Finals for 9 and 11 are important too. If a student fails English, Dzongkha or Math, they fail their year and have to repeat. There are also other combinations of subjects failed that result in the student being held back. For example if they fail Geography and History plus one other course, they repeat the entire year. They must have 90 percent attendance in order to sit for their exams. Because many students will attend university in India, much of the "style" of exams and studying is aligned with Indian education. Memorize, memorize, memorize. Students will write 1 or 2 exams per day for 2 weeks. Each student will write: 3 sciences, Math, 2 English and 2 Dzongkha, Geography, History, Economics and IT. Senior Geography and Sciences also have practical exams.
For me exams mean supervising 4 or 5 mornings for 3 hours and then marking English papers. English I is essay writing and grammar. English II is literature. It takes me between 80 and 100 hours to correct 240 papers.
This time the exam period is also a bit melancholic for me. I will be leaving Bhutan soon and am having some difficulty. It is hard to believe the year is almost over. It is sad to think I will not see these students again. I'm struggling with the idea that I cannot follow through and keep on teaching them. There are so many things I would improve / do differently / add to my teaching if I were to stay.
What makes leaving even tougher are the blue sunny skies. After months of FOG and damp, it is now cold and clear. The wind is harsh in the early morning but the sun warms up the cool mountain air and the layers slowly come off. I have to remember to sunscreen my face every day as we sit outside on the grass to do our corrections. The sun is intense. The sky is brilliant. The friends are priceless.
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