Ap BOKTO's Curriculum!

Day II: Curriculum review and Kagan's structure in place

In the name of Ap BOKTO - let us cement our education system together exuberantly. Let us not forget to invest in right share of education today to our youth because if we fail we'll fail as a nation, if education system fails nothing will going to succeed. 

Although, Bhutan is experiencing a rapid change yet we can't forgo in investing for right education system in place.  The one major changes that was brought in for education sector is 21^st century transformative pedagogy. However, the question arises on curriculum being very vast and need to incorporate/use Kagan's structure is a new challenges faced by school nationwide.   

However, at our level we've reviewed our own subject thoroughly regarding currency, accuracy and challenges that are being underline are submitted to education office to send it to curriculum division, Ministry of Education. My appeal to curriculum designers and ministry would be to review on each subject Dzongkhag wise and not to slash down too many points submitted as the acquiesced proposal is all based on field experience.  

We talk so much about the world class education system of Finland and Singapore but are we ready to accept and change for it?

To put in quality education system our Ministry must put in place the sturdy curriculum - relevant and accurate than vast and irreverent one. Education only subsist if Ministry take full charge in designing appropriate curriculum else the fate of education will remain the same. At the same time close monitoring on implementation and timely reviewing of the content are also equally important.  

English PLC

The main focus for English department encircle within the dimension of literature, language and composition. On these basis our English teachers felt that curriculum would best suit if more importance is given to language development rather than literature for preprimary to middle secondary section. As they have seen and felt that the rapid growth of language development takes place maximum at this stage of life and the class level.  

Dzongkha PLC

Obviously, the Dzongkha teachers felt that the standardization of the Dzongkha spellings need to be address soon. They felt some of the important Dzongkha literature felt neglected and need to be reintroduce conspicuous topics like Lagsey Langdor, Ashi Nagsa, Namthar and some subterranean text before its cessation, which has the ability to change the mindset of our Youth into today's rapid changing world. They also felt that the present curriculum has diluted long standing culture of Bhutanese civilization and the existence before it dies completely.  

Math and IT PLC

Our maths and IT teacher felt that the present curriculum for all the level seemed to be beyond their level. Some of the content present in lower classes were not toning when they reach to higher classes. Moreover, some of the maths teacher pointed out that what they are teaching in middle secondary mathematics (i.e. understanding mathematics) is a curriculum that has been derived from Canadian syllabus and when they reach to higher secondary, the change in content to ISC brings so much of disproportion and content mismatch ideas that could be one main reason why our present twelve graduate is not in a position to score good mark and couldn’t perform well in their higher studies.  They have pointed out that the lack of proper working model or teaching-learning materials are also the main concern they think are hindering the better learning outcome for mathematics. Teachers felt that need of common rubrics to assess students, need of reintroducing some of the imperative topics according to their standard or omitting some of the unwanted topics are also the highlight of the curriculum review work. Moreover, some teacher’s share their views on doing away with back answer key for the activities as it simply promote the habits of manipulating answers and makes students lazy, but same can be given to teacher’s manual book in which teachers can tell the answer only after the work is being done by all the students. So, in this way better learning outcome and healthy practicing habit can be inculcate to every students. Some teachers felt that there are broken topics like Matrix which is giving them trouble to make the lesson appropriate and connect the links and ideas is also a big test.  However, IT teacher felt that the up gradation of windows, software and latest information in the textbook are necessary to build rhetoric learning in our child.  

Day II: Presentation on curriculum review work

Science PLC

Teachers teaching lower and middle secondary classes felt that the present science subject has so much broken, irreverent, complex and repeated topics which are actually encumbering on timely completion and better learning outcome of the students in the subject. They felt the new science curriculum has come through lots of research study but there are still room for improvement like streaming down of too many practical activities for each topics.

  

All the science teachers felt that the contents that was given for higher secondary curriculum are too vast, irreverent and broken concepts are taxing on why our science students are unable to perform well in exam.  Teachers are made to deal with demanding situations without any proper working model, suitable classroom setting and laboratory environments. There are problems of classroom size and lab size to class strength which are also the main reasons for poor learning results. Science teachers finally land up teaching the concept as what is given in the textbook merely explaining the practical work through hand and verbal gesture. It is difficult to making them believe on the abstract things without any better facilities like working equipment. It is difficult to improvise all the concept in the form of chart paper all the times and verbal explanation which ultimately would result in poor performance and even many students lose their interest in learning the subject. Every time we land up teaching the theory concept making our students build up their own concept in their mind though hand and bodily gesture which at time is very difficult. We are indeed facing boundless challenges with inadequate teaching learning materials, overhead projector seemed must at this time and system support. Tell me for how many times should we say Backmann's experiment and Etherification process looks like this or that from the board or chart paper. I am bit worried about how my students will put me in their sphere when they reach to degree level on this and that explanation. Moreover, I also felt timely supply of chemicals, reagents and equipment in school is must and important to cover up syllabus in specified period.

Humanities PLC

Teachers teaching arts and commerce subjects felt that some of the topics has no fixed or prescribe textbook, vague/less contents for some topics, lack of continuity of ideas, concepts of principles and concept assumption are all mixed up in some subjects, need to reduce accountancy content, need only one textbook for the subject covering all the topics in order to reduce the cost and the confusing factor, need updated version of textbook with current information intact, need to update the textbook every four-five years duration to timely keep track of the changing facts on the subjects matter, need teachers manual book in order to guide students uniformly and to maintain the standard of every school and need for updated version of maps, data and figures will undeniably solve all the standing problems of education far and wide.

Some teachers from humanities department pointed out that there wasn't much link between GNH and history subject. As they said that GNH is a developmental philosophy and history usually talks on country's history and political issues of past and the present. They felt that linking GNH and history content is creating many uneven ideas and conclusion among different legion/social groups.

Need to do away with the content of Gandhi's philosophy or history as it usually contradict or has no links on Bhutanese philosophy, culture and life accounts. Our teachers felt that the view that is given or reflected in history of India brings some social prejudice and different political views for Bhutanese democracy.

Nevertheless, teachers and students representative felt that it is also important to include all the contributions made by our Kings with images and figures to remember and cherish their dynamic rule as a King or kingship in the history of Bhutan. 

Day II: Teachers and students participants