In the Beginning

In The Beginning

We might wonder why we are here and just what is going on.

It is always good to be reminded of the purpose of education.

I guess the start of the school year anywhere involves a lot of sorting, dividing, allocating, volunteering and being volunteered.

Samtengang Primary School is no different.

Firstly a variety of captains must be chosen including boy and girl school captains, house captains, mess captain, time captain, prayer captain a health captain and possibly other captains too.

Sometimes it is a little hard to differentiate between democratic process and mob rule!

Students here are voting for one of the captains. The hand count was estimated and often the loudest response indicated the winner!

Students must be divided into classes and houses and textbooks distributed.

                           

Neither do the students choose their houses, nor the houses choose the students.

Madam chooses!

The piles of new and used textbooks piled up in an orderly fashion prior to distribution to the students on a class wise and subject wise basis.

Woo hoo, some NEW textbooks from Sir’s store.

At the same time those students who depend on the World Food Program for their school meals must be looked after.

It’s a tough job for the cooks to provide healthy and nutritious meals for the students on a regular basis given the dearth of anything resembling fresh food available here in Samtengang right now. This breakfast looked pretty good however, rice and chickpeas with ‘ezzay,’ spicy Bhutanese salad.

I guess when we are in full swing, students will take over the responsibility of serving up. Right now, one of the cooks makes sure everyone gets their fair share. The meal is accompanied by a full cup of piping hot water.

And is eaten and enjoyed with friends in the adjacent dining room.

This early part of the year coincides with the celebration of His Majesty the King’s birthday so cultural performance rehearsals are in full swing around the country.

Our School Captain and standard bearer leading the primary school students in the March Past practice at the nearby Middle Secondary School. Not wanting to be outdone by their bigger brothers and sisters, the primary students performed admirably.

Left, left, left -right-left. Cultural in Charge, Ms Dorji is setting a fine example here.

That is us, classes 4, 5 and 6 from Samtengang Primary School.