Achievements
It is five scores and four years old since
the introduction of modern education in Bhutan. The first king of Bhutan
pioneered the modern education besides the monastic education. Since then,
education system has undergone so many developmental processes gradually. The
education in the country has reached to this fur and it is solely due to thanks
to hardship of our monarchy. Had it not been for the hard work and wisdom of our
most revered monarchy, we won’t be enjoying free education and health.
Whenever we talk about education, we talk
about education in school. We always associate education with school’s
curriculum, teachers and students. But we often forget about monastic education.
Education in Bhutan includes monastic and modern education and both receives equal priority.
Schools were established at various corner of
the country and achieved universal enrolment in education. Our capability to
work for the country and development brought to the current status is the result
of education.
We have
achieved a lot in education but we still face some perennial challenges.
I put forward my view on school education and
the challenges.
Compatibility
If there is one word that describes the best
education system, it is compatibility. There has to be compatibility between curriculum
and mode of delivery or teacher’s skills, education and infrastructure,
education and world’s market, curriculum and real applicability, teacher and
workload, teacher and motivation. If we achieve those compatibilities, we would
find the best education system in the world.
Curriculum
and mode of delivery
In the past, the education in Bhutan was largely
Indian-borrowed and still it is largely Indian-alike. Erstwhile, school taught
ICSE (Indian Certificate of Secondary Education) and ISC (Indian School
Certificate) curriculum at higher level starting from grade level eight to
twelve. Gradually, Royal Education Council (earlier CAPSD), develops curriculum
for school’s education. But for grade eleven and twelve, curriculum is developed
with complete assistance from the Indian authors.
Our school curriculum is voluminous so much so
that children take less while we keep on teaching more and more. The foreign
teachers from Canada, United Kingdom and Poland told that our grade nine curriculum
is taught in grade eleven in their country especially science and mathematics.
Our curriculum is beyond what a child could digest and apply in life. A child has to learn meaningfully.
Meaningful learning means to be able to understand and know how to apply knowledge
in life. The class 10 or 12 graduates
should able to apply knowledge of mathematics, physics, chemistry, etc. in
life.
A teacher leaves no stone unturned to complete
vast syllabus on time. Thus, large syllabus forces teaching and learning to
take place in classroom only. Can meaningful learning take place in children? Meaningful
learning will take place only if we teach more outside classroom.
We need to use time consciously in teaching
and learning. Recently, teachers were trained on transformative pedagogy. The
transformative pedagogy is Western-borrowed. This would work well with small curriculum
unlike ours. The western education has mostly small curriculum. Thus, we teach curriculum that is
Indian-borrowed and use transformative pedagogy that is western-borrowed. The vast
curriculum content and transformative pedagogy (as mode of delivery) is
incompatible. Therefore, we need to suit
teaching strategy to the curriculum content and needs of the individual
differences in school.
Our curriculum is less flexible. The
old Indian curriculum survived for decades without a review of curriculum until
the recent new curriculum developed by Royal Education Council (REC). That is
rigid. Some of the best education systems in the world has curriculum that is on
need basis and flexible. They develop curriculum that suits the everyday
changing world.
The Royal Academy at Paro would be the model
school in Bhutan. A teacher recognizes the needs and designs a curriculum for
the particular academy and keeps on revising year by year. Moreover, the
learning is taking place practically.
Differentiated
curriculum (to be introduced or not), merits and challenges
A possibility of introduction of
differentiated curriculum in the future is the recent talk in the country. This
will serve the needs of different individuals. But we may face challenges
too. What is differentiated curriculum?
The name itself suggests that curriculum is differentiated. That means, in a
same level of grade, there will be a curriculum options as basic and advanced. For
example, considering mathematic subject in class nine, there will be basic
mathematic and advanced mathematics as option to learn but choice will be left
for student. This is how differentiated curriculum would look like.
The current curriculum does not offer such
choice as basic and advanced. We offer same curriculum content to different
individuals born with different competencies. Again, considering mathematic
subject in class nine, the mathematics curriculum does not serve the needs of
different individuals. Mathematics is compulsory subject for a child. The
curriculum forces our children to learn despite their incompetence and lack of
interest in mathematics. So, a child has
to learn mathematics whether they like it or not. Will there be any advantage by teaching them forcefully even if they lack competency or do not like subject? The differentiated curriculum
would solve this problem. A child will be offered choice to study advanced
level or basic level. The children who are incompetent in particular subject
despite their hard work and teacher’s effort can opt to study basic level and
high achiever can opt to study advanced level.
This would take care the different ability of different
individuals.
While we look for merits of differentiated
curriculum, we have to understand its looming demerits too. As the name itself
says, differentiated curriculum may differentiate students as competent and
incompetent child. This may bring emotional breakdown to low achievers and
affects self-esteem. Moreover, we also
need to look upon the future possibility of equal opportunity.
Education
and ICT
The 21st century is the digital
age. Education without the knowledge of ICT is incomplete. An infusion of ICT
knowledge and skills in teaching and learning is not a choice but necessity. More
and more curriculum is taught without textbook in school. For instance, class
11 and 12 history is taught without textbook in school and has a plan to do so
in lower classes next year. This is to
be taught with the help of ICT. However, do we have enough ICT facilities to
facilitate such teaching and learning? No. school needs infrastructural
development first before implementation of such curriculum. Talk has to take
place between Royal Education Council, government and Ministry of Education.
Education and
world’s market
Although the goal of education is more than
preparing student for a job, education should at least solve youth unemployment
issue. If our education takes care of this at the first place, it would lessen
the burden of government’s headache and cost incur for solving unemployment problem.
I refer employment as to not only about giving job by government and private
agency but youth being able to work and create a job. Do we have curriculum to
solve unemployment problem?
We have to prepare our children for their life
but not just for their success in examination. It seems that we stick to prepare
students to make expert in textbook and question solving. That is the least we
can do. But we need to do more in education.
The education has to be more of skill-based.
The learning at school should be transferable to reality beyond. Vocational Training
Institute (VTI) is one such example which provides skill-based education. A
comparison between a degree graduate, a VTI graduate, a class twelve graduate
and a class ten graduate would be the best example. A degree graduate in
electrical engineering and VTI graduate as electrician almost serve a same
function in the field, moreover, a VTI graduate almost outperforms practical
knowledge and skills in the field. I am sorry. But this is a reality.
The unemployed youths are graduates of class
10, 12 and degree. Knowledge of class twelve science graduates who are not employed
anywhere has same value to that of knowledge of class ten graduates who are not
employed too. Where is the application of knowledge learned from the bulky book
of physics, chemistry and mathematics? A VTI graduates don’t have to find a job
but they have skills to earn a living. But a degree graduate has to hunt for
job.
Another example would be contract recruitment
of warden, matron and laboratory assistant in schools. One of the selection
criteria is that they need class twelve and degree passed certificate. Any
class twelve or degree certificate holder can compete for same position and
designation. What does this different qualifications but competing for same
position mean? This means that a class twelve graduate can shoulder the
responsibilities equivalent to what degree graduate could do. This means that
there is no additional value of degree holder compare to class twelve graduates
while shouldering duty of warden and matron.
Thus, if our education is more of in-depth
theory-based and less of skill-based and applicability, we would face perennial
challenges.
Teacher's workload
A
report of National Council, 2016 states that teachers’ on average work for 57.51 hours in
a week or 10.45 hours in a day indicating that teachers work 2.45 hours more
than a general civil servants in a day.”
“The
report shows that teachers work 55 days more than a general civil servant in a
year. This truly confirms that our teachers are over burdened, which invariably
affect the students’ learning outcomes if not addressed urgently.”
The
report shows that teachers spend 18.54 on teaching, 14 hours for lesson
planning and preparation, 13.15 hours on assessment, 13 hours on non-academic
activities in a week.
Canadian
and Australian teachers spent an average 8 hours of time per week in lesson
planning and preparation.
While talk is going on about keeping Saturday
off in school, some are reluctant and doubtful thinking that we wouldn’t be
able to complete syllabus. This is not worrisome. We have to be courageous and
find a way forward. We are so much immersed into old way of doing and feel
uncomfortable to change. It is the bulky curriculum that consumes much of
teacher’s time. Thus, reducing curriculum and packing into small and reliable
one will benefit students, teachers and country at large. Doing away Saturday
in school is advantageous to teachers and students. Teachers will get more time
for assessment and planning. This will reduce workload of teachers. Moreover,
students will find more time to do revision and homework. Additionally, instead
of teachers to shoulder non-academic activities, making teachers to do teaching
job only will further reduce teacher’s burden.
Teachers
and motivation
Teaching profession is the least opted job.
This is a fact. A survey says so. What did we do to change teaching profession
as most opted job? Moreover, teacher leaving profession is increasing year by
year. In 2017, 320 teachers left teaching profession. Everyone witnesses this
trend. But we are complacent as if this doesn’t cost anything to the
country. If we keep on saying that there
are hundreds of young candidates waiting to replace, we will find difficulty to
maintain a pool of expertise in teaching.
We invest heavily on training teachers during
training period and school time. On one side, we keep on spending too much to
train teachers and on other hand if teachers keep on leaving, the amount of
money invested on their training at college and school time is a complete
wastage. Then, to replace the vacancy we will have to spend another huge amount
on training.
The implication of teacher leaving profession can
be calculated mathematically; about 263 teachers resigned voluntarily in 2017
to 2018. If each teacher had received training and workshop once in two years
and government has spent Nu.12000 to each teacher, then the total expenditure
spent for 263 teachers in two years will be Nu.3.156 million. If 263 teachers
who have recently received workshop and training leave their job, this means
government has to bear the cost of Nu. 3.156 million in two years. This is the
grave danger that we pretend to not to know.
Everyone knows the reason why teachers leave
their job. The reason is poor motivation. What should we do to boost the morale
of our teachers? How should we motivate our teachers? Answering these two questions would find a
solution for teacher attrition.
Teacher’s
skills in primary school children
Although what we achieved in primary education
is the result of teachers’ perseverance in primary school, yet, we need to do
more to further achieve higher goals. We need teacher specialist especially in
primary school. Teacher’s skill is inadequate to deal with a child age ranging
from 5.5 to 12. That age range is a sensitive period where a child learns early
experiences, morality, different languages, and psychomotor skills. Moreover, a
child undergoes cognitive and socio-emotional development. Do we train teachers
that are enough to cater all aspects of a young child going to primary school?
A foreign teacher, from United Kingdom during
her voluntary teaching period in one of the schools in Lhuentse Dzongkhag said
that there is need of further specialization of teacher in primary school.
Thus, we need to relook into these issues and train teachers timely.
