Self Management of Anxiety Disorder.

Anxiety is the feelings that get developed within us with or without any stress leading to panic attacks, mind racing, unable to control our thoughts, feeling of restlessness, sleep disturbance (insomnia) etc.

Few tips on how to manage anxiety?

ü  With or without any stress mind start racing. Allow your thoughts to flow freely and notice it. It comes and goes. Do not try to control it, controlling leads to more stress.

ü  Allow your mind to relax when some thoughts start coming to your head. Do deep breathing exercise right from the belly for at least ten times allowing muscles to relax from the head to the toes.

ü  Follow either a soothing music or the direction given by friend or from recorders for relaxation whenever you feel uncomfortable. This will allow your mind to relax completely.

ü  Every thought that comes to your mind is created by yourself. Therefore you can control it. This is developed within you; no external force can change it. You have to change it by yourself.

ü  If you cannot go to sleep just relax. Close your eyes and let things happen on its own. Do not try to force your brain to go to sleep or read or watch television. This will force your brain to be more awake. Allowing your brain to calm down completely by not forcing any thoughts will allow it to relax on its own. This happens for number of times but with practice you can do it.

ü  Do regular exercise to make your body tired so that you get proper sleep.

ü  Do regular meditation and relaxation to completely relax your mind and to be free from stress. Whenever you feel stressed immediately go for short meditation or relaxation exercise.

ü  Do not bother about small pain, body ache etc that happens in our body. Once we put our focus there we feel more stressed. These are especially the stressors which lead panic attacks and anxiety. Just think these are nothing serious that is going to harm you. They will come and go. Some are the side effects of the medicines that you take which will go with time.

ü  Our mind is a complicated organ which controls the whole body functions including our thinking, behavior etc. Unless we can control it allowing the free flow of ideas for thoughts to come and go, we will be forcing the ideas into the brain leading to the stress that leads to various anxiety disorders.

ü  Therefore proper relaxation and mindfulness training is very important to calm our mind. Also engaging in other activities like games, watching television, movies, gardening, walk, going to gym allows our mind to deviate from dragging with unwanted thoughts leading to constructive things making you feel relaxed and calm.

                 (Peer counseling with Dr Joy).

How is a Rupee crisis affecting Bhutan?

As of today we do not have a balance economy. There is more import than the export leading to the rupee crises although ngultrum is pegged at par with the Indian rupee, we cannot use ngultrum in Indian market for buying goods. Bhutanese economy is too much dependent on Indian market for the goods starting from basic necessity items to the industrial raw materials. More than 50000 expatriate working in Bhutan draining out money out of Bhutan in terms of rupee.

Import of Indian vehicles has risen sharply in the recent years. Easy loans by the banks allowed everyone to buy vehicles draining huge amount of money to India in terms of Indian rupee in past. That is why for sometime vehicle import ban was put in by the previous government which is through again. Rise in the crude petroleum prices in the international market has affected Bhutan as well, as we import all petroleum products from India. Import of many construction materials with the coming up of the mega power products is draining out money from of Bhutan. Many businessmen in bordering town having accounts with Bhutanese banks drain out billions from Bhutanese coffers year after year, for which all the account holders from outside were asked by banks to close their accounts last year.

How to over these problems?

Enhance Bhutanese economy especially in growing vegetables and grains towards self sufficiency. Allow import of only those items that cannot be grown in Bhutan. Government should open ware houses /sales counters/ packing places for Bhutanese goods to put it into the market properly. Support farmers as per the need of the farming requirements like irrigation channel, seeds market, and expertise and help convert fallow land into agricultural land. Import of vehicles must be channelized properly may be one family one car policy and heavier interest on vehicle loans and subsided the agricultural loans to help enhance economy. Increase taxes on the items that are available in Bhutan if imported from outside like poultry products which we are almost become self sufficient to discourage import.

(The opinion expressed is purely that of the author)

GENDER DIFFERENCE IN LEARNING OF MATHEMACTICS

Introduction:

Gender differences in the learning of mathematics have been a widely discussed topic among mathematicians, through professional publications, the popular press and various other media. It is very important for teachers of mathematics to ask if there is any gender difference in the learning of mathematics.  If the answer is 'Yes' then we have ask ourselves more questions like, “Are females born with lesser mathematical genes than males? Do females have lesser ability to perform mathematics than males?” Is there a way to teach so that female students learn more effectively?

 In the Bhutanese context, Bhutan is regarded as a relatively "gender balanced" country in the region. In the social context Bhutanese women are regarded favourably. Women also enjoy a dominant role in family, and equality in inheritance law and the legal system. While women are involved and engaged in all spheres of economic, social and political life, certain disparities do exist, especially in the positions that require mathematical background, like Engineering, Information Technology, Mathematics teaching, Accountancy, etc. This disparity leads us to question ourselves. Are Bhutanese females weaker in mathematics than Bhutanese males? To answer the above question I will try to reason out what might be the causes for the weaker test results of mathematics by Bhutanese females.

Enrollment of girls in the schools:

When it comes to the education of the children, Bhutanese parents traditionally give preference to the boys rather than the girls. This is evident in the lower enrollment of girls in schools, which might lead to fewer opportunities for girls to take jobs which are challenging and need mathematical background. Historically and still today, there are fewer girls in the entire education system, and the competition they feel for jobs is negligible. The jobs available for girls are plenty, and these jobs don’t required strong mathematical backing, like typing, office assistants, personal assistant, nursing etc. Enrollment of fewer girls in school and easily available plenty of jobs might have discouraged girls from doing the hard work required in learning advanced mathematics. Anyone taking mathematics as major subjects has to do lot of hard, abstract, theoretical work.

The table below reveals some interesting statistics about the fact that a small percentage of girls enrolled in schools at all levels, when compared to boys.

Enrollment	1990	2000
Girls in Primary School (for every 100 boys) Girls in Secondary School (for every 100 boys) Girls in Tertiary School (for every 100 boys)	69 43 12	82 78 41

(Source of information: - Kuensel, dated May 10, 2003 p. 8)

The enrollment of girls in Primary, Secondary and Tertiary level from the table clearly shows that many girls drop out of formal education beginning at the secondary level and accelerating at tertiary levels.

Sherubtse College was upgraded to offer degree course in early 1980's in three streams of science, commerce and arts. It has seen its first female student graduate with a mathematics degree (i.e. Pure Science) only in year 1993. For a decade, no women students took up mathematics as their major subject for B.Sc. (Pure Science group, i.e. Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics Combination). Hardly any female students qualified from XII for the pure science; they tend to choose Bio- group (Biology, Chemistry and Physics) as their option. Biology requires more of rote learning, where they do well.

My school, Gyelpozhing Higher Secondary School, offers options for Pure Science,  Bio Science or Bio-Math; students who want to continue higher secondary or tertiary education in science, take any one of these options. We had 80 students taking science in the year 2003. Out of 80, only 12 are girls and 68 are boys. Out of 12 girls, only 4 girls have opted for mathematics i.e. Pure Science and Bio-math. This option in taking mathematics by girls and boys, shows that our girls are weaker and/or less interested than our boys in learning of mathematics at the higher levels of study. When interviewed, some girls made comments such as these; "We find Biology more useful and easy to learn"; "Mathematics is too difficult in class XII, I am facing problems in solving the equations and deriving the formulas and I am already thinking to drop it, as I am in Bio-Math". Others taking biology as an option, said, "Biology is easy as it requires only memorization, I hate thinking too hard; that's why I dropped mathematics". The above comments give us an idea why girls are less numerous in higher secondary math classes.

 However, the enrollment pattern is opposite for girls and boys where the demand of mathematics is less and other subjects is more. For instance in the Royal Institutes of Health Science (RIHS) in year 2002, there were 17 girls getting trained for general nursing midwifery  (GNM),  where the major subject is biology and no mathematics is needed. When interviewed, one of senior lecturers said, "We have trained more girls than boys so far, and we have always observed during interviews for enrollment, more girls comes forward to take up the course than boys". For the GNM, courses Class X pass students were enrolled until last year, where opportunities for girls and boys were the same.

 In contrast for the same year, Royal Bhutan Polytechnic had 13 girls compared to 80 boys taking engineering courses, which required mathematical background and where Mathematics is a major subject. "Only a few girls take the course and they do well. Many girls have to re-sit the exam. Boys are doing better in the subject," says a lecturer at the college. The evidence discussed above in the enrollment pattern in our higher secondary level school and institutes, is more evidence that our girls are neither enrolling nor performing at par with our boys at the higher level in learning of mathematics as the major subject.

Performances in Mathematics at different levels  

The difference in mathematics learning is seen as a great disparity between males and females in higher secondary level. However, there is not much of difference in the learning of mathematics at primary, lower secondary and secondary level in our schools. In fact at the primary level, in general girls perform even better than boys. At the lower secondary level, the performance of girls is at par with the boys. At Gyelposhing Higher Secondary School, in one class of 30 students (18 boys and 12 girls), only four girls and seven boys failed mathematics. Their marks are similar. This shows that girls and boys perform fairly at par in the lower secondary level.

From the sample I have taken from Gyelpozhing HSS, of 30 students in class, 20 boys and 10 girls at the secondary level, 30% of girls and 35% of boys have succeeded mathematics course.  At the Higher Secondary level in the same school, there are ten students taking mathematics, 2 girls and 8 boys. Only one girl has passed with a minimum score of 40% as her highest mark. Out of 8 boys, 6 boys passed mathematics with 90% as the highest mark. In this small sample, this performance at the higher secondary level shows that boys are doing better than the girls. This trend of success in mathematics in Bhutanese education is similar to trends highlighted in the study conducted staged by Kreinberg, Eccles and Backer (1985), and  that is also true in the rest of world. In their study, they say "One has only to think about number of females is any mathematics related career to recognize that females do not participate in careers that require mathematics at near the same levels as do males. For example, in 1980 only 9.7% of those who graduated with a degree in engineering were females" (p. 407).

The possible causes of sex-related differences in learning of mathematics

                What prohibits females from becoming better in mathematics or at par with male students? So far no researches have found a totally satisfying answer.  However various factors that might lead to the causes are discussed in detail in relation to the development of sex-related differences in learning of mathematics.

1) Biological Differences:

Are there any biological differences to explain the learning of mathematics between males and females? Crockett and Peterson (1984) reviewed the literature, and found that evidence supporting any direct effect as an explanation of sex-related differences in intellectual activities in largely inconclusive (p. 413). The most important effect that we can consider here is, how do we as a society respond to the fact that a child is a male or female? Do we give more attention to the baby girl or a boy? Still when children are quite young, we respond to them differently especially allowing them to play, mix with friends etc. The ways we talk to children of different genders make them feel that they are different. By the time they go to school, their mind is already set that girls should be going, playing, eating, and staying with girls, and boys with the boys. In the Bhutanese context, no school is separate for boys and girls; we have a co-educational system. Generally this difference should not arise as they mix up with boys from very early childhood. Also our society does not differentiate between boys and girls; we give equal importance to boys as well as girls. But we observe these differences in schools like girls are shy; hereby they do not come forward to ask help for their problems. This is because we parents are very cautious about the behaviour of girls and are more careful about their upbringing than our boys. These influences affect the girls biologically that they tend not to do risk taking things that boys do. This effect is perhaps carried on to the learning of mathematics.   

Cognitive Influences:

Crockett and Peterson (1984) say, “No difference exists between males and females in general intelligence" (p. 413).  However, Fennema (1975), Maccuby & Jacklin, (1974) wrote,

One cognitive variable that many believe may help to explain a sex-related difference in mathematics performance is spatial visualization, a particular subset of spatial skills. Even though many sex-related differences are being challenged, the evidence is still persuasive that in many cultures male superiority on tasks that requires spatial visualization is evident beginning during adolescence. (__).

Spatial visualization means being able to imagine of the movements of objects in the mind; spatial visualization is found to be better for the boys than girls.

Also, Scott Hodgetts (in Burton, 1986) offers some explanation of the view that gender differences in learning mathematics may be associated with differences in cognitive style. Her hypothesis is that people who are inclined to adopt a serialist approach to learning are disadvantaged when learning of mathematics and that great portion of girls than boys’ exhibit serialist performances.   

Socialization influences:

From early childhood, the experiences which the world provides for girls and boys are totally different. They are given different kinds of things to play with. Girls are not allowed freely to go out of the house whereas boys can. Girls are usually taught to weave cloth and work in the kitchen with their mothers and sisters. While working they are reminded of breakages, danger of handling delicate things like the lightening of gas, washing of plates etc. This leads girls to be careful even if they try to do anything on their own. They get scared that they might spoil something if they try, so better not to try if it is difficult. This effect will be carried with them, will be developed within them, and discourges them from trying difficult problems. On the other hand boys are allowed to go anywhere while playing with their friends. They do not mind even trying with tough games like Khuru, Degor, archery, football, volleyball etc. Even if they are hurt badly they do not mind. The competition developed within the group of friends leads to the development of risk taking, problem solving and the winning spirit. They have developed a different concept: even if I might lose, I will try. This strong concept of trying hard, developed in the brain, might be helping the boys to solve difficult problems in higher level mathematics even if it's hard. However, girls are not encouraged to be adventurous risk takers. They have the concept that they should not go out to play, not to mix with the boys frequently, not to trust everybody, not to go around alone. These might lead girls to develop the inferiority complex in comparison with the boys. Girls are much more cautious most of the time; this hesitance must have been developed because of early childhood admonitions. This socializing might be hampering them in handling hard problems.

Family socialization patterns are seemingly reinforced by socialization patterns in school. When we open any mathematics book, talk about mathematics, read mathematics etc., the subject is presented as a male dominated subject. Hardly ever do we see any females' names in the mathematics book; there are no role models.  This might be discouraging to girls, that women have not been able to do mathematics earlier and why should they try now. I interviewed around twenty of the class 10 students to find out whether they were taught by the male teachers or female teachers the subject mathematics. Eight of the girls said that male teachers taught them from class III till ten. Two of the girls said, their math teacher in class III was a female and in rest of the classes they were males). This shows that our girls gets discouraged to do well in mathematics as they find mathematics is a male dominated subject.

 

Classroom Influences:

Classroom influence deals with the relation that exists between girls and boys, and the differentiated roles they assume in the classroom. Boys and girls are assigned to the same classroom, they are taught by the same teacher, they are awarded the same punishments and awards, and they follow the same curriculum. This gives us the impression that there should not be any difference between boys and girls in learning the subject. But if we look at them closely, the difference between boys and girls appears almost involuntarily. Boys and girls do not sit with one another in the class, help one another, or talk with one another as frequently as they interact with the same sex peers. Usually boys are dominant in the classroom. They tend to be leaders, and there tends to be more opportunities for the boys to interact with their teachers and friends. Also this idea of assuming leadership helps them to do better in the classroom as they have to perform well if they have come forward in future times as well. Girls as they do not come forward to seek help; they get less attention from their teachers. This might be helping the boys to learn better and try harder to impress their teachers. They try harder to impress teachers' leads to have patience and practice, which definitely helps them to learn mathematics better than girls.  

Attitudinal Influences:

Having positive beliefs about oneself in relation to mathematics is an important aspect in learning of mathematics. The same beliefs influence the learning of mathematics by influencing.

1)       How hard we work with the problem.

2)       How consistent are we in performing the problems.

3)       Do we work independently or always ask for the help.

Our internal belief is that mathematics is a male dominated subject. Osen (___) says that many women in our present culture value mathematics, but it is not seen as an appropriate domain for females. She perceives that teachers and peers have lowered expectations for girls' mathematical success. Success is not valued by the girls even if they do well as this is seen as an exceptional that should not have happened. Attitudinal influence leads to an inferiority complex in females in comparison to the males. This socially acquired complex leads to disliking the subject.

Conclusion

From the observations, discussions, and research, there is a serious gender difference in learning of mathematics within our Bhutanese schools, as there is outside Bhutan. It's of a serious concern for each and every one of us as teachers to think how can we overcome these differences and overcome all the problems that are hampering our girls to perform at par with the boys in the higher level mathematics. We have to consider factors where we have an influential role to play in bridging the gap, such as attending to classroom influences. Other problems, like socialization influences, might take years to overcome till the parents in all of our homes are educated and do not see any difference between boys and girls in their abilities and aspirations.

I am optimistic that we will be able to overcome these problems in the long run. I am confident that with more of our girls becoming educated, they will realize the value of mathematics in our day to day life and its importance. Although the problem does not seem high priority in Bhutanese society, it exists in the schools, and in the field of work. If we want equal opportunity for females, we must work hard in performing at par with the male counterparts overcoming all the influences that might be hampering the learning of mathematics by girls.

References:

Thomas, R. (1998).  Teaching Mathematics in grades K-8, Research based method.  City of Publication: Allyned Bacon Inc.

Acknowledgements:

I would sincerely like to thank Zane de Noncourt, Writing coach to the Canada-Bhutan M.Ed Students, STFX University, Canada for the correction of the grammar in my work apart from the correction of my assignments. Also I would like to thank my colleagues of Gyelposhing Higher Secondary School for encouraging me during my initial phase of the write up. Also I would like to thank my wife for being the source of inspiration and support in my work.

                                                                                                                                                                                               

    

Education in Bhutan: Looking Back and Looking Forward

What features is a brief overview of education in Bhutan. First there is a brief glance at the very beginning of formal schooling in Bhutan. Here we were heavily indebted to the teaching expertise of educators from other countries and tried to aspire to standards set outside our country. Secondly, there is a critical analysis of where Bhutanese education finds itself today, in a time when we envision free universal education and nationwide literacy. In the movement from education for a few to education for all, certain problems arise. Some of these problems will be explored, such as maintaining educational standards, deploying teaching personnel, training and upgrading Bhutanese teachers, Qualification requirements for entering teaching cadre and so on. The purpose of this paper is to engage a discussion on how we can best move forward to achieve our national goals despite the obstacles that we find along the path.

A. Historical background

Bhutan opened its doors to modern education in the late 1950's under the dynamic leadership of late Majesty Jigme Dorji Wangchuk. He is rightly called the "father of modern Bhutan" because of the contribution he made to his subjects, especially adapting the modern education system, and the opening of the first schools, discarding the age old policy of isolation, and making Bhutan a member of various international organizations such as the Colombo Plan, United Nations Organizations.

Before 1960’s most children received traditional education from parents and other family members at home while few were sent to monastic schools for religious education. Most boys were taught by fathers, uncles, grandfathers how to do subsistence farming, how to handle and care for animals, build shelters, weave mats, repair roof of the houses, and the like. Most girls were taught by older women, mothers and sisters, among other, how to manage household needs of growing and preparing food, fetch water, caring for the younger children, spin and weave cloth, collect firewood, sow seeds. Children looked after animals by the age of five or six. Only a few got opportunity to receive formal education. They were usually sons and daughters of wealthier families or noble families who were usually sent to schools in India.

Within a time span of about five decades, Bhutan has seen tremendous progress, especially in educating its population in formal schools. We have already achieved a literacy rate of 62% (Central Statistical Office, Planning Commission, 2002) and is expected to raise to 100% in next few years. Our country has already set a national goal of "Education for All" by the year 2006. Starting just a decade ago all the students in the schools were provided with not only free hostel,  schools and teachers, but also all the necessities like school dress, shoes, sports attire, toiletries, blankets, mattress, etc. It is hard to believe that any other nation except Bhutan does all this, to educate its population. Bhutan is not a rich country to provide all these facilities; it is one of the least developed countries in the world. However the commitment of the far-sighted King has shown his love for his subjects and provides education that the people have to have to make them fit in the modern society.

At the beginning we did not have teachers of our own; all the teachers in Bhutan were expatriates. Their commitment should not be forgotten for they worked hard for our people. They adapted themselves to Bhutan and provided education and fulfilled the responsibilities they were entrusted with. We have not forgotten them. A few names in particular remain close to our heart, because they dedicated their lives to uplift the youth of Bhutan. Two names that come to mind are late Father Makei from Canada and Father Lacklier, who were the principals of some of the first secondary schools. There were many others, some who even dedicated their entire lives to teaching in Bhutan. Some came as young men and returned to their homeland as old grandfather after serving for 30 to 40 years; some are still working. They have been in Bhutan for last 30 to 35 years. Thanks to their commitment and dedicated service. Even today, some 30% of the teachers in Bhutan are expatriates and we appreciate their ongoing commitment.

Understandably, the heads and teachers serving in the formal education system made a great difference. The heads were experienced to manage the schools well. The teachers recruited at that time served well. It did not matter which class they taught, but during recruitment preference was given for higher qualifications. In every school that somebody visited, a gentle looking middle-aged man or woman occupied the head teacher’s office. They were well experienced and had been in the field for many years as teachers and then as heads. They earned respect by their age and by the number of years in service. Their words were well considered because they were senior members in the organization. The system ran well because the persons on the top deserved the respect from everybody and was respected.  The directives they gave were almost like law and knew what he/she would pass because he was experienced and knew well.

I feel this establishment in the system has made the organization; schools strong and academic achievement was noticeable at that time. Beside, the teacher-student ratio was small as there were only few schools. The head teacher and the officials effectively monitored all aspects of educational programmes.  Most importantly, the teachers were allotted the classes as per their subject background and thus, were competent to teach the subject.

Education today

Today our leaders, the top officials, diplomats, important responsibility holders who are working in shaping Bhutan to adapt to changing times, are the products of these committed teachers. The standard of education provided in the early schools was commendable. These were the times when classes III and IV could read and write letters and applications. Many of the top officials today may not be highly qualified with academic degrees but they are occupying important government posts and serving well, as their experience, their understanding, and other job related skills are commendable. They are not only managing their offices and departments well, but also are representing our country in important international forums and seminars. These officials have been able to convince the international community of Bhutan's achievements and progress. Because of them world has begun to look upon Bhutan as a model for sustainable development. Bhutan has not compromised its unique culture for the sake of development alone; the two moves forward simultaneously. We have been able to do this because of the farsighted vision of the king and the officials.

Although we adopted modern system of education late in comparison to many other countries, our literacy rate is much higher now than that of other developing countries. Owing to the small demand for an educated labour force in the job market, many of our students did not pursue higher studies; rather they took up jobs which were readily available. If someone had completed primary education, jobs were not a problem since 85% of Bhutan’s population work in subsistence farming. For those who completed secondary education, the jobs were a matter of choice some 10 to 15 years ago. Now the scenario is changing. The government is becoming more concerned about the qualifications required for entering into the job market. This compels more students to  pursue higher studies. It is not surprising to see at present that subordinates comparing his/her formal academic qualifications with those of his/her bosses, who may have only minimal formal education qualification from earlier decade. This does not matter as somebody who is in the job, is doing well and has fulfilled the needs of the time though that particular job today may be demanding higher qualifications for entry. This situation may not last long as more and more highly educated and specialized personal are coming into the job markets.

The growing consciousness among parents to educate their children is pressurizing government to open more schools around the country. As of 2004 there are 408 schools and institutions spread across the country (Ref). To ease the pressure of enrolment and to provide facilities in the needy areas, establishment of community schools is being decentralized to Dzongkhag. Establishment of private schools is also encouraged and as of 2004 we have close to 10 private schools with levels from nursery to higher secondary; and the trend seems to be growing fast. 

Opening of these schools have not eased the pressure at higher secondary level. Only around 50% of students who pass class X have the chance to pursue for higher studies. The rest are left with no option but to take up whatever jobs may come their way.

As mentioned elsewhere, Bhutan is making progress in education. Many community schools are opened; many primary schools are upgraded to lower secondary and middle secondary and to junior colleges. We have as many as 16 junior colleges now, apart from private ones. These measures have helped to provide primary education to many more remote areas. But are we providing the expected quality education? Has this not resulted into a compromise for quality for the sake quantity? While upgrading the number of schools have we provided adequate facilities that are needed? Is the manpower deployed strategically? Those in education ministry should consider analyzing this question. People from some pockets appear to express their skepticism whether or not the system is heading towards a right direction.    

Some people say that the quality of education has gone down drastically in the past few years. Is this true? If yes, what have we done to overcome this criticism and maintain high standard that was once admired and was respected by all? Where are we going wrong? If the criticism is unfounded, are we up to the standard? Then why do some people feel that standards have fallen?  Some people feel that there is enough educated manpower loitering in the market but not actively engaged in the job market. We need to answer all these elements if we are to move forward in maintaining the standard of the education for the entire population.

The government has been spending huge amount of money in meeting the standards of education as per the requirements of the time. The budget outlay for education sector is the highest in the 9th five-year plan. The curriculum that was followed a decade ago has completely been replaced by a new curriculum that is designed to meet the needs of modern Bhutan. New textbooks have been written by Curriculum Officers in CAPSD. Up to class VIII, the whole set of old textbooks has been changed in line with the Bhutanese curriculum.

The very system of learning has changed from traditional learning to that of a new one. For example New Approach to Primary Education (NAPE) has been in place since the 1980s. The same has been made possible with assistance from various universities in Australia and England. Many teachers have been trained in Australia and England for teaching in NAPE ways and in management courses. In turn these teachers have been conducting workshops nationwide as part of in-service programs to other teachers. In general, all the primary school teachers in the field are oriented to new system of education that is being implemented. Even the training centers are accordingly designed. We can see the tables, chairs, desks, and other teaching resources are made suitable to the age and physique of the children. In other words, the atmosphere in terms of physical facilities is made conducive to learning. In addition, the two NIEs in their pre service teacher training also offers courses in the ways that caters to the needs of young children. Huge amount of resources has been spent in buying various types of teaching aids and in supplying to schools. No schools were left out with limited resources. Several surveys have been done and the impact on the new system was studied. The officials involved in the survey report that the system is working and is consistent with the needs of the time.

But I am afraid whether we will be able to justify the inputs the government has made considering the questions parents and observers have in their mind on "education standard is going down". I personally feel that there is no way the standard should go down with such a heavy input in the human resource and the material resource government has put in. If the standard has really gone down, it is rather tempting to ask these questions: Did the manpower trained for NAPE not receive adequate skills to maintain standard?   Was it too early to change the system? Do we have balance of resources in urban and rural schools to ensure uniform performances? With so much input in the human resources as well as material resources the expectations today is of the better standards in comparison with the earlier times. We are better equipped now in terms of facilities. The road networks, telecommunication facilities, better postal services, improved working environment, readily available resources in the markets, there should not be a compromise in the quality.   

Those of us who are in education give some reasons to accept that the standard of education is indeed deteriorating. The reports of the survey carried out by CERD on the standard of English justify that point. The standards in English is not up to the expectation for which education department has already done the survey and this has been clearly mentioned in the guidelines to the teacher in "The Silken Knot" published by the research division of Education department. If this is the case one has to agree that if English has gone down, and for that matter all subjects that use English as the medium, would have gone down. The problem solving abilities of the students' especially in mathematics and science is becoming poor as it involves English translation into equations. If asked why, the immediate response of people involved in the field would be like this: large numbers of students in the classes, lack of teaching aids, teacher shortages, not the right combination of teaching subjects and so on. If these are genuine reasons, is it not high time that we work together and put things in the right directions before it is too late? Alternately, one must find a middle path in that both the reasons cited by teachers should be taken into account while at the same time implement the guidelines given in the Silken Knot.

It is true that at present there are large numbers of students, but accordingly number of teachers has been increased. The teacher-student ratio remains almost unchanged from the inception of the formal education system. Therefore this should not be the excuse for low standards in the schools. Then where might we be going wrong? We will have to find out whether the placements of teacher are rightly done as per the requirements of the schools. If we compare the urban schools with the rural schools we find the differences. There are hardly any schools in urban areas where we have teacher shortages; rather we might find some teachers taking fewer periods when they are supposed to take, which are compensated for the rural schools and the ratio looks fine but in reality there is a difference. There are schools in the far-flung communities with a single teacher with seventy to eighty students with several sections starting with pre-primary to classes III to IV and a single teacher alone managing them all.   In some cases these school are three to four days walk from the Dzongkhag headquarters.  The teacher has to go to the Dzongkhag every month to collect salary and to do other official works. The to and fro journey takes 7 to 8 days. He is officially on duty and the school is closed down. If he is away from the school for 7 to 8 days in a month, what do we expect him to teach in the school and for how many days in a month? What quality students are we producing when the teacher misses so many days? If this is the case then is opening of community school a solution? Or are we eye washing ourselves to meet the 'education for all' policy? Serious thoughts and actions are required to address these problems.

Some proposed solutions

If this is the situation we can consider merging two to three community schools and provide enough teachers so that the problem cited above could be addressed. Like in the past we can think of opening of hostels for the school, which are merged together. The parents may be encouraged to visit school every weekend and do the necessary washing required for their children. This is still a practice in some primary schools and seems o work well.  In doing this we will have enough teachers for a particular school. If we have enough teachers each teacher may be encouraged to teach particular subject, whereby it becomes the responsibility of the teacher to produce best results in his/her subjects. Thus there is an indirect competition among teachers to excel in their subjects.

Subject teacher system could be another solution. It is observed that in most schools the class teacher system is being followed. A particular teacher goes to the class and spend whole day in the same class changing the subject after every period. Is it not monotonous for the students to see the same teacher throughout the day in the same class? Do the students consider that other teachers in the school as their teachers? In this practice most teachers of the school do not get to see the students of some other classes for the whole year, as they do not have to teach. Different people have different abilities in different fields. One may be good in English but poor in mathematics and likewise for all the subjects. Are we not trying to become Jack of all trades and master of none? We will have to weigh the options as the same resources deployed in different ways might make a difference in improving the standards of education in our schools.

To meet the demands of the community schools as discussed earlier, government has spent huge amount of resources in training the Bhutanese teachers for multi-grade teaching. Many of these teachers were trained in Australia and England. They should have the capabilities to do the job they are trained for. But do we have the mechanism to trace these trained teachers whether they are working in the schools with Multigrade situations. It seems that many of these teachers have been immediately posted elsewhere, some as heads and others as officers, where their specific teaching skills are not directly applied. The schools, which need teachers with these skills, are not deployed accordingly. Instead, new recruits (fresh pass outs) from training institutions are being posted.  The beginning teachers seem to find difficulty in managing multigrade teaching, as they do not have methodological orientation to it. I feel that all the teachers trained for should be deployed where there is a genuine need. There should not be any compromise, as the resources spent on them have to be reciprocated by working in the required situations. 

Government is already aware of the fact that up-gradation of teacher's qualification is a must if we are to move with the time and to maintain the high standards of education in the schools. The entry qualification to become a teacher has been raised from class X to XII even for primary level. Thus, there will come a time when we will have teachers in all the school with minimum qualifications of Bachelor's degree. At the same time other teachers who are less qualified are given opportunities to raise their qualifications either through distance education courses or by appearing (Class 10 & 12) board examination as teacher candidates. The government is providing all the financial support in this programme. When government has put in so much of its resources and has given opportunities to move with the time, it is the responsibility of the teachers to reciprocate in the same way. This already is a step ahead; education ministry has taken numerous measures to uplift the standard of teaching learning in the schools. There should then be a strong mechanism established to monitor the seriousness and commitment of those candidates availing this opportunity. Conversely, if the teachers are not able to teach the levels they are expected to teach after the course it becomes a total wastage of the resources. 

To meet the demands of the increasing number of students in the lower, middle and higher secondary levels, government has been upgrading many schools. With this initiative government has taken, we have been able to provide education to the students who otherwise would not have the chance for further education. But many of the schools, which are recently upgraded, do not have adequate facilities. It seems many of the schools have been upgraded in haste without proper planning and projection. Schools are having difficult times in adjusting with the limited facilities. In some cases, even the whole faculty has remained the same without any additional manpower or resources.  It is very important at the initial phases of establishment to impart quality education, as the faculty themselves are not confident of their works at the higher level.  In some case not even a single lower secondary level trained teacher has been posted and all teachers are trained for teaching primary levels. It is happening not because we have the limited resources at our disposal but because we have not properly planned for proper utilization of our resources. When a school is upgraded if some of the teachers from a well-established school are transferred, since they already have some experiences in managing the classes and resources will be in a better position to make a good beginning. Many of the parents are very skeptical about these problems prevailing in the recently upgraded schools and would like their children to be admitted in well-established schools.  Because of this we have numerous problems during the admission.

Government is trying hard to balance the resources among schools in every part of the country. We have now the policy of education in the own Dzongkhag, no dependents allowed, the child has to be with his/her parent. To make the policy work properly there should be a balance distribution of resources in the all Dzongkhags. This can only be done if we do mass transfers of the experienced teachers who have been in a school for many years. Well-maintained records and the designated people in Dzongkhag need to work closely with the education headquarters and share information as per the needs of the schools.   

The Education Ministry is working hard and striving towards achieving the national goal "Education for All". This can only be achieved if and only if every concerned official in the Education Ministry realizes the importance the government has been attaching for the education of the children of this country. One can hope that able these problems may be overcome within a foreseeable time frame if right people are placed in right places. It is also hopeful that the newly established Royal University of Bhutan will play a vital role in further improving the quality of education. 

 (An Article published in the CERD, Education Journal, Volume X, Spring 2007)

             

A Saved By The Grace of God

                      

It was the month of May 1981; the weather was bright and sunny. I went to the school as usual, attending my classes in grade three. The bell for the break at 10 0 clock rang. I ran outside to the play field after my science teacher left the classroom. The break was only for fifteen minutes. Meeting friends and conversation with them was an everyday routine. As I was chatting with my class friends, my elder cousin came running and disclosed his plan of running away from the school to go swimming in the Mau River. He had planned for a picnic with the local boys of my locality. The weather is good and there would be lot of fun in the riverside. My cousin urged me to join his group.

Elder to me in age by ten years, I believed him. My interest in running away from the school increased with his talk of picnic delectable our friends would be bringing with them. He cautioned me of the secrecy of their plan. If disclosed our teachers would make plan of running away to the riverside a big flop. We ran away from the school, hiding, and met the boys on their way to the riverside with their cows and goats. To my surprise, the boys were carrying pots, pans and the entire items needed for the picnic. I got excited and believed that my cousin was right. I was only eleven years old in age and was studying in class three. My cousin was among the known notorious students of the school who would bunk from their classes. He received punishment almost everyday in school for discipline problems.

We made sure no teachers and the students' saw us running away and knew our plan of going to the riverside. Being a disciplined student in the school I was scared to join him but I couldn't help myself with all his enthusiasm urging. The boys got excited as we joined them. We chased the cows and goats to the destination for the picnic, Dungcheg Doban, the meeting place of Mau River and Dungchay stream. The place is a fantastic picnic spot. Dungchey permanently hoist the cowsheds for the summer season. The open space along the Mau River and across, is beautiful grazing land that provides immediate fodder for the cows and the goats. The cow-herders will be relaxed. They had particularly chosen this place for easy monitoring of cows and the goats, and to have fun simultaneously.

Bhakul was a known expert in climbing big trees. He climbed a big fodder tree and slashed the branches providing lot of leaves for cows to feed on. All of us waited, looking after the cows, to avoid being hit by the falling branches. As he finished his job we sent the cows for feeding on them, and proceeded to the riverbank. The sun had just started shinning on the riverbank. The geographical structure of the place is such that sun shines only in the afternoon and remains till late evening. We made a fire from the dried branches and started preparing items for the picnic. Bhakul and Bhakary, school dropouts, had left their schooling a year ago. They were experts in catching fish using nets. They left for catching the fish in the river. Though very young by age they were self-trained experts in catching fishes. They hardly returned home without fishes whenever they went for fishing. They were orphans and always choose to be away from home most of the time to avoid scolding and unnecessary hard work that may be imposed on them by their relatives.

We prepared various items for the picnic with the food our friends had stolen from their houses. We were a group of six. One of our picnic items was boiled and fried eggs. That was the first time, I saw somebody cooking eggs for eating, which Bhakul had stolen from his house. My parents never reared chickens and always said it is a sin to eat eggs and meat other than that of goat, sheep and fish. The belief imparted to me by my parents was strong within me. I was hesitant to add eggs to our picnic menu list. My friends, particularly my cousin, convinced me that it's always good to eat eggs but our parents should not be told. He has been eating eggs for many years, and they have made him very strong. His reasoning convinced me that my parents were wrong and I accepted to eat eggs and listened to whatever he said.

To add to the excitement of the already prepared food, Bhakul and Bhakaray returned with around two kilograms of fish. It was hard to believe the skill they had acquired in catching fish. Satisfied with their work, my cousin, the biggest in the group, took charge of roasting fishes to have the better taste. In a short time he did it. All of us were satisfied with our menu. We collected broad leaves of banana plant to serve rice and curry, sat in a circle, joking and chatting and having fun. We enjoyed our lunch. All were happy and excited.

I, being a disciplined and punctual student in the school, was reminded of next day's consequences time and again. In particular the pain of the cane from my dzongkha lopen, was frightening me time and again. My friends consoled me to forget the future and live with the present. The excitements of the moment overcome the future consequences. It was noon by then. The day was becoming very warm; the sunrays were vertical and was becoming very pleasant for swimming. My friends, all experts in swimming, decided to swim but I did not know how to swim. I got scared as they asked me to join them. I chose to stay back at the picnic spot but my friends did not allow me. They insisted I must go and watch them swim. Being smallest in the group, I felt forced to do as they said. We walked to the river bank in a wide spread place called "Dungchay jagar" particularly used for transporting cattle to and fro due to the reduced current of water in the river because of its spreading. They undressed themselves, crossed the river and started to swim. I sat on the big rock near the swimming spot watching them. I cursed myself for not being able to do what they could do. It was a big surprise for me to see them diving inside the water, getting lost for minutes and coming out shaking their head and so on. Some were competing with each other in crossing the river to and fro from high current area, others flowing with the flow of the water just moving their legs but not getting drowned, all was great fun fun for them. My helplessness was making me more restless and sad. I was tormented by traumatic pressure and pain for not being able to do what my friends could. My cousin came running to me and said I will take only a few minutes to learn if I try. His statement excited me and I quickly undressed myself and was ready to start my training. He showed me the shallow part of river to start with. The place was prefect for learning. Even if I rolled there, the current of water will not wash me away. The depth of the river was only knee deep at that spot. Friends were busy in the bigger part of the river, very deep and blue in colour. I started training myself and continued for hours in same place. I ran to the big rock giving myself the intervals to warm in the sun. They talked of styles, ran back and practiced the style they had discussed and so on. I helplessly watched their styles in the bigger portion of the river where I did not dare to attempt to swim.

The time was close to 3.00 pm, my cousin and Bhakul came to me and started flattering me, saying that I have become expert swimmer in no time. I should swim in the big river where others are swimming. I was impressed to hear their compliments and ran with them to the place for diving. I was guaranteed all types of help if I needed, during the swim. As I watched the current on the river and the depth, my heart started beating faster. I got totally scared to jump from the big height of the rock and swim. They motivated me saying, I shall never learn unless I try. They assured me that they would not allow me die even if I were drowned. They will save me, which gave me the courage to try. I decided to try swimming in the big part of the river whatever the consequences might be. I asked my cousin and Bhakaray to keep my track of swimming and provide me necessary help if it is required. They said okay.  I leaped from the top of the rock as they were watching me diving. I remembered that I tried to keep my body in the horizontal position as I touched the water, but nothing worked in my favour. Slowly I was drowning. I tried to push myself up, to take my head out of the water but nothing helped.  The water started rushing into my stomach through my nose and mouth. I tried to scream, to call my friends for the help.  I found myself taking in more water into my stomach. I started struggling for my life. May be I struggled for minutes. I do not remember. Then suddenly I realized I was on the side of the river near the rock I had jumped from. Still I was standing and my head was out of the water and my stomach was almost bursting. Slowly I staggered to the riverbank and fell unconscious. My friends removed me to a comfortable place having lots of hot sand. They laid me down so that my stomach was flat on the sand. They told me that I vomited the water out, that had been taken in. It has taken almost an hour for me to come to my senses. I was shivering and was feeling very weak.  My cousin carried me all the way to the home, with other boys helping him occasionally.

My cousin advised me not to disclose the incident to our parents. I pretended as if nothing has happened. My grandfather already knew that I was absent from the school and he inquired for the reason. The head teacher had informed him that I was missing from the school. My grandfather was very dear to me; had taken care of me from the childhood after my mother passed away. Even if I wanted, I was not able to tell lies to him. I told him the whole story. He did not scold me but said, "My dear grandson God has saved you". He advised me to avoid the company of these friends and also of my cousin thereafter, as it is the company you will have to take care if you want to do good things in life.

Adventures in the Jungle

It was the month of June in the year 1979, I was close to 10 years in age, and I had this dangerous encounter with.............  My family had close to eighty cows and buffaloes, the highest number of cattle raised in a single household in our area. My father used to care for them by taking into the dense jungle, where fodder was easily available. In the cowshed there were 20 calves. They were fed with grass fetched by my father. The work was more than a day's job unless he collected 4 to 5 bundles a day. No time for laziness!!!

That particular summer, my father partnered with another cattle raising relative who had only a few cows and buffalos. They decided to move their combined cattle raising operation to a place called Malatay, about 5 hours walk from home. The neighbour, my father and I herded all the animals, calves and adult beasts. We had to pass through a dense jungle via "Dhap Deorali" the north east end of the village. In the monsoon season, Malatay was considered a dangerous place because of the presence of wild animals especially black bears, which were found in numbers on that particular area. This was one of the reasons for looking a friend to take the cattle together in the jungle. They decided to share the same hut which my father had constructed earlier that winter. They were happy together. They could talked to each other, otherwise human voice can only be heard when someone visited from home in a week's or fifteen days time as they came to bring them ration.

It was the season for transplanting rice in the field. My father had to come home to help other family members in the plantation work. It was my summer break, as well the school break. He decided with his partner to take care of cattle in a shift system. It was agreed I would be the helper in the cowshed during his absence. He brought me to the cowshed and returned home for the work.

 I was a student of class II that time, about 10 years old.  It is my first time in the dense jungle during summer where I should be staying for two weeks. I was happy, as it is an adventure, to be in the jungle where we don't see any human beings except the two of us.  We have to spend our time with our cattle, and with different species of wild animals we met occasionally. I was very excited, at the same time nervous to get adapted to the life in the jungle; I would be staying two weeks. The only assignment I was given by the uncle was to fetch water from the stream that was quite far away. My job was to feed the calves and fetch water for us. I had to carry water at least 15 times in a plastic jerry-can to make all the calves quench their thirst, and then two containers full for us, which roughly was 15 liters. He spent hardly anytime in the cowshed. He needed to fetch bundles of grass for the calves and also had to look after the cattle in the jungles for their safety from wild animals. Tigers and leopards were regular visitors of that area and we needed to be very vigilant all the time to save our cattle from their attack.

My first day on the job was quite interesting. Uncle showed me the way to the water-collecting pond. We were together almost for the whole day as our cattle were sent to that particular site for grazing. I did my job well and managed to do what he expected from me. The next day uncle decided to send the cattle to other site of the grazing area and he went with the cattle. I was asked to perform my duty well. Though I was scared to go to the water source alone, there was no other alternative but to put all my energy together and do the assigned job. I started hesitantly, reached the source, filled my container, and was returning. As I was climbing up hill around five minutes away from the cowshed, I heard the cracking sound of the branches. Something was running into the jungle at a fast speed. My leg started shivering and heart pumping. I tried to run but couldn't move a step. I froze in fear. I just stared and stood in the same place. I looked around, very scared from inside. I saw a wild animal staring at me. I had never seen an animal like this one earlier. I took it for a leopard's cub and started shivering more out of the fear. I happened to scream which made the animal frightened and it ran away. I immediately ran at my heels to the cowshed, my heart beating very fast. I waited for uncle to come and fetch water by himself. As he returned I explained the whole story, the shape, size and the colour of the animal. He just shook his head and said “You’re hopeless! That cannot be leopard's cub! It could be some harmless wild animal”. We went together to fetch water again. Luckily we saw the same type of animal on our way. The uncle convinced me that it is not a leopard's cub but is a family of jackal called "Malsapro" in Nepali. It is harmless to big human beings but is a carnivore; it feeds on the jungle fowl, and small animals, said my uncle. This was a big relief for me and I carried water calmly for the whole day.

I carried on with my work quite well; uncle was satisfied with my performance and was happy to be with me. In the evening he recited poems, read the Nepali literature. I tried to learn catching his sing-sung rhythm + tone. The rhythm he used was difficult for me to catch. He tried to show me the techniques in reading them, but I was a child, who knew the hardly alphabet and the pronunciation of the words; still, I tried to learn them. We were happy together and I was enjoying my stay with him. I still remember a few poems that I learnt from him.

It was the seventh day of my stay in the cowshed at Malatay. Uncle said to me early in the morning, our buffalos didn't come to the cowshed for the last 2 days. He will go in search of them. I was asked to stay back. He advised me not to go far from the shed and take care of the shed well for the day.  He might take him hours to return, since buffaloes can travel long distances, and he may not be able to find them in time. Usually they go to the previously stayed places if they are not happy in a particular place. I said okay. I was already adjusted and was not scared to be alone any more. Uncle left in search of the buffaloes and I started fetching water and feeding the calves. The day started quite well and everything was going on well. It was close to 3 0clock in the evening; uncle has not yet returned. I was resting in the shed watching the small calf feeding on the grass.

I suddenly heard a noise with an echo so loud that whole jungle started vibrating. It was a one-way cry like that of a human noise. It was so loud I nearly turned deaf. I have heard from my grandmother many stories of a Yeti. She would say that Yeti will make a sound similar to that of humans making calling noises to one another in the jungle. In the case of humans calling one another, the voice has a variety of pitch. In the case of Yeti calling there is only one pitch like a howl. A Yeti is a mysterious being, may be like a wild human, very dangerous because it target the human and eat only eyes. The Yeti walks with “heels pointing forward and “toes pointing towards to the rear; if you see yeti foot steps, be careful to not be deceived as to the direction in which it is walking. There are stories of its appearances, as my village had its settlement towards the beginning of the 20th century. Whatever I have heard from my grandmother about Yeti started becoming true in my heart! The noise I heard resembled with that of a Yeti in Grandmother’s stories. The loud noise sent an electric wave through my spine, and I started shivering with my heart pumping harder, than I could control it. I looked around; there was no place to hide. I thought this might be the end. I closed my eyes. I tried to recollect what people were supposed do save themselves. She used to tell me we have to burn sheep wool; the smell of burning wool will send the Yeti away. As I looked around I saw a nice woolen sleeping mat woven by my grandmother. Sheep wool sleeping mat is considered pure and precious by Nepali society. It is used in the important religious ceremonies. This woolen sleeping mat was sent to the cowshed particularly to be used, if we have important visitors. I took out my knife and cut the side of it and put it into the fire. Uncle had put big logs in the fireplace to avoid the fire from getting extinguished. It is also  important to keep the fire burning day and night as the smell of the smoke keeps wild animals away from the cowshed. The smell of the burning wool was making me suffocate. I covered myself with the quilt and tried my best to control my breath to calm my fast pumping heart. I struggled for hours, just peeping from the side of the quilt with the hope to seeing uncle coming to my rescue.

Rather than my uncle coming for my rescue, I heard only voice getting louder and louder coming closer to the cowshed. The voice was loud enough to convince me, it was nothing other than Yeti. As the sound echoed from the opposite mountain, the fear that went through me was becoming more and more uncontrollable. I prayed and prayed, but nothing was helping me. I held a knife tight in my hand for psychological comfort. My shivering body was telling me all these things I am doing are useless to help me, if Yeti arrives. As I was undergoing this trauma, I heard the protection fencing of the cowshed being pulled and that almost left me unconscious. I shaped myself almost like a ball, putting my legs together, and I tried to control my breath as well. I felt something was pulling me, leaving me almost half dead, with no voice left to shout, so great was my fear. The quilt was pulled off me and I screamed for the help. The moment I opened my eyes I saw a big monster standing in front of me. I did not remember anything after that. I came to my senses when I received a big slap on my cheek. I was surprised to see that the dangerous monster standing in front of me was none other than my uncle. He has returned with the buffaloes.

I narrated the whole story that happened after he left. He explained me it is not the Yeti but was he himself who made that loud noise. He made that one-sided big shout to frighten the wild animals, if they are around. The following day he took me to an open landslide area called Dhap Pairo where the whole mountainside had come sliding down. Here echoes are easily produced because sound echoes off the unforested steep slope.

            The following day he took me to the same spot and shouted, facing the open landslide. The echo produced was so large that I was convinced; it was not a Yeti but my uncle who made that terrible noise. It was a big relief for me that I need not fear Yeti in that particular place any more. He said to me, "You are very lucky you didn't have heart attack and die".

My fifteen days of service with the uncle in helping him in the cowshed were over. My school had started after the half yearly break. Once again hard life in the school was starting that was making me sad. I was thinking all these things as my father came to take me home. I liked the jungle life, as it is very peaceful, clean, and beautiful to be alone. Animals are your friends, they cannot talk but the honesty, obedience and respect shown to their master can be judged from their innocent look that they show you. By this time my attachments to them had become very strong. I didn't want to leave them in the jungle alone and go to the school. I had very strong feelings for them but I would not speak out, as I know it very well that my father would not support to my love for animals at cost of my schooling. Though it was a sad moment, there was no other alternative then to follow my father to reach home in time. I looked back a couple of times at my cattle and said good-bye in my heart. I left the place almost with tears in my eyes. I could see my cattle from their look that they were going to miss me too.

While walking, we came to a lake called Pokhari; this was the winter grazing land. The place was called Bhalayo Kharkha. My father asked me to wait there for some time, while he said he would go and collect cane. Cane is used for making baskets in the house, and also is used for tying different things like fencing, making roof of the house etc. He advised me not to get scared of anything and not to go anywhere, as he will return in less than one hour time. The place looked very deserted and scary. The lake below was almost dry. Thick bushes had grown all around the lake and made this particular place scary.  This was the only source of water for the wild animals. They might come for water any time, I was thinking inside.

To provide me some comfort my father would shout sometimes using the vocal signals humans use to communicate the presence of each other. This shout is also made to scare away the wild animals if they are around. Every time I heard my father's shout, I was feeling more and more comfortable. I was telling to myself, "You will reach home safely, your father is around". Internally, I was getting more and more scared. Every minute was becoming longer for me to wait. I was feeling like I had been waited for days. I was praying for the early return of my father. The sound produced by the birds, moving branches, falling of the leaves was sending currents of fear through my spine. I was very cautious, as I was scared of wild animals’ attack any time. I was yelling at very close intervals, time and time again to boost confidence within me. My father was replying to my yell, and assuring me that he was still at work.

I felt very thirsty and wanted to drink water. I walked down to the lake, leaving our things on the same spot my father told me to wait. It took me less than five minutes to reach the lake. The lake was very shallow and the water dirty. I was left with no other options than to drink the same water. I pulled a big leaf from the tree, collected water from the side of the lake and drank it to my satisfaction. I wanted to see the sloppy area on the other side of the lake. I walked some distance away and reached to the top of the hill. I felt tired and sat down to rest at the base of a tree. The open landslide made by "Dhap Pairo" was clearly visible from the place I was sitting. The beauty provided by the slide is enormous; one will not get satisfied even if he stays there for days and looks at it continuously. I was getting more and more involved with the scenery and was enjoying the beauty. To my surprise I heard the cracking sound of the branches some distance away. It felt like a herd of the cattle is moving. I immediately climbed a small tree to see what this really was. To my surprise and fear, I saw a mother bear with two cubs feeding on a banana tree. They had torn open the banana tree and were eating the inner part, I saw clearly from the distance. The mother was cutting open the stem and the cubs were rushing to get their share first, and were enjoying themselves. Seeing this I nearly collapsed. I could neither shout nor climb down the tree. I only watched them feed. My breath was getting shorter than normal and I was trying to control my shivering and to calm myself but nothing was helping me.

My father had arrived at the spot where I was supposed to waiting. Not seeing me there he shouted for me. I replied I will not be able to come there as I am trapped. I told him there is a bear with the cubs. Immediately hearing this he started running towards me yelling with whatever voice he had. He knew the danger that was awaiting me if he didn't tackle the matter in time. A mother with cubs is very dangerous. They will attack anything that they meet on their way. My father reached the spot where I was trapped and climbed the same tree. He patted me and said there is nothing to worry about; he will drive the bear away. We were left with no other options; they were so close the path leading towards our home. My father looked around advised me to hold the tree tight and not to get afraid even if the bear came towards us and shouted. The mother bear ran straight to the base of the tree we were sitting in and started looking to us. The scary look of the bear at the base of the tree was making me more nervous and I was losing control over my body. My hands, body, legs every thing started shivering and was ready to collapse. I remember father telling me again and again not to worry. "This is a ground bear; it cannot climb trees”, he assured again, which gave little comfort to my bursting heart. My father tried all type of his shouts and yells, but nothing was helping him to chase the bear away. He was losing hope; I could see from his face. As nothing had helped, out of frustration, he took out his knife and he started slashing the branches of the tree we had climbed. The branches started falling one after another. I saw one of the branches hit the bear hard on the back. In pain she ran fast down the hill, the cubs following her. The fear that I was undergoing melted as the bears ran away. We climb down the tree took our things and reached home safely.

This few incidents I shall never forget in my life. I am reminded of the incidents sometimes. These situations have given me confidence to tackle difficult things encountered in our lives. Life is a series of ups and downs. When someone models for us at a young age to be patient and to find solutions to difficult situations, it gives us courage to tackle other inevitable obstacles throughout our lives.