Home vs. School: Chores vs. Performance

From among millions of reasons that affect a child’s learning in schools, ours is a little customized. We cannot do away with our customs and cannot be complacent with our children’s’ performance either. What lasts in the long run is performance not how elaborately a Rimdro is being conducted. This is just a teacher-ly opinion about one of my pupil, caught sleeping in the classroom on several occasion. I suggest, readers’ discretion is advised and you may draw your own conclusions about my opinionated update.

Death as you may perceive, is unpredictable and we all know that. Typical of our customs and rituals, we have days and days of never ending rituals at home for the one who left us. This is good. As Vajrayana Buddhist, one cannot think of not doing this death ritual at home. I am not a master of any sort to be judgmental with our customs and practices. Once again reader’s discretion is advised.

I lost my Grandpa a decade ago and all I had to do was just sit and pray before an elaborate altar. I was a kid back then. We had so many people beside our blood to work and meet the needs of all people making the offerings and paying their respects. Not everybody gets this comfort during these rituals. Remember I was a kid when I lost my Grandpa.

Now that I have become dad not only at home but also at my school, I have come to know many a children in my 9 years of teaching. The teaching bunch literally becomes moms and dads. To juxtapose death rituals at home and school is…

I saw Ngawang Namgyel sleeping in my class on three occasions. Today was his fourth. I silently went near him and asked politely, “Don’t you get time to sleep at home, Ngawang?” Hesitantly and unwillingly, “Wangdi na, Aumchum Bjong sii la”-My Wangdi aunt expired! I further enquired and he said the after-death ritual is being conducted at his home. I was put into silence because, after some questions he told me, he was raised by this aunt and he wasn’t quite sure about his maternal mom.

Ngawang undertakes house hold chores and helps other adults at home when asked about what he does at home these days. My jurisdiction can only let me speak of his academic abilities to his parents and things other than that are occasional, meaning we mostly talk about performances. We do talk to parents about disciplinary issues if something serious may come. These days till the end of the 49^th day, he works and helps with chores late until midnight.

I was sorry on hearing Ngawang’s loss and recently we lost a class V kid to some accident on a weekend. I didn’t say anything about his sleeping acts in the class. I woke him up to complete his task. Later, I called his dad and requested not to make him work late at nights…

I do not know whether what I did was right but for Ngawang, making him work until midnight was certainly not right. After all, it’s not that Ngawang shouldn’t be working at all. You see, repercussions come to school for the acts done at home. I am very certain that you won’t make your kids work beyond time. Biologically it’s your child but socially, emotionally and intellectually your child is our (teachers) child.

Help us teach your kids in time so that we don’t have to point fingers at each other during the reports/results declaration…My fervent prayer.

Good day folks!