When prisons become seats of learning

The police believe that Bhutanese prisons can become more like schools. Our reporter Jigme Wangchuk finds out how non-formal education fares in the prisons.

It had barely been 16 months since he took over as the new chief of police from Colonel Sonam Thondup, who retired after 35 years of service in the Royal Bhutan Police (RBP). Twenty days later, in September 21, 2009, he would be promoted by His Majesty the King to the rank of Brigadier, making him the first chief of police to reach that rank. Then, still a colonel, Gagpoen Kipchu Namgyel signed his first office order with reforms and policy changes in mind.

“Attitude of our police must change if we are to be true public servants. We are trying to change our attitude,” he said. And he had meant every word of it. RBP would witness a major reform after 43 years of establishment under his leadership.

A week before July 2009, sitting in his office, reading through documents in the dust-shrouded files and reviewing the progress made by RBP, the plans and programmes yet to be polished for proper implementation, he thought of the thing he had thought often before. This time, though, he was determined to make it a reality.

Prisoners in the jails would now have something useful to do. They wouldn’t have to waste time every day doing nothing. Gagpoen had his officers sent for a survey in the jails to study whether the prisoners would like non-formal education (NFE) programme brought to them.

“One of the first things that I realized after I became the chief was that a vast amount of time was being wasted by our prisoners. Because most of the prisoners were illiterate convicts, I thought it would serve them well if they were given the opportunity to learn within the precinct of the jails,” he said. His officers came back with good news. Response from the prisoners was overwhelming and positive.

So, late one evening in the summer of 2009, Gagpoen Kipchu Namgyel decided to draft a neat letter to the Ministry of Education (MoE) seeking its support. RBP didn’t have resources to do it on its own. It needed trained NFE teachers.

After a long while, Gagpoen rested his hands on the keyboard and began writing a letter addressed to MoE requesting its earnest support. There are 327 illiterate inmates in Chamgang Central Jail, he wrote, and it is the wish of all inmates to enroll in NFE, the most successful education programme initiated my MoE. NFE would reach new heights and achieve greater milestones if it could enter the jails, a territory once out-of-the-way of MoE’s noble initiative.

Gagpoen emphasized in the letter that the programme would be started phase-wise, keeping in view the shortage of resources, starting first at Chamgang Central Jail. To ensure the quality of teaching in the jail, at least at a par with the NFE programme outside, Gagpoen wrote that the idea is to start small but earnestly. He signed his name with much hope of good and fruitful cooperation between RBP and MoE. It was sealed and delivered with a detailed project plan. It was July 31, 2009. Major Tshulthrim Dorji of Thimphu City Jail remembers clearly.

“MoE appreciated the RBP proposal very much. It was forwarded to the district education officer, Tshering Yangden, for proper coordination with RBP. We were pleased with it and started off swiftly to make it a reality,” said Tshering Penjor, assistant district education officer of Thimphu.

On May 10, 2010, 10 months after the proposal was sent to MoE, Chamgang received NFE with formal celebration. One hundred and eighty inmates enrolled themselves in the programme.

“We didn’t have separate classrooms but decided to use the dining room for NFE activities. Even so, the programme was a big success. To see how enthusiastically the inmates participate in programme is a source of joy,” said Gagpoen Kipchu Namgyel. “It is our duty to provide the inmates with as many reformatory facilities as possible. NFE is one such facility for them who have missed the opportunity.”

RBP says, except for its high walls and sturdy gate, Chamgang is now more like a school than a prison. Inside, friendship and brotherhood flourish.

It is 8.30 am on Tuesday on September 6, and the inmates come out with books in their hands, cracking jokes and laughing. At 9, their class will begin and it will go on till 12 pm. With subdued whispers and refined manners like that of senior college students, they sit and wait. Tandin, their NFE instructor, walks in with a box of cha   lk. All rise and greet, “Kuzuzangpo La!”

“Kuzuzangpo! You may sit,” says Tandin with a soft smile. The class has reached level 11-20, where inmates can read and write fairly well in basic Dzongkha. They can read newspapers and make shopping lists. When they are sick, they can write a leave application to their instructor.

Today, they are learning “Bja Sochong” (Chicken Rearing).

All at once, the class becomes interactive. It’s more like a case study on a particular topic in a college seminar than a classroom teaching. They share their village experiences.

A young inmate raises his hand. “Who came first, egg or the chicken?” he asks, and the whole class roars with laughter.

“I don’t feel like I am teaching in a prison. I feel more useful here and think I wouldn’t have been able to do as much if I were teaching in some other place,” said Tandin. “It is such a happy place. Everyone has an altar where they pray every morning and evening.”

Shreeram Chhetri, a 54-year-old inmate, has already worked out a tune for a song about chicken rearing in a distant farm of his imagination. “Chickens are precious birds…They give us eggs…Eggs are good for our health…Waste not grains but feed them enough…Birds are good, eggs are good…lalala…”

The completion of a chapter is marked with a song to celebrate the end of one and the beginning of another.

2 Responses to “When prisons become seats of learning”

1. phub dorji says:

   September 15, 2011 at 8:18 am

   i’m very glad to see the care and concern of royal bhutan police toward the bro n sis out there in the prison. (i wont address them by the title criminal because being a human we commit mistake.)
   I’m very proud of what RBP is doing .Thats why, we call ourselves a true bhutanese, a real sons and daughter of ”Palden Drukpa”.RBP Keep up with your good work and we will always support you in every circumstances that may arise in future.
   Thanking you,
   PYPP MEMBER

   Reply
2. ada says:

   September 23, 2011 at 4:55 pm

   excellent initiative! i wonder if you can sex-disaggregate the data? how many male and female inmates do we have here in bhutan? keep up the good work sir!

   Reply