The New Year heralded with the resolutions to end the year happily, if not, for it to end successfully. A jolt of nervousness shivered through my spine as to how I will brace myself for my research data collection. Being a novice researcher, a jerk of uneasy feelings kept preying on my mind as to how I would manage to have all my work done amidst other works. All eyes and ears were in its normalcy that the news of Covid-19 would not steal into a country like ours where peace and happiness take precedence. The greatest of moments, if I have to cherish in my life than ever, was when I had to gear up everything for the first ever admission of my son Rigzang in Samtse School. Everyone regards school life as a golden life, indeed a perfect temple of learning for the beginners. For the good beginning and endeavour of our son’s educational voyage, we visited one of the nearby lhakhangs to offer our sincerest prayers. The course of action began from next day onwards; Samtse Lower Secondary School welcomed all the new comers with Tashi khadhar. The Bhutanese believe that offering of Khaders reassures clarity of mind and human bonds. Of course, we did feast on tea and snacks afterwards. Well, to mention, Mrs. Choki Wangmo was his class teacher who was as tall as she may seem, to let all the students she teaches reach the same height as she attains.
Days passed and the hope to reach my son at school
was my first order of the day. Pema and Nima were his best friends. In the
school, usual course of activities unfurled. What an over spilling excitement my
heart had to feel when I see the students attending morning assembly every
morning, singing national anthem and praying to seek wisdom. How nostalgic was
I to witness the morning assembly as a father that traced me back to days I
attended morning assembly. Times and few weeks worn with wings, flew
effortlessly, with hubbub taking sometime time for me to settle. I almost
forgot my duty as a student to knit the fabric of task I was assigned, that was
to head towards few schools under Samtse Dzongkhag for Data collection. The
sensitisation and advocacy program in all the schools on the spread of Corona
Virus began sometime during the settled hours of mid of March. The principal,
teachers on duty and even I came across one Health staff delivering speech on
covid-19 in one of the assemblies. The Ministry of Health and Education was on
time to air and sensitize every citizen about the pandemic although that time the
tittle-tattle on covid-19 was on the rise and people least bothered about it.
The sheer excitement over my elder son’s enrolment
in school paled into insignificance a bit as I strained with my own share of
task to complete. And the fear of whether or not to I would be gather rich data
for my research concerned me rhythmically, the moment research presided over my
mind. However, overwhelmed by an immense joy, I started my journey for data
collection, yet deep within me a tinge of awkwardness kept chilling as I have
to soon intermingle with different people. After two weeks of data collection,
as scheduled, I reached home safely. It was a success story for me as I could
complete the data collection task on time. The next thing that bothered me the
most was when the news about the closure of schools and institutions buzzed
like bees across the corridors of the nation. During that moment, a mere notion
that preoccupied the minds of the teachers and students was that the closing
schools would be provisional. The students seemed confused and perplexed. What
is next? The mixed feelings over closure of schools and institutions were my
concern, how I will cope with the modules work plan and how students and
teacher will swing along with.
The Bhutanese way of expressing a little bit of a
frustration and fear started to gnaw deep within hearts when the first instance
of the tourist who visited Bhutan was identified with positive case. Each day,
as the Covid cases started to leapfrog and take heavy tolls on lives in the
world, it gripped the attention of millions and the cases became the
uncompromising subject of concern. Bhutan, despite her best crackdowns, the news
of ravages of pandemic cases that trespassed our frontier and caught the lives
of few Bhutanese, dashed the hopes of our nation. As one might expect, it was a
heavy cross for our Majesty to bear and a great mills of burden for our
government to go through. In the throes of pandemic, the wellbeing of every
single Bhutanese was what our Majesty and the government took in hands and placed
above all. As major preventive means, many community centres such as schools,
colleges and business centres were closed and locked down. In the centre like
schools, the classes were navigated through e-learning process and being aired
on the BBS, though in some way at its slowest pace, only to experience and get
stranded with poor network connectivity. So frantic and stimulating are the
ways, especially, when one has to learn as a student and to teach as a parent
to your son.
The heavy package of module started surging in thus
constricting the schedule of the life day by day. If it has not been for better
internet connectivity and the significant roles of parents at this crucial
hour, the online learning and e-learning may not have been as wonderful
opportunity as expected. Perhaps, I shouldn’t have considered learning myself as
per the demand of the 21st century teaching and learning. For instance, VLE (Virtual
Learning Environment) was what I as a college student aspires to implement and put
into force in the institution like colleges. In the course of my 10 years teaching,
the powerpoint slide share was the only ICT tool used in teaching students as
means to give a nudge to traditionally teacher-fronted and deductive method of
teaching. Indeed a bit of pedagogic transformation in teaching-learning
process. What is Padlet? Big Blue
Button? Zoom? Webinar? And many more to name. Even to do a bit of
techno-related vocation like of inserting voice on my Google slide, I find it
as a heck of work as it takes quite a time to brace myself for it. For some eyes that see me for the first time
may pass me for a kind of old-fashioned teacher who is reluctant to shy away
from the orthodox pedagogy and needed a break from teaching. Polls everywhere
frustrated me, expecting endless task from lecturers. Frustrations knew no
bounds yet I empathised myself, sometimes calling question into myself whether
i am doing the assigned tasks under coercion or out of compliance.
The very thought of my friends, the likes of me who
might be struggling across the treacherous sea and throwing fits over his
technical immaturity, made me chuckle and mumble to myself that at-least there
would be handfuls of other jack of all trades. The nation-wide PD program on Transformative
Pedagogy tailor-made towards transforming teachers and up-scaling the quality
of education is seen not as effectual as learning under the compulsion of
covid-19 situation to fine-tune ourselves with 21st century pedagogical skills
and ICT incorporation. Though I feel I am not to the extent of being doomed,
yet the Covid-19 really tested my stand- my knowledge and skills in appropriateness
of a teacher to teach the 21st century students.
Amidst the hustle and bustle of corona tension,
some even cautioned me to stock rations and other essential items to economize
on for few months after which I thought I will make my way to village, should
there be any need.
There are chances that the Covid-19 situation may
lead to a community transmission if apposite preventive measures are not taken.
Always, discretion shall be prioritized than the valour. However, as a
Bhutanese citizen, one must be strong-minded and live by the optimistic
expectations. Even the whole world knows how indefatigably our Majesty’s had
been working, deprived of proper sleep and precious time with royals, to battle
against this pandemic that plagued the entire world. The every single deed of our
Majesty and the concerted efforts of Government in striving to safeguard our
nation against Covid-19 must be borne in the minds of every Bhutanese. Now,
with staggeringly increasing numbers of Covid in our neighbourhood, and scores
of volunteers taking lives in hands to protect our citizens, it is a crucial
time as well for all of us to be on the forefront and be the part of all. As I
remain myself immersed in praying and worrying about the present scenario of
covid-19, let me ask you one question. Do you think we can grapple with the
situation incase the community transmission lapsed into a reality? Here, what calls
for everyone is to embrace the grit and union to fight Covid-19 and fulfil the visions
of His Majesty. As a Bhutanese nation, we are one for all and all for one.
Concerted efforts do not go waste, it demands lots of time and gets paid off
sooner or later. That’s simple- Let us Stay home and comply with the dos and
don’ts of Covid-19. Graces and blessings are inevitable, therefore let’s pray
to Triple Gems.
