Over 102 teachers in Wangdue attended the workshop on 'Educating for GNH' in my school since yesterday. I wasn't among the seven who were supposed to attend from our school but by some last minute twists three of our representatives couldn't make it giving me an easy entry. I handed over my charges as the second in command of Examination committee to a colleague and joined the workshop.
I lost my much awaited weekends by agreeing to attend the four day course over the weekend but after hours into the course I realized I have made a right decision. I wasn't ignorant about the concept of educating for GNH, I was rather bombarded with too many information from third party sources that I failed to appreciate it, perhaps that's what happened with many people. And perhaps that's why many were cynical about it. For me this workshop was all about filtering information, putting them in order and making sense out of them, and I succeeded right away. The concept is very simple and workable.
With the project we are identifying the possible values we are imparting through any subject and naming those values, because when we have a name then we have at least something less abstract to stress on. However, core of it is letting students find purpose in whatever they are learning so that they find purpose in their lives. Our roles are spelled out as the most important factor in their lives, we are to create the bestest conditions, and to make sure our schools have the right environment that is sensitive to both their physical and psychological needs and that we teachers are both the "message and the medium".
One of the three facilitators in my room is my physics teachers from Drukgyel, Mr Kinley Gyeltshen. He is such a wonderful person to listen to, he can edutain the adults as much as he did his magic on us as young students back in 1999.
I hope to attend one in the future. Talking about some teachers being cynical, I heard one teacher say that GNH in the school has made his life unhappy. The work load has increased and the remuneration has not, that GNH in the schools has defeated the RCSC's Equal pay for equal work policy. However, like you put it learning with purpose, if this is one essence of GNH in the school than I am for it.
ReplyDeleteDear Passu, I have enjoyed almost all of your posts thoroughly. All of your writtings were interesting, informative and at times can be friends. It has really encouraged me to also try my hands on some simple writtings. I thank you for your works and look forward to see lots of such writtings in times to come.
ReplyDeleteHi Passu, hope you can share with me, as a parent, on how to educate the children to find purpose in whatever they are learning, so that they find purposes in their lives to achieve GNH as a child :)
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