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In
Bhutan the accepted official enrollment age of children is maintained at six
years. While some principals interpret the rule liberally or semi-liberally,
there are others who follow the enrollment age policy like a holy scripture.
The former category of principals relax the enrollment age a bit so that even a
child who is a few months short of school going age is also admitted in the
school.
But
the latter rejects a child’s admission even if the child is short of a month or
two. And now when the child is finally grown enough to be admitted in school,
which would obviously be only in the following year, the child would be more
than seven or eight months older than his/her classmates. What will happen to
the child’s psychology?
When
it comes to faking of children’s birth certificate, our parents fall into two
categories – literate and illiterate. Illiterate parents can never (my
assumption) create a favorable condition, which would allow them to change
their children’s age. In fact for them, if their children can go to school at
any point in time, they think it is all right. Not their literate counterparts.
And
then the school enrollment age policy is not followed strictly in some schools;
it is followed strictly only with the children whose parents cannot trick the
school authority in believing that their children is ready for school. Some
principals felt that we need to lower the age of enrollment to five years, but
their requests were simply shot down during some annual conferences.
So,
why do parents fake their children’s age? The answer is quite obvious. In
places like Thimphu admission pressure is so much that the school authorities
literally have nightmares when it is time for new admission. And it is in this
context that enrollment age policy comes in handy. But we are told that once
the child is admitted, his/her age is dully corrected!
However,
I don’t see any connection in remote schools not having enough children and the
school authorities strictly interpreting the rule. We have had enough reports
in the media that informed us of many schools in the remote areas being
downgraded to extended classrooms.
Of
course we are told that now the government is coming out with a policy that
says if the children upon the completion of class 10 or 12 do not attain a
certain age, say 16 or 17, they would not be eligible to for professional
courses in the third country. Hopefully, that would reduce the number of
parents faking their children’s age. But even with the policy, I see parents
bringing down the age of their children once they are admitted. If it is
possible to add a few years in a child’s age, then it should be equally
possible to subtract a few years!
I consider
this enrollment age irrelevant, especially in urban centers where private nursery
schools abound. And of course how many parents can afford to send their
children to expensive nursery schools? Parents in the urban centers admit their
children when they are not more than three years old in nursery schools. And
after these children spend a year in the nursery, based on their performance and
learning ability in the nursery classes, they are placed in the preprimary (PP)
classes the following year. This means by the time the child is four years old,
he/she actually gets to start school, which is not in agreement with the
enrollment age policy that we so much insist upon. And their remote cousins
have to wait until they fully attain six years. Blame it on the absence of
nursery schools!
One
is made to feel that laws are applied strictly in some cases while they are blatantly
overlooked elsewhere. Implement it or
ignore?
It’ll be better if the age limit for the professional courses for third country is implemented. Only problem in the society is with the educated lord!! They understand and act in your own ways!!
ReplyDeleteDear sir,
ReplyDeleteYou are inspering writer in the WAB. I never miss to read any one of your splendid article.you really deserved slute.
By Kezang Dawa, nopkin writer (Kezwaa)
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