How many of our teachers know details about their students, what kind of family they come from, what sort of learning abilities they have or lack, and what health problems they may be having?
Of course, this may sound like a tall order for our teachers, who are, going by common sentiment, overworked, underpaid, underappreciated, and continually criticized.
A teacher at the Educating for GNH conference in Paro on Wednesday spoke about his fears regarding the government’s attempts to integrate the values of Gross National Happiness in the fabric of the education system. If this fails, he said, it would be one more thing that people would find to criticize the education system for. The coming year shall definitely see some critical reviews from the media and others on just how well our ‘GNH Schools’ are performing.
But the reason that the people are so interested in educators and how well they function is because of the magnitude of the role that these people have in shaping the nation. Perhaps they feel overly scrutinized, but this is an occupational hazard that teachers have to live with, just the way politicians do. Their work is very important, simply too important for everyone to allow to pass by unnoticed.
The Prime Minister in his address to the principals at the workshop on Wednesday spoke about how principals and teachers have a greater role than simply running the school.
It will indeed be incredibly easy to ensure that all our children are in school, safe, with the prospect of a beautiful future, if our principals take it upon themselves to ensure that children living in their towns are coming to school, and to find out why if they are not.
It is the duty of the local leaders, district officials, and indeed everyone who lives in a particular region, to ensure that it is possible for children living there to go to school.
Why is it that we do not take action, even when we see that something is not quite as it should be? Why do we shake our heads in sorrow, mutter a few words of sympathy, blame the government, and then let it go, when really all we need to do is take our concern to the next level.
A little bit of money may be what is keeping the children away from school, a few ngultrums that someone can spare may buy them a uniform and books. But we would rather blame the system, and wonder why nothing is being done than to be proactive ourselves.
Sometimes, what makes us hesitate to put forward a helping hand, is the realization that we are not a figure of authority. In this the principals have a role to play, especially in small communities where they are respected. When a neighbour asks questions about some bruises that they see on a child, the response will be cold, but when a teacher does the same, the same person will be obliged to answer.
A wonderful community would be where we care about people other than our immediate family, where the leaders and officials actively pursue the GNH life for their community, and where teachers care enough to ask why someone is losing weight, why they seem depressed, or why they are not coming to school.
We may have many problems, but there are only a few that cannot be solved by a little kindness. And in a GNH country, it is our duty to be kind.
