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Thimphu’s teacher glut

13 November 2009

It seems it will take the education ministry a lot of guts to get over with Thimphu’s teacher glut. So far, only five out of 746 teachers in Thimphu town have volunteered to teach outside the capital after the ministry’s appeal last month. And only 34 teachers have been listed for transfer. The rest have either become rancorous or resigned themselves to the ministry’s stand.
If what we hear on the grapevine is to be believed, many Thimphu teachers are contemplating resignation if they are transferred out of the town. That is a veiled threat to the ministry that if they are nudged out of their long-held comfort, they would choose to leave the profession. Of course, this was anticipated. Now the ministry should remember that its transfer plan is bigger than the resignation of a few stubborn teachers.
A few teachers pretend not to understand the ministry’s well-intentioned move. They say that the move would discredit their many years of service in Thimphu town. This is at once blatantly irrational and selfish. The ministry’s move only tries to effect some measure of equity and fairness among the teaching fraternity and betterment to the system. We fail to understand which is more unfair – transferring urban teachers to rural schools for a few years or consigning some teachers to rural schools for decades on end.
This is going to be a testing time for the education ministry if it continues to be hesitant and indecisive. It started off the move rather hesitantly. Amid dissenting voices among Thimphu town teachers, the ministry has managed to pick only 34 teachers for possible transfer.
This too seems rather a hesitant number. Like some of the teachers themselves say, many of the teachers might find ways around the officials. Therefore, there might be many a slip twixt cup and lip. The ministry should be careful about this because, as some observers say, this has led to teacher excess in some of the towns in the first place.
Even as we talk about the inconveniences of Thimphu teachers, we hear a sigh of relief from the teachers from rural schools. Both must be taken into consideration and thoughtfully weighed. Lest we forget, this issue is not all about teachers and the education ministry. It is also about thousands of rural students who are disadvantaged for life, if you like, primarily due to this issue.

It seems it will take the education ministry a lot of guts to get over with Thimphu’s teacher glut. So far, only five out of 746 teachers in Thimphu town have volunteered to teach outside the capital after the ministry’s appeal last month. And only 34 teachers have been listed for transfer. The rest have either become rancorous or resigned themselves to the ministry’s stand.

If what we hear on the grapevine is to be believed, many Thimphu teachers are contemplating resignation if they are transferred out of the town. That is a veiled threat to the ministry that if they are nudged out of their long-held comfort, they would choose to leave the profession. Of course, this was anticipated. Now the ministry should remember that its transfer plan is bigger than the resignation of a few stubborn teachers.

A few teachers pretend not to understand the ministry’s well-intentioned move. They say that the move would discredit their many years of service in Thimphu town. This is at once blatantly irrational and selfish. The ministry’s move only tries to effect some measure of equity and fairness among the teaching fraternity and betterment to the system. We fail to understand which is more unfair – transferring urban teachers to rural schools for a few years or consigning some teachers to rural schools for decades on end.

This is going to be a testing time for the education ministry if it continues to be hesitant and indecisive. It started off the move rather hesitantly. Amid dissenting voices among Thimphu town teachers, the ministry has managed to pick only 34 teachers for possible transfer.

This too seems rather a hesitant number. Like some of the teachers themselves say, many of the teachers might find ways around the officials. Therefore, there might be many a slip twixt cup and lip. The ministry should be careful about this because, as some observers say, this has led to teacher excess in some of the towns in the first place.

Even as we talk about the inconveniences of Thimphu teachers, we hear a sigh of relief from the teachers from rural schools. Both must be taken into consideration and thoughtfully weighed. Lest we forget, this issue is not all about teachers and the education ministry. It is also about thousands of rural students who are disadvantaged for life, if you like, primarily due to this issue.

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Posted by Bhutan Observer · Filed Under Editorial 

Comments

15 Responses to “Thimphu’s teacher glut”

  1. dwang on November 13th, 2009 9:02 pm

    If our teachers love our children as our people’s king ,5th Druk Gyalpo,they should be ready to serve anywhere because there are thousands of children too!

  2. somrin on November 14th, 2009 11:12 am

    i think the teachers in thimphu city should should understand the problems faced by the MOE and help solve the excess teacher in thimphu. as a teacher we should not think in negative but be always positive. please come and enjoy the beauty of Countryside. its really beautiful
    but one thing MOE should keep in mind is be firm and do not favour anybody.

  3. Cring on November 14th, 2009 4:49 pm

    If you think for the future to have betterment system in education our dedicated Thimphu teachers will definitely volunteer to move out in other school.

  4. Kota on November 16th, 2009 9:15 am

    Why not we take this idea in other ministries too? Other civil servants in rural areas too need such chance not only teachers.

  5. PiG on November 17th, 2009 9:14 pm

    If HM can walk for days on end in remote villagers, why you ‘couch-potatoes’ can’t? Put a small bit of sense into your ‘urban heads’ and serve the motherland without pre-conditions.
    Its a shame that there are teachers like you in the country.

  6. katu on November 17th, 2009 11:55 pm

    I feel that the new teachers should be compulsorily placed in the rural areas for atleast three years no matter how genuine their problems are. Should the Ministry of Education have followed this policy, the present problem could have been avoided. At least for another few years given the number of teachers passing out from different teacher training colleges.

    But for old teachers going out of Thimphu at this age (probably most teachers would be in their 40s) would be a big blow and we are unnecessarily driving them out of their profession.

    Ministry has to come out with concert policy so that every teachers are place in rural schools when young and bring them to town when they are old. My sincere suggestion only.

  7. dawa lhaden on November 19th, 2009 6:30 am

    thimphu teacher have lots of ego. they want to live in city and dont want to go anywhere. some teacher are really funny too . some they dont teach well. they only beat and scold student. instead of giving them a courage they gave them a incouragel. telling student what not things without thinking it and student forece to live the school coz of shame and humiliation . thimphu student respect teacher they think they are second parents. they dont really care about a student. teacher themself think that they are great but they are no really smart to teach a student. teacher should be a good example and show student wat teacher really means. thinphu teacher dont to live a city but they have to understand and go for it and show all the people they do really care about county and student. so many student are drop of from school this blame have to go to teacher coz they are the one. thiphu teacher are nothing. student are smart not a teacher. lol

  8. wow on November 25th, 2009 9:04 pm

    dawa lhaden, you need to start from scratch to write in english. Do not mean to offend you but a suggestion.Acceptable if you are a student in a primary school. giving courage instead of incourage( encourage) What?

  9. tintin on November 27th, 2009 11:55 am

    first of all, its not fair for ministry to do partiality…there are teachers who are wives of high ranking officials to whom you are giving a consideration..thats why there are very less volunters … as said above, the new graduates should be send to remote areas as there is very less teachers in remote schools…atleast after joining a teacher, you should have that aim of improving the standard of education and promoting education…goin to remote areas will help you to learn as well..i think teachers nowadays are having lot of ego problems…and more over they have joined teacher’s training as there is no job in other areas..maybe as the last option in a job category…so think it ….!!!!

  10. wow on November 27th, 2009 9:05 pm

    tintin! You stupid comic character, what position do you hold in reality?

  11. Dan on November 30th, 2009 4:48 pm

    Mr. Wow
    Anyway, get her message and don’t be offended. she is building her courage to speak in a world of freedom from given democracy of HM… it seems you are one of those teacher who is forced to walk out of thimphu… right???

    while, since you know better english, you better go to those villages and teach those students where we lack teacher…. budy…!!!

  12. wow on December 2nd, 2009 8:34 pm

    Mr. Dan. You got me wrong. I intended to suggest to write in way to make any writings readable. I am not one of those disgruntled Thimphu teachers or ignored teachers in remote Bhutan. I am simply not impressed with the way dawa lhaden puts her courage in words of english- buddy!

  13. chophel on December 4th, 2009 7:19 am

    agree with all reason

  14. chophel on December 4th, 2009 7:26 am

    But I like dawa lhaden’s comment .

  15. dawa on December 5th, 2009 1:40 am

    wow who ever you . i care about our country and i have been to high school i know how the teacher are. encourage other young people who are going to be a teacher in future and show them a good example thats what i mean by encourage. i am saying the truth and i care about our country and people. some people are dump. and yeah who is wow i don’t care what you think . i don’t have to impress you why shold i care about you. i care about my people,

    email me if you have a more question.

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