My Green School: An Outline

By
Lyonpo Thakur S Powdyel,

(3 reviews)

Published In:	2014
ISBN:	9789993653127
Category:	Journal Papers, Guidebook,
No. of Pages:	66

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Book Overview

My Green School: An Outline was written to support Bhutan government’s Educating for Gross National Happiness (GNH) initiative launched in 2010. The deeply meditative book presents multiple dimensions of education in the form of the ‘Sherig [education] Mandala’. It discusses and philosophises on eight kinds of greenery, namely natural, social, cultural, intellectual, academic, aesthetic, spiritual, and moral greenery. The book proposes a paradigm shift in education and proposes a more wholesome system that ‘combines the need to sharpen brains and skills with the need to build faith and character.’

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Customer Reviews (3)

by Nim Dorji (November 27, 2020)

2 Reviews

Lyonpo Powdyel’s book is a small big book. The work is the crystalline representation of author’s holistic vision of education. It is small book with just 63 pages but its free-flowing poetry, profound wisdom and practical insights on education makes it a big book. He calls it an outline but what I see is, the book invokes profound ideas and dreams of how the overall vision of education should look like. The book derives its inspiration from the holistic development ideals of ‘Gross National Happiness’. It presents eight holistic elements- Natural, Social, Cultural, Intellectual, Academic, Aesthetic, Spiritual and Moral Greenery in the form of the ‘Sherig Mandala’.
The book also presents ‘The Triangle Noble’ that places the teacher at the centre. It sums up what an individual should possess and embody to be a better teacher in a green school i.e. the passion for learning, love of children and the conviction of the power of education. The author also mentions that qualities of a green school are not and ought not to be limited to the seats of learning alone, we can and ought to have green homes, green offices, green corporations, green politics, green parliaments, green courts, green villages, green towns, green cities and, most of all, green minds.
The book ends with A Day at Wangmo’s School. The memoir in a way illustrates how a probable ‘Green School’ looks like by describing series of happenings at the school that captures all the domains/greeneries.
This work comes from one of the country’s finest thinkers and writers. ‘My Green School- an Outline’ is a gift to all the educators and teachers around the world. This little book has travelled beyond Bhutan to the most developed nations, people have embraced the ideas but little has been done in the country where the manifesto originated…

by Sancha Rai (November 26, 2020)

1 Reviews

Reflection on My Green School, An Outline
Name of the book: My Green School, an outline
Year of publication: 2014
Author: ex-education Minister Thakur S Powdyel

This is not a book about life and death, war and peace, technology and the Internet, King and country, men and women, mountain and valley. But rather the book is about the vision for a good education system.

To get such wisdom from someone highly acclaimed, respected, organized and disciplined in education is something very rare and special –someone who has already lived in endless hearts across the country for being exceptionally critical and good in nurturing and delivering not only topics but also life lessons that can be useful –beyond school campus.

I felt the book is exceptionally good not only for present times but also for the future. As always the message is very clear from the author that we must learn to live life with education that comes only at the cost of colossal personal sacrifices.

As I flipped the last paragraph of the author's introduction, it reminded me of a few of my school memories –how I used to fight with my little naughty friends for a Parle-G and over sugarcane!

From the layouts to the author's biography, the book is well packed and arranged. The size of the book to font size is admirable as always. As author, the design of the book inside is well organized to suit the needs of the readers of all kinds. The cover of the book seems simple yet meaningful and an awe-inspiring masterpiece, where the traditional aspect wasn't sidelined. Overall, the book is symbolic to what is said and spread across the pages.

As I read "the tree of life and the tree of learning" my brain was off and running into so many mixed thoughts, thus as always the wisdom of Lyonpo Thakur was the best-kept secret piece of information as the book talks about the entire education system for the future generation.

In addition, topics like "my green school, the colors of life, living together" are the metaphors used by the author to illustrate the core mandates of what makes a good education system. We must know that natural aspects, social aspects, cultural aspects and intellectual aspects of the daily need of every individual are met through classroom learning.

The topic "learning is fun" as the author called it "Academic Greenery" is what I also strongly support and felt like the author. It is important to make learning or school days a fun filled place and lifelong learning journey.

The author's reflections on "matter of taste and entering the temple of my soul" is something like the main purpose of clothes is to cover our body, but why do we choose all kinds of designs and styles are something beyond the need but it is a must part of life. The puzzle like "if your father brings home his office stationary for your school work, will you be grateful to him or feel hurt" is more important than what they know of the subject contents, because they would come across such pressing issues as they are our future asset.

The last piece of information shared in the form of relation, anecdote and short narrative as a day at Wangmo's school is an eye-opening piece, much is said about our present education system and its the roadmap of what is expected for the future of education.

Therefore, for such an infinite wisdom, I secretly admired Lyonpo like no other figure in the field of education and for being the role model.

My Reflection:
Like the author, I also always aspire for a more safe and sustaining curriculum and school environment. For quite some time now "my vision of education" has been the secret subject of discussion. It is time for a change particularly on the quality of infrastructures and better-suited curriculum when the population is still "small" and "manageable". I've also shared on establishing a "Model School" in each Dzongkhag.

by Singay Namgay (October 29, 2020)

31 Reviews

As opposed to unidimensional approach and linear yardstick for education The Green School discusses multidimensional, holistic and humanistic approach to education which will be achieved through enhancement of eight types of school greenery.
Story of Wangmo's school suggest an urgent need for paradigm shift to make schools a "learner friendly" school.

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