The Life of a Bell Girl

In the fall of 1996, I first heard the sound of school bell as a little naughty boy. Thereafter, my life is all bound with bell as a student and now as a school teacher. In fact I've been hearing the bell sound for almost 1/3 of my life and how many more years to go is still a mystery. 

"Do you know Zhemgang CS has a bell girl?"

Bell Girl of ZCS for 2018

Let me introduce her –she is Ash Rani Subba. Student of XII Commerce and she is from Samtse District. Before coming to Zhemgang CS, she has studied in her hometown school. 

Although Zhemgang lies hundreds of miles away from her birthplace, which is hemmed behind mountains and the powerful Mangduechu following downhills. She picked this place to pursue her higher secondary schooling.   

I have seen our girls not willing to take such a hectic and nuisance responsibility boldly like her. Our girls turn down their face from bell ringing business because it is a cheap post. Even during my early school days, I did not see any girl coming out to be the bell captain. 

Many feel that bell captain should be a boy. This is our notion and intuition. Memories then were fresh of those rough boys taking up such heavily timed duty of ringing the bell.

In traditional Bhutanese society, ringing a bell has its own purpose and significance. We use bell during occasions like prayers, rituals and ceremonies. People also ring bell while entering into temples and monasteries with pride and honor to connect themselves with the God. 

Back in the school, it serves many purposes like wake up boarder students, guide students on study hours and change in periods during the day. It also marks the end of the day. 

Despite being a girl and a class XII student, she still chose to ring the school bell. She still chose to sacrifice her few minutes from her study and teaching schedule each day is a sign of great concern and love for the post. 

I know it require tones of positive energy to be someone like her because this job responsibility demand someone to be very highly efficient and trustworthy. Defect of one press and one minute delay would definitely bring many dispute, fury and frustration among people working in the campus. Thus, she needs to be very mindful, reliable and astute.    

For a long time, school follow a bell ringing system to discipline students and staff working in the campus. And bell controls every activities that happens within the school.

In my school she is one most important and powerful lady, she is the boss. She controls every moment of the school activities –class hours to meals and sporting to study.

  

If someone ask me about the best part of ZCS smooth flow in time, I can proudly say, my school has a bell girl. I wish her many successful life. I pray her success to be vast like the ocean. She is not only our bell boss. But also our Role Model. 

  

Bell Girl