School that blogs

Here’s a blogging school profiled by its teacher who also blogs

Samtengang Middle Secondary School is located in Nyisho Gewog, Wangdue Dzongkhag. A mere 18 kilometres from Wangdue town, Samtengang can be reached by rough road from Chuzomsa or on foot from Teki Zampa. Sitting atop a mountain plateau, Samtengang commands an encompassing view of Wangdue town, Dzong, Bjena, Phangyul, and Kazhi villages. The campus includes a beautiful lake that is home to various species of fish as well as avian wildlife.

The school was initially established in 1962 as a Hindi medium community school and it consisted of only a few temporary huts. The first headmaster, appointed by the then Department of Education, was Mr M M Joseph who managed the school along with two Dzongkha lopens. The oldest infrastructure, which is now part of the primary school, was constructed in 1964.

In March 1998, the school was upgraded to lower secondary level with the construction of boarding facilities. Classes ranged from PP to VIII. In the same year, a new 12-unit building was constructed near the lake, and it is now referred to as the ‘Old Block’.

The school was upgraded to middle secondary level in 2008, the same year when Bhutan adopted parliamentary democracy. Classes PP to VI were moved to the new location, now serving as Samtengang Primary School. Classes IX and X were subsequently added to the school.

SMSS has students from Phobjikha, Nobding, Khotokha, Kazhi, Phangyul, Gangtey, and Nyisho, among others. The school has a total area of approximately 20 acres.

The school has Classes ranging from VII to X divided into 18 sections. 95 percent of the students are enrolled as boarding students. Class VII and VIII students are supported by WFP and Classes IX and X depend on their stipend for meals. There are also 11 needy (destitute) students supported by His Majesty’s Kidu.

Our students number above 530 and occupy 18 classrooms in two different school blocks. As part of wholesome development, students participate in various sports such as football, basketball, volleyball, table tennis, taekwondo, and badminton.

In addition, Samtengang has a thriving club atmosphere that includes UNESCO, Culture, Games and Sports, Driglam Namzha, Arts and Crafts, Science, Health, GNH, and Home Science clubs. The school engages students in literary and cultural activities through inter-class and inter-house competitions.

Educational movies are also screened on weekends to provide diverse entertainment. We are fortunate to have a library, biology lab, physics lab, and two computer labs for students to fully engage in their studies. Students engage in active learning from 9 in the morning and end their day at 4 in the evening. They also learn through different mediums such as ICT and field trips. The Chiphen Rigphel Project is also an added advantage in learning through ICT.

The Samtengang teaching staff is dedicated to improving the educational outcomes of our students. We currently have 35 teachers with diverse backgrounds who improve the teacher community through sharing of ideas and other fruitful activities. All students and teachers are also actively engaged in after-school clubs and events.

The infusion of GNH into the school curriculum is greatly practised in this school with regular silent sittings, school greening projects, adoption of the nearby lake and other related activities. Of late, the school joined the blogging world in order to encourage students to write and to expose the school. You can visit the school at www.smss2011.blogspot.com

By Sonam Norbu