyone works together to face challenges, no matter how big they are. This part of greenery helps build values like unity, teamwork, cooperation, peace, and harmony. 

 

This means,

If a student falls down, others rush to help. 

If a classmate is struggling in studies, friends tutor him or her.

Everyone respects teachers, staff, and fellow students. 

 

We can support this greenery by:

Organise group activities to teach teamwork.

Celebrate differences – respect all cultures and backgrounds.

Teach kindness and empathy through real-life examples.

5. Cultural Greenery – Respecting Our Traditions

Culture is a way of showing who we are and how we do things. It is expressed through how we dress, speak, believe, pray, or follow traditions.

 

Since culture is full of beauty and creativity, schools should provide a space where students can explore and express this creativity, grace, and uniqueness. Today’s learners will be the ones to protect and carry our culture in the future. A student with a strong cultural understanding will be respectful, feel connected to their community, and follow social norms. This cultural foundation will help our youth practice and pass on traditions in a way that keeps them alive for future generations. The values shaped by culture include identity, personality, character, uniqueness, individuality, peace, and harmony.

 

In a culturally green school, 

Students wear national dress (Gho & Kira) with pride. 

Schools celebrate traditional festivals like Losar and Tshechu. 

Students learn Bhutanese values like respect for elders.

 

We can further enhance this component by: 

Teaching traditional songs, dances, and arts. 

Encouraging students to speak Dzongkha. 

Conducting storytelling sessions on Bhutanese legends.

 

6. Spiritual Greenery – Believing in Something Bigger

One thing that unites all Bhutanese, especially as Buddhists, is the shared sense of spirituality. We do not see ourselves as complete beings on our own. Instead, we are grounded in the belief that there are countless other beings – superior, powerful, capable, and more intellectually gifted than us – whose support is essential for us to achieve our dreams. This way of thinking reminds us to nurture and strengthen our spiritual connection. Spiritual growth helps cultivate values such as belief, relationship, strength, dependence, trust, hope, faith, devotion, loyalty, sincerity, conviction, confidence, and reliance.

 

For example:

A student learns to be grateful for food and prays (tomchoe) before eating.  Students follow the practice of respecting the natural elements such as mountains (by not climbing), trees, lakes, and rocks as having life.

A school organise mindfulness meditation to promote inner peace.

 

We can encourage this by: 

Teaching kindness and compassion (elements of Buddhism) through simple acts. 

Encourage reflection and gratitude exercises.

Organise meditation or quiet time.

 

7. Aesthetic Greenery – Seeing True Beauty

An aesthetically aware student can easily tell the difference between appearance and reality. Technology has made the world seem to turn ugly into beautiful, fake into real, and uncertain into certain. However, with a sense of aesthetic awareness, we can truly recognise what is genuinely good and beautiful, while rejecting what is unnecessary and unworthy. This understanding helps us focus on doing the right thing and stop engaging in immoral actions. Such awareness brings values like truth, honesty, integrity, appreciation, insight, admiration, pleasure, satisfaction, contentment, and fulfilment.

 

With aesthetic greenery: 

A student appreciates a beautiful sunrise rather than just taking a selfie.

Art and music are part of daily school life.

 

Aesthetic greenery can be promoted by: 

Encourage art, music, and creativity.

Teach students to appreciate beauty in nature and life.

 

8. Moral Greenery – Knowing Right from Wrong

Moral awareness is like a compass that helps us know what is right and wrong, good and bad, or true and false before we make choices. It helps guide our minds to grow in kindness and do good things, which makes us better members of our community. Kids with strong moral values are good at making decisions, thinking clearly, and understanding what’s right.

 

Examples:

A student returns a lost wallet instead of keeping it.

A school discourages bullying and teaches fairness.

 

Moral greenery can be improved in the school by: 

Teaching students about ethics and responsibility.

Rewarding honesty and good behavior.

Organising discussions on moral dilemmas.

 

The key message of this concept is that education is not just about books – it is about growing as a person. Through this idea, the dream is to make our schools in particular and the world in general, a better place to live.