Bidding a farewell to yet another batch of graduates..

WHAT I LEARNED THIS YEAR

As I step into my 50s, I have realized that I still have a lot to learn. And I could learn from my students, my colleagues, seniors and subordinates all alike. One thing that I have definitely learned is that the time is rapidly changing and unless you continuously learn, change, modify and adapt, the rest of the world will move ahead of you and you may be miserably left behind. While this is my dilemma, I can imagine what should be that of the young people.

The university graduates of today are smarter, ahead of time, IT savvy and well informed. Information flows all around them on their computer and mobile screens, Tabs and Televisions; social media, besides the conventional sources like classrooms and other media. They have not only the luxury of choosing but also have challenges of screening and making right choices. There are more graduates every year but there are also far more opportunities as well as far more youth related issues than what we had 25 years ago when I graduated. I could never think of becoming IT officer, or a graphic designer, media person, or an entrepreneur or even a freelancer!! My choice was easy – either become a teacher or a civil servant.

The challenges for today’s graduates are completely different. They need to have far more skills to become independent, to take risk, to be open and flexible. They must be willing to start small and not immediately run after money and fame. While the communication skills are at the center stage of their lives, global skills are requisite to come out of their comfort zone and venture out into more challenging but exciting international opportunities.

Here at RTC, we all are very consciously providing these life skills to the students through more interactive classes, OCL, LRC, advising, class projects, talk series and wide varieties of co-curricular and extra-curricular activities. I am hopeful that every graduate coming out of RTC has internalized some of these unique skills which will find them aside in the crowd of university graduates.

I wish every one of them a great success and remind them again that the learning never stops.

A Fatter Pay Package awaits MPs, Kuensel, June 12, 2014

I wish this is not a breach of trust!

The PDP Government got voted in by making a strong pitch that the last government put the country’s economy in turmoil.  The economy is still sick and perhaps the government will need some more time to bring back the economy on track. In the same way we know that not much of other issues have changed such as the poverty is still high and below unacceptable level and the country continues to grow in its serious debt. Of course against all these adversaries the ruling party (as well as DPT) had promised some pay hike for civil servants but never had talked so much for themselves.

It has so turned out now that the civil servants, especially the ones at the lower ladder have been given some kind of eyewash and left desperately and jealously wishing more! The Government on the other hand has proposed such a frightfully high entitlements for themselves and their entire fellow MPs (doubtful if the ones now in opposition would have done differently) that the civil servants (the corporate and the private sector will soon follow suit) are completely left at their mercy. In spite of proposing a  lofty amount of Nu 75,160 as their basic salary,conveniently 10 other items are added that cover each and every foreseeable expenditure to meet their livelihoods. While a civil servant or any other employer has just one consolidated pay to meet all his/her expenses including the mighty house rent, to buy a car (or just dream for), fuel the car (if any), pay all the bills and also co-exist and survive along side of these dramatically allowanced elected members. How is that the MPs need separate allowances for every head of expenditure, most hilarious being the driver allowance (as if the MPs will hire one!). How about putting vegetable allowance, petticoat allowance for the wives (happier are those divorcees and bachelors), children uniform allowance, heater/fan allowance (may be both for summer and winter).

I hope some good sense prevails before approving these salary raise and due consideration will be given to people lower down the ladder. If not the common folk in their half empty stomach would only be expected to continue grinning and pose pictures for the GNH publicity page cover?  

Simply Boring??

'Passing time' is not ever seem to be a problem for me. Time seem to fly and is never enough. Already in my 50's, my concern is whether this is the only thing that I should continue doing for the rest of my active life or should I work towards some change that will add some excitement in life. It is only in the weekends when I have time to read something (?), write (?), take some long walk, visit or hosts visiting friends and relatives and also do some day dreaming.

I do not find much enthusiasm in my current task nor can clearly in my mind think of what would give me that inner happiness. Tried tweeting, blogging, socializing through Facebook and at times skype but the dilemma lingers - what should I do next?? Perhaps this is what is called as being at the crossroads. I seem to have already made some erroneous decisions while being at this crossroads and I cannot afford to make that cardinal mistake anymore. Assuring social security in old age is one thing while the sense of being socially secure and settled is quite another.

Next 1-2 years are critical in more soul searching and taking some important decisions in life. Who knows that the life simply passes indecisively and unsettled. 

Are teachers Gods??

The following are some essays of the students of a high school in Paro. The school decided to post them on their notice boards. I was able to bring home a lot of messages from these postings. Most importantly it is evident that the teachers like to be kept on very high esteem by their students. They loved to be pampered, recognised and be appreciated. Students also seem to recognize this very well. After all it is a win-win situation.

Life in Dilemma

The professional life is going on as usual. Reaching the office by 8.30, meeting people, responding to numerous emails, answering numerous phone calls, attending regular and adhoc committee meetings...the list is long. You come out at around 5.30 completely drained out  only with enough energy to take the better half for a very short stroll. You are left with just enough time to check your facebook, run through twitter and few blogs blogs and watch TV  news before retiring for the day. These daily chores keeps me away even from thinking and reflecting about other important aspects of life.The academic life has come to a halt let alone any creative work such as writing. The little cravings left for some basic research and writing is suppressed hard.  Amidst this I often have started thinking if this is what I should continue doing the remaining part of active life or is there something else still waiting for me to do!! Should I follow my heart and relocate somewhere and lead a different and more exciting life? Is that life going to be different from this one?

I think this is what is being at a crossroads of life or just being in dilemma. I hope to come out of it soon - a new and fresh beginning for the next 10 years!!

Challenges in Motivating Students

(Presented in the First Conference of the Dean of Academic Affairs in August 2013, Sherubtse College, RUB)

Dr Shivaraj Bhattarai, Dean, RTC

Abstract:

This paper is largely based on personal observations and experience and also to some extent on few primary and secondary data available at the college. The data are drawn from a large numbers of feedback collected every semester from the faculty, staff and the students of the college. The academic results, the student database as well as some recent interviews of the students also form the basis of some of the conclusions drawn.

Comparing to a decade past one major change seen in the population of the students in higher education is the mean age. Generally the mean age of college going students has come down to about 19 years or lower now compared to above 21 in the nineties. This is because students go to school at least by six, if not earlier, nowadays. Further, with the emphasis for compulsory school education for all, the pass percentage at schools has gone up very significantly and the survival rate is as high as 85% (Statistical Year Book, MoE, 2012) pushing students much quicker through the ladder of education. In addition, with the realization of the importance of higher education among the Bhutanese populace, parents are pushing their children through the higher education crowding limited institutions to the brink.

On the other hand, youth are growing amidst confusions created by unprecedented advancement in technology, material growth and comforts that is brought home very easily.  In general, the young students are subjected to a great deal of distractions today that is taking away their attention from the classrooms and impeding academic excellence. A large number of students at RTC come from financially sound families which bring in complacency and non-motivation for hard work. Many are ignorant of or are indifferent to the emerging cut-throat competitions in the job market.

Exceptionally there are in-service students who are much older and this small percentage in RTC (about 6% of the total) have a different story compared to the majority. Their motivation in higher education is mostly driven by societal pressure and their inner thirst for university degrees. For some it is the higher perks and opportunities that come only with university degree. The above two categories of students make an interesting and at times contrasting comparisons in understanding the cause and challenges of motivations. Clearly it is important for all the stakeholders, i.e., the parents/guardians, educationists (both administrative and teaching), and the policy makers to understand the plight of the youth today, and engage with them more closely and intimately to motivate them and promote effective learning.

Economics of Education

Presented at a conference titled  The imperative of deepening democracy by BCMD in Thimphu on 1st and 2nd August.

The economics of education is about understanding of how and why people make decisions to invest in education. It also means the effect of education on long term social and economic outcomes. It is also about the behaviour of those institutions involved in the production of the education. The basic tools of economics provide the required framework to evaluate education policies including early childhood interventions, pre-university and university educational choice and financial aid.

The demand of education is based on the model of human capital theory. So the education is seen as investment and the acquisition of knowledge and skills as increasing the efficiency and output which in turn increases earning; both at individual level and the national level. On the other hand, the long term benefits that is more intrinsic such as the appreciation of literature sometimes is referred to as “cultural capital”. Perhaps in the GNH term, both human capital that is skilled and the cultural capital which forms one of the important pillars of GNH are both relevant. While the human capital can drive the technological progress and therefore directly contribute to economic growth, the intrinsic value that education provides helps to avert social evils and create an environment that is conducive to growth and productivity. Statistics have shown that countries with higher enrolment/graduation rates have grown faster than without. Example, USA between 1910-1950 had the high school movement which resulted is boosting economic growth in seventies and eighties. With the universal primary education or education for all up to high school in Bhutan we could expect similar boost in economy in next 10-20 years. At the same time, in addition to economic growth, the value of learning history, literature and the social sciences will add to curb social evils in the society and bring peace and harmony. Therefore to me, the output of the production function of education is in both the terms of the labour market success as well as the production of responsible citizens who are positive and in  appreciation of cultural and natural heritage of the country.

Lastly, I would like to touch upon the important paradigm shift in the investment on education at all levels. Conventionally provision of schooling is largely provided and financed by governments, especially the ones with socialist principles of governance. However, with high demand for education and the diversion of government’s fund in other sectors, the private sector investment on education is increasing at a great speed. This is evident in the South Asian regions too and Bhutan is slowly picking up. Some 25 years ago Bhutan saw its first private school which emerged at the sheer necessity to meet the growing needs. Today we have several private schools including a private college. We also understand that the more private colleges are in the making and the education city that is developing is also going to be a private enterprise.

One of the common concerns of the private institutions is the quality of students supplied. If I give instance of my own college, we are at par if not better in terms of physical infrastructure and the faculty, with the government college. But because the government colleges are fully funded, all the top performers are lost to the institution leaving average or below average performers for RTC. This situation could be significantly changed with the concept of public-private partnership  (PPP). The immense pressure that the public sector investment on education could be eased with PPP. It is hoped that this partnership can lead to competition and expansion of equitable access and quality education at large.

The above can be achieved by financing the students or providing scholarships to the students rather than the institutions and letting the students choose the best institutions, entirely based on the programs and the quality. A responsible democratic government will provide better choices to parents and students and open up greater opportunities to them. Further, a democratic government need to properly account for the quality and effective use of public resources. Of course the government should also have its say on quality assurance. Therefore, the success of PPP in education depends on quality assurance mechanism put in place in consultation with the institutions, interventions such as teacher training, school improvement initiatives (if required), bench marking etc.

With these initiatives, it is hoped that the pool of educated people in the market will have equitable qualities and abilities to compete and deliver effectively.