In Sherubtse College…

…Where two ‘PASS’ make one fail

After the Second World War and the nuclear annihilations, the essence of living in this modern world is baseless. The meaning of the meaning is lost. We live in the world where there is no proper exist. We live in absurd world where existence is meaningless, purposeless, baseless, chaotic and incoherent. Everything is muddled. Actions and inactions are but homogenous mixture. The following is one such example of absurdism:

Learning in education is all to do with grades and the marks achieved at the end of the day. Grades are everything in this modern world but what do one need to do to achieve a good marks in academics? Sacrifices and consistencies should be placed at the forefront of the ladder. Students are graded in two different way in most of the institutions, and Sherubtse College – the premier institution of learning in Bhutan is no exception. There is internal and external assessment.

In Sherubtse College: 

Ø  Internal assessment is carried out in various ways – assignments, oral presentations, mid-term or class test, class participation, viva and so on. The total marks allocated for internal assessment differs according to departments and the year you are studying. Some departments allocate 60%, some 50% and some 40%. The minimum requirement to get through is 24, 20 and 16% respectively.

Ø  External assessment is merely the semester end examinations. The weightage for the external assessment is the remaining of the internal assessment. If I keep the aforementioned per cents as the internal marks, then the semester end examination will be out of 40, 50 and 60% respectively.

However, things are not smooth as we expect. If your internal assessments are carried out of 60%, then definitely your external assessment will be of 40%. The minimum requirement is 24% for internal assessment and 16% for external assessment, and if your score is aforementioned, then your total marks will be 40 (24 + 16 = 40). Are you awarded P (PASS)? The answer is big ‘NO’. You are failed. This would be the only learning institution in the world where two pass can make one fail. You need to get 50% to get through the semester.

This thing is really difficult to understand. If student is to declare failed after crossing the benchmark set for internal and external assessment, then what is the meaning and essence of the ‘PASS’? How can two pass make one fail? What is the logic behind this concept? Who is responsible for this: Vice Chancellor?  Dean of Academic Affairs? ‘The Academic of Wheel Laws’? Exam Convener? Head of School? Programme Leader? Year Guide? Module Tutors? Or Students?

I think this logic of declaring students fail is baseless. Though this thing is definite to be in the ‘Academic Wheel of Laws’ the ones responsible for framing this rule might have thought about the consequences of such law. The repercussions of this law is felt in the psychology of students not the one that framed the law. The students who are declared failed after passing both internal and external assessments are socially demoralized, physically weakened and psychologically tortured. I am not bluffing the things. I have seen these and I am writing about these.

I am very surprised when I see Sonam who is back to the college. The initial thought I have of him is ‘he is the one who has been called back to the college as an assistant lecturer.’ But I am wronged. Wronged! The guy called back as an assistant lecturer is my friend Dechen Wangdi. Sonam has come to clear one of the papers of 5^th semester and he too have to come and clear one of the 6^th semester paper sometime in coming June.

Astonished I asked, “Do you have another paper to clear next semester?”

 “Yes, I do. I have one paper,” he replied affirmatively.

Curious and still bewildered, I further asked: “will you come and attend the classes?”

He is determined and said, “No.” I later learned that he has passed both the internal and external assessment before but he was not in the position to get 50%. This law has hampered him by one year. Some of his friends are trainee officer in the Royal Institute of Management and some undergoing PGDE in SCE and PCE. Some are already employed.

This is one story. Another story of the same incident but under different circumstances:

I have a friend studying in B.Sc. Computer Science 3^rd Semester. He is an ardent lover of study and a consistent student, as of my good knowledge. He is next to my room. And I know more of him, for I usually visit his room for one reason or another. It so happened that during examination time, I visited his room. As usual, he was busy with books.

The moment he saw me he told me, “aww, mawala na wai.”

“Hang awa ya?” I asked.

“Namning ga exam sho jigi pass sholay raybey mo? Internal Marks la 40 gay 16 sho bewa la.”

“16 sho pass gilamai?” I retorted.

“Dag pa internal dang external dom pa kam 50% tshas la mai. Jigi JAVA ga 34 ma nyong tu,” he told me like a desperate and down-turned hunter.

Yes, he is right. When he was not in the position to score more than 40 percent in internal which are mostly done by referring other materials and discussing with his friend who are better than him, it would be difficult for him to score 56.7% in written examination.

Though there failure is confirmed on his fate, I just offered consolation is mist, “wai, yang ni la pass tey sho du na. tsa drag ni lham sho lay.”

“Aww, ER (Essential Repeat) sure gila. Phaiga lam pay bulay,” He told me with lament and tragic tone in his voice.

The hopes are shattered by this absurd rule. The only thing possible is to change the system itself. I mean there need to be change somewhere to something. Responsible person for this should be responsible. They should not make innocent and poor students suffer. This law is indeed absurd and baseless.

The only suggestions to the heads:

Ø  Make pass mark for both Internal and External 50% (OR)

Ø  55% in either of the component and other one at 45%

This will be more justifiable for declaring students fail. The persons in the administration should look into this matter at the earliest. Something changeable should be changed.   

A Dream

Suddenly a light flashed, freshness shillyshallied

The long, quivering thoughts and dull days vanished.

A new array of hopes, another spring sprung –

Full of optimisms – a fresh ardor to putrefied life:

Your entrance gave me a profound joy.

Haunting past had gone, monotonous present altered,

Dreamy future turned to be a new ray upon me.

Lived I in the lackluster past, avenging the pains –

The pain of wounded heart, a benediction in masquerade:

A blessing to embrace a new hope, to open way for new things.

Feared am I to embrace the future, I lived in the past.

Lost traveller am I in the misty future, there was no guide

Neither light nor a new faith was there in me –

Until you came, you came to metamorphose my life

To make me comprehend the future still exists.

Impossible became possible, dreary past seemed illusion

The pragmatism of reality had a new genesis

Abounded with inspirations, driven by aspirations

Traumatized dreams and shattered hopes found a new demesne –

A way into a new world, stable and constant, I believe.

Da Vinci painted your image within me – a stable one.

The frescos in my heart, the tapestry of my life;

Snowy fluid to the past, a light to the future,

You entered with dazzling anticipations and exactitude.

You had indeed performed an efficacious xeno-transplantation.

There is no future but only past, thought I.

Wronged am I, the future still breathed for me,

Instincts had never guided me to future, or to present

Uncertainty became certain, power shunning barricades cleared.

You gave me a new life adorned with inventiveness.

Never thought I, this life would shine on me,

Never dreamt I, there is another person for me,

Never imagined I, my future – a bright and lucid indeed,

Never deemed I, capable of entering to the future

Until you come with the possibilities to build castle in the air.

A short talk enlightened me, your jokes uplifted me

Your innocence to conceal the known facts,

The capabilities of yours’ strengthen the weakened soul,

Motivates me to move forward, to a new horizon

The abyss is no more my world.

You bear the cold, I shared your heat

The chilled heart of mine got warmth once again,

Defied past has vanished into inferno discerning new horizon to future.

Things would never be like this again, deemed I,

But life is suddenly so sweet, a sharp turn of life.

People say that there will be a time in every man’s life,

A time when he will face a question which he has no answer.

“Hang ani jang lekcha ya?” you asked me.

The answer I still do not know - too absurd,

The essence of loving you is, however sturdy.

Is it an illusion am I enjoying?

Am I in dream once more in a cozy bed?

Am I under the influence of substance?

If dream, I would continue to sleep,

If effects of substance, I would wish to have more.

Johnson, blame me not but words are not sufficient,

Used I all the vocabs from your store

Still I have many things to share.

Invent me more words, give me your advanced store

I will communicate the whole story to Fanny.

The Bhutanese Scholar - Part I

Where do Bhutan stands?

My dear friends, 

If we truly love our country, time has summoned us to show our patriotism to the nation. We are made lazy by the developed nations around the globe. We don't manufacture lot many things. We are but scavengers feeding upon the waste of developed nations. For how long can we go like this? For how many years can we retain our sovereignty with such economic growth? Time has come for us to rethink our policies and do something different that can reduce our dependency on the imported goods. You and I cannot go like this, for this is 21^st century, where innovation is placed at the top. 

Who said that Bhutanese cannot create new things and stand on our on? Bhutan has resources, but Bhutanese are selfish. Do you agree with me here? If you don't, then what’s about some Bhutanese people taking Kishu Thara to Jaigon town for Indians to manufacture same clothes at cheaper rates? Isn't this threat to the local economy from local people? If not us, then who will help Bhutan? Look at the present situation. We import almost everything from India and the environment is full of waste imported from neighboring countries. Bhutan does not have that much literature, but this does not mean that Bhutan lacks creativity. What we lack is market, and the habit of cultivating good habits. If Bhutan lacks creativity, then what’s about Dr. Sonam Kinga, Karma Ura, Kunzang Choden, Pema Yuden, and many more writers who have produced awesome creative art? 

Friends, time has arrived. Let’s wake up from the long sleep and try to convert the dreams that we enjoy in our sleep to reality. Let’s not sleep to enjoy those dreams. Come on friends. Developed nations are once primitive land preoccupied by primitive nature. People shape it to a new world, they discovered diamond from lumps of clay and gold from stones. Bhutanese are also human beings, let us be the humans like that of the predecessors of present citizens in developed nations. Let us not be talkers but doers.

I do not mean to say that Bhutanese economy should dominate international market. We should know that “a journey of thousand miles begins with a single step.” The foremost thing we should achieve in our economy is self-sufficiency. This will reduce the dependency on the imported waste. Time is the most important thing in development. We cannot directly do roofing of the house without even laying the foundation. Let us start with the self-sufficiency from our boundary before going to the international markets. Let us force policy makers to give further more emphasis on agricultural and education sector, for agriculture ensures food security and education, human resources needed for the development of the nation. Slowly the thing will take shape once we gain momentum. 

My dear youths, what is there in Thimphu and Phuentsholing? There isn’t any gold reserves. The gold reserves are at your home, sweet home. Rural areas are facing acute shortage of human capitals, and the number of houses remaining locked are increasing. Attending education does not really mean that you should have white collar job. Education is to learn what we haven’t learned before. With education we can bring magic to the farmlands back at our home. Happiness will be there at home. You need not have to pay rents, water bills and many more. Environment is serene. If you are really looking for jobs with the education, then why not replace the Indian Labourers in the construction industries? Come on, friends. 

Crime and unemployment rates in urban areas are increasing. There is an increasing number of youth violence. Stabling, theft, substance abuse and fights are mounting like silica on the river banks. Already congested urban area is suffocating with increasing population. If this is the trend of Bhutanese Urbanization, Thimphu city will hardly have space to place our foot by 2020. 

I am just student, but I think time has come for us to realize our nature. Bhutanese can do. Bhutanese should not depend for every bits and pieces on other nations. Let’s be creative, innovative, and let’s manufacture concrete future in terms of economy, literature, environment, peace and other branches of arts and sciences.