R.I.P?

About a year ago, on the 26^th of July 2010, the prime minister launched the Tertiary Education Policy. The policy, one of this government’s most significant declarations so far, aims to enrich tertiary education in the country by streamlining how colleges and universities are planned, funded, registered, licensed and accredited.

The education minister described the 112-page policy as, “… a road map for the development and expansion of tertiary education in the country,” and boasted that it would contribute to making our country a “knowledge hub” and our people an “IT enabled knowledge society.”

In his introduction to the Tertiary Education Policy, the education minister boldly, and rightly, declares that:

Henceforth, this Tertiary Education Policy document, approved by the Lhengye Zhungtshog, will be the definitive instrument to guide all stakeholders, public and private, national and international, in developing and implementing programmes of study, material selection and pedagogical practices, assessment and certification, establishment of facilities and the integrity of all elements related to tertiary education in Bhutan.

So far, so good.

Now, the bad news.

It isn’t even a year old and the Tertiary Education Policy is already coming under attack. Actually, the policy is not being challenged. Instead, it’s being sidelined. It’s being ignored. It’s being snubbed. And that’s much worse than coming under any direct attack.

So who is the culprit that is overstepping the government’s inspired policies? Who is the perpetrator that is disregarding the government’s visionary policies? Who is the delinquent that is ignoring the government’s road map?

Believe it or not, that culprit, that perpetrator, that delinquent is the government itself.

The government has drafted a bill – one that the National Assembly is currently discussing – to establish the Bhutan Institute of Medical Sciences. There’s no doubt that the institute is important. It will benefit our country and our tremendously. So it must be established.

But in doing so, the government must follow its own policies. Otherwise why make policies? Why draw road maps?

The Bhutan Institute of Medical Sciences Bill has completely bypassed the processes outlined in Tertiary Education Policy. And it takes absolutely no notice of many of the policy’s important provisions.

So the Tertiary Education Policy’s credibility and authority are at stake. They’re being compromised by the government, no less.

And what are we doing nothing about it? Nothing.

Bright stuff?

First, the good news: the government has granted autonomy to the Royal University of Bhutan. This means that the university can now concentrate on improving standards without the usual encumbrances of the bureaucracy.

4icu.org, a tertiary education search engine, places our university at a lowly 7,418 of the 10,000 universities they rank. Hopefully, their ranking is not accurate. Hopefully, the RUB will correct it to more accurately reflect their real ranking. And hopefully, RUB will improve on their real ranking.

Naturally, a lot more is now possible – and expected – from our university.  There’s a lot of work to do. But I’m optimistic.

Now the bad news: the first thing that an autonomous RUB has done is to start charging fees.

Actually, charging fees is not bad. Tertiary education is expensive. And, in order to improve standards and to ensure sustainability, we must start paying for college.

But the way the university is going about charging fees is questionable. 90% of their students don’t pay any money, while 10% of them are charged hefty fees. Those 10% of the students have to shell out a colossal Nu 69,000 to 83,000 depending on their course. And on top of that, they, unlike the other students, are required to pay boarding fees.

Our last poll asked if RUB should charge fees. 46% answered “Yes”. And 54% said “No”. Perhaps they too would have supported fees if those fees had been applied more sensibly.

So how should RUB charge fees? With equity!

A minority of the students – say 10% of them – should be given full scholarships for, for example, excelling in academics, sports and culture, and to promote diversity and gender balance. The rest should have to pay fees.

So, instead of 10% of the students paying Nu 70,000 per year, there would be 90% of the students paying a much more manageable Nu 7,777 per year.

And in three years, instead of 30% of the students paying Nu 70,000 per year, as envisaged by the university, there would be 90% of the students paying Nu 30,000 per year.

The RUB should charge fees if they must, especially if college standards are set to improve. But they should do so sensibly. And with equity.

Photo credit: Royal University of Bhutan

What children see

Four special guests are in Thimphu. They are Sonam Zangmo, Sangay Dorji, Thinely Wangmo and Sangay Wangchuk. The guests, all of whom are more or less 12 years old, are in Class VI in Kagtong Community Primary School in Ngangla gewog, Zhemgang.

Kagtong is a village in lower Kheng. The village does not have electricity and is not connected by motor road. The nearest road-head to Kagtong is in Panbang, from where it takes a day to reach the remote village.

25 students from Kagtong CPS recently took part in a two-week photography course. During the training they recorded life in their village as they see it.

A selection of their photographs are on exhibition at the Allaya Gallery at the Tarayana Centre in Chubachu. The exhibition, entitled “Life in Ngangla through the Children’s Eyes” runs through the 18^th of May and is open from 10:30 am to 5:00 pm every day.

Helvetas, who sponsored the unique photography course, bought Sonam, Thinley and the two Sangay’s to Thimphu to show off their work, their school and their community.

If you are in Thimphu, you should go to meet them at the Allaya Gallery. You’ll be impressed. I’ve uploaded some photographs, along with the descriptions provided by the student photographers themselves.

Here’s Sangay Dorji introducing Ngangla, and inviting you to their exhibition …

Teachers matter

Suppose you’ve just completed college. And suppose that you are a topper – that you’re in the top 5% of the graduates. Would you consider becoming a teacher?

You should. For the sake of our children, you should. That, at least, is what McKinsey & Company suggest.

About five years ago, McKinsey sought to find out why some schools succeed while others don’t. They did that by studying the school systems of 25 countries, including 10 of the top performers, to identify the common characteristics of high-performing school systems.

McKinsey’s year-long study revealed that increased spending and ambitious education reform do not necessarily improve school systems. Instead, they singled out teacher quality as the most important attribute affecting student outcomes, and suggested that:

“The three factors that matter most are:

1. getting the right people to become teachers;
2. developing them into effective instructors;and
3. ensuring the system is able to deliver the best possible instruction for every child.”

Teacher quality matters and matters a lot. That’s why South Korean schools make sure they attract the top 5% of the graduates. That’s why they boast one of the best school systems in the world. And that’s why the Koreans claim that: “The quality of an education system cannot exceed the quality of its teachers.”

Similarly, other countries that have great school systems also attract the best teachers. Finland, for example, attracts the top 10% of graduates. And Singapore and Hong Kong each attract the top 30% of their graduates.

The quality of an education system cannot exceed the quality of its teachers. That’s right. So that’s why we should do more to encourage our best graduates to become teachers. That’s why we should – as suggested by McKinsey – get the right people to become teachers, train them well, and then enable them to teach.

If we really want to improve our school system, we should get serious about attracting and then training and retaining the best possible teachers. That, unfortunately, is not the case right now.

And the situation is about to get even worse.

The RCSC has recently announced that, except for posts that require a teaching background, teachers will not be eligible to apply for other vacant positions in the government.

Our schools need to attract the best of our graduates. But the best will not opt for teaching if they know that they will never be able to apply for other government posts.

There’s no doubt that the RCSC’s rule is meant to address teacher shortage. But the rule is shortsighted – by preventing teachers from competing for other government positions, teaching is going to become even more unattractive and the best teachers will stay away from teaching in the first place. That will not be good for our schools. And that will not be good for our children. So the RCSC should rescind its rule.

Teaching should be attractive. It should not be forced, even for teachers.

Bonded teachers is not a good idea. The RCSC and the Education Ministry may wish to read McKinsey’s “How the world’s best-performing school systems come out on top” to understand why.

Is this a good idea? What do you think?

Please share your thoughts. And please take the poll that asks “Should RUB charge fees?”

Need testing

Earlier this year, when the education ministry announced that they were thinking about doing away with written examinations for students of PP to Class III, I asked if phasing out the exams was a good idea.

41% of you said YES, exams should be discontinued for Classes PP to III. But 56% of you said NO, written exams should not be discontinued. The rest said that they were not sure.

Thank you for taking the poll.

The idea of doing away with examinations was first mooted at a GNH for Education conference. The education ministry considered the proposal, but seem to have dropped it after concluding that, at this time, our schools do not have a suitable alternative to assessing student performance.

I agree. That, plus removing examinations from our classrooms sounds uncannily like NAPE  (new approach to primary education), another modern idea that our schools and teachers were not adequately equipped to implement.

Please take the poll asking if phasing out exams for PP to Class III is a good idea. And please share your thoughts on this important issue.

Learning to express

“Bhutan by Bhutanese” a photo-exhibition by students of the Bhutan Institute of Media is being hosted by the city of Baar in Switzerland. The exhibition, which will continue for the next three weeks, was innaugurated on the 29th of January.

The banner features a photograph by Dorji Yuden, a student at BIM. I’ve uploaded a few more photos in the Gallery.

Excerpts of my speech during the innauguration follow:

We are gathered together as friends – friends of Bhutan. Some of you have visited my country. Some of you have worked there.

But  all of you – whether you’ve been to Bhutan or not – all of you would have some impressions about Bhutan.

Think about those impressions. What images come to your mind? What is the story of Bhutan?

• The mighty Himalayas, the world’s tallest mountains – gigantic, awesome, magical
• Pristine forests, glacial lakes, clear rivers
• Monks, monasteries and mask dances
• Fortresses (we call them Dzongs) – fortresses, farmhouses and lush paddy fields.
• Prayer flags
• People in colorful attire, sporting short hair, warm smiles, and an insatiable appetite for ema-datshi, a hot, spicy dish prepared from chili and cheese.
• Benevolent kings. Kings who are loved – genuinely and deeply loved by their people. A king who abdicated his powers and resigned his throne … voluntarily. A king who started democracy … forcefully and against the very will of his people.
• Gross National Happiness. A development philosophy that the world is talking about.

This story of Bhutan – medieval, magical, romantic – is a story about a Shangrila. And this story has been told and retold, hundreds of times, in postcards, magazines and coffee-table books.

Is this story of Bhutan correct? Is it accurate? I think so. I hope so.

But no matter, it is not complete story. It is not complete as this story – picture-perfect as it is – has been painted almost exclusively by foreigners. They are people who visited Bhutan, fell in love with our country and our people, and, as friends of Bhutan, decided to share their story with the rest of the world.

The story of Bhutan will be more complete – more accurate and more real – only when we, Bhutanese, express how we see our own country. When we, Bhutanese, tell our own story. But what is that story that we, Bhutanese, see in our own country?

Unfortunately we don’t know. Actually, that’s not correct – we do know! Obviously we know how we perceive our own country. It’s just that we haven’t yet begun to tell that story as we see it, through our eyes, and using the camera to transform what we see and feel into pictures.

But this is changing. Changing slowly but surely as demonstrated by today’s exhibition, “Bhutan by Bhutanese”.

“Bhutan by Bhutanese” showcases Bhutan as we, Bhutanese, see our own country. It is the story of Bhutan – our past, our present and our future – as seen by our own people. It is a story of Bhutan, as seen by the Bhutanese, and narrated by the Bhutanese.

But that’s not all – Bhutan by Bhutanese is the story of Bhutan as seen by the youth of Bhutan. They are the ones who are born and bred in Bhutan, who feel and breathe Bhutan, and who are confronted with the many changes taking place in our country.

Their stories also celebrate the wonders of Bhutan – our mountains and rivers, monasteries and monks, culture and people. But, as Bhutanese, they are able to view our country from the “inside” as it were, and so they bring an additional perspective.

“Bhutan by Bhutanese” is about that perspective. No doubt it is about the grandeur, the pomp, and the colors of Bhutan. But it also provides an insight into the real people and the real lives that thrive beneath the powerful veneer of pomp and colorful ceremony.

So “Bhutan by Bhutanese” is a story about Bhutan as our youth see it. It is a story about the hopes and joys, the fears and anxieties, the dreams and ambitions of our young people.

I’ve met some of these young people. Barely one year ago, none of them knew how to even hold a camera. And already, their photographs tell a compelling story about Bhutan. I hope you’ll enjoy their story.

Many photographers still depict Bhutan as a Shangrila. There’s nothing wrong with that. But Bhutan is changing. And changing fast. It’s important to recognize these changes. And to record them … preferably by our own people. Bhutan by Bhutanese.

In this regard, I’m happy that, because of BIM, Bhutan by Bhutanese is now possible. In fact it is already a reality.

Value education

Thimphu Primary School graduated their first batch of students this morning. 21 children who had recently appeared for their first board exams received certificates from their principal, Ma’am Carolyn Tshering.

In her final speech to her outgoing students, Ma’am Carolyn urged them to never forget the all-important values of respect, honesty and pride that their school had taught them. I’m reproducing her speech below to share her timeless message with students, teachers and parents throughout our country.

This week’s banner celebrates primary education in Bhutan.

Ladies and Gentlemen welcome to our first ever Graduation .  In most western countries it is normally college and university students who enjoy a graduation ceremony, but in America they hold graduations for pre-primary students, primary, middle school etc.  In this case I don’t see anything wrong in following an American custom.!!

This morning’s function is all  about class VI.   I advised them to talk about what school has meant to them and what they have learnt about life, over the past six years of their education.  I asked them not to talk about any particular teacher but to thank  everyone and most importantly to thank you the parents. What they are about to say are their own words. Most have not shown their parents.

I have watched  with pride, some  of class VI students from KG to VI  (Pema Lexzim, Galek, Tobden, Tenpa, Yiga, Selden, Jitseun Pema and Tseki. )  change from adorable wide eyed children, thirsty for knowledge grow into mature, thoughtful  eleven year olds.

To you boys and girls,  I hope  you will not forget what we have instilled in you – respect, honesty  and  pride

Respect for your parents, family, teachers and every human you meet. I hope you will show as much respect to a school bus driver or your home help as  you do to your parents. They are all human beings, with equal feelings.

Honesty and integrity – without these you will have no  true friends.  Money does not always bring happiness – it an help, but true happiness is being blessed with good health, a loving family and true friends. Remember your friends in class VI. Keep in touch with each other.

Do not be swayed by peer pressure .  You will be entering schools where many students are much older than you. When someone (or a group) try to persuade you into saying or doing something you are not sure about, question yourself. Is this what I have been taught?

Is this right? Is this what my parents would want me to do?

Be strong. Stick to your convictions.

Pride – for your family, for your school, for your country and equally important for yourself and what you are trying to accomplish and what you have accomplished. Hold your head up high, think positively.

Finally I hope you will all continue to love your amazing environment and  educate those around you to preserve what we still have in Bhutan.

Have a dream. If you don’t have a dream, your dream will never come true.

Thank you for giving me the   privilege of teaching you.

Playing Beethoven

Are you a parent in Thimphu? If so, have you grumbled that the city does not provide enough after-school activities, especially during the holiday season, for your children?

I have. I’ve often wished that Thimphu provided better opportunities to learn about art, literature, culture, religion, music and sports.  But, I, like most parents, haven’t got round to organizing any constructive activity that would keep our children productively engaged during their free time.

Not so, with the group of parents who, in 2005, decided to create opportunities for their children to learn music. And so they started Kilu Music School, a non-profit organization that is run by volunteers and parents. Support from donors – in cash, kind and sponsorship – help keep Kilu going. And, every year, they organize fund-raising concerts.

This year’s concert, held yesterday at the Taj Tashi, featured Frances-Marie Uitti, a renowned composer and cellist, and Kilu’s very talented teachers. And, of course, the students – they impressed their parents and guests with their singing, and their renditions of Rossini, Mozart, Bach, Beethovan and Linkin’ Park!