Success and failure

Success is not final and failure is not fatal; it is the courage to continue that counts.
~ Winston Churchill

Examinations… Education and Other Alternatives: A Student Speaks

The rigorous contemplation on the persisting ritual of examination within Bhutan is still under the trap of whether it is legitimate to examine student’s knowledge and capabilities in any field. Despite this gutless investigation, the government is presently combing for alternative, which already reveal programs like Scout Winter Camp, National Jamboree, Golden Youth Award and so and so forth.

These programs are intercollegiate, extempore, nexus and effective with every appropriate field that familiarize the precise comprehension, ability, diligence and dimension of each and every brain. The vivid implications of such ultimate organizations ultimately expose that examinations cannot be the only strategy for sieving pupils authentically in times to come, thereby showing its crucial complexities.

The formal education, which upholds extensive prominence, is usually measured through conducting examinations and visualizing and elaborating on their performance. It is also utterly apparent that academic sessions in educational institutions just immensely emphasize on examinations that probably concern the field of subject performance and only what is in the syllabus. Examinations identify only the level of the education but not the actual capabilities of student in alternative activities, which leads to mischoosing of stellar out of bests.

It is also a merit to stress on other alternatives which is growing in Bhutan just now. Although Bhutanese pupils at present cannot rely on these optional programs or fields (i.e. sports, general knowledge, cultural activities, creativeness, literacy programs), it is proactive care to proliferate such programs and bound their root in ground as seeds. Education examined with examinations should be contemporary to the other enthusiastic programs and go hand in hand to approve the best youths and citizens. Their simultaneous progress will invigorate the obscure situations in Bhutan to form a dignified education system.

Indeed, the government is taking initiatives to encourage this system in the country and it is Chairman Mao said, ‘A great leap forward.’ However it is our responsibility to acknowledge the initiatives and do not let it to fall flat on its belly.

Pemba Dorji

IX D, Samtengang MSS