Two high school students from the neighboring Chumey Valley have tragically ended their lives. These 10th-grade students were reportedly caught in an illicit relationship, which led the school to inform their parents as per institutional policy. The parents were expected to meet with the school this morning. However, in the early hours of the day, at around 4 a.m., their lifeless bodies were discovered.
This heartbreaking incident adds to the growing list of youth suicides in our country, disrupting the peace we once took for granted. As a teacher, this news has deeply shaken me, not just as an educator but as a member of a society struggling to understand and prevent such tragedies. Beyond the immediate sorrow, this incident is bound to bring scrutiny from the media, parents, and the public, questioning the role of schools, teachers, and the education system at large.
Such tragedies remind us of other incidents, like those in Mongar and Dagana, which still linger painfully in our collective memory. In an era where corporal punishment is banned and disciplinary challenges are rising, these isolated but impactful events place educators in a difficult position. Once again, the teaching profession finds itself under the microscope, with accusations and blame likely to follow.
But in this moment of grief and confusion, we must resist the temptation to engage in a blame game. Who is at fault? The principal? The teachers? The school? The parents? Society? The students themselves? The truth is that all of us bear some responsibility. We, as a collective, have created an environment that can sometimes feel suffocating for our young people.
The pressures we impose—whether through academic expectations, societal norms, or strict disciplinary policies—can weigh heavily on impressionable minds. In our desire to guide and protect, we often place students in rigid frameworks, forgetting that they are still young, still growing, and still learning how to navigate the complexities of life. They are not yet equipped to make fully informed decisions, and yet we demand so much of them.
As I write this, I am overwhelmed with sadness and uncertainty. I find myself questioning not only the systems we have in place but also my role within them. Are we doing enough to create a supportive environment for our students? Are we listening to their struggles, or are we too focused on enforcing rules and achieving outcomes?
Whatever conclusions we draw, one thing is clear: we must do better. We must address these issues with empathy, understanding, and a willingness to change. Only by working together—educators, parents, and society as a whole—can we hope to prevent such tragedies from happening again.
For now, though, I am left with a heavy heart and an uneasy mind, grappling with the immense loss of two young lives that will never reach their full potential.
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3 comments:
It is indeed very sad to hear that. I was told that recently a boy of Changzamtog LSS school has also committed a suicide with the reason being similar to what sir has to say. The suicide cases are increasing in Bhutan and the figures are alarming among youths. This indeed give rises to questions that need to be answered by our society and most importantly by those so called policy makers. Hope this post of yours reaches to at least some policy makers. Very disturbing news. Really. May their souls rest in peace.
We lack proper path to rightful life because of that fact everyone likes dieing without the end calls...To some extend I believe its the ultimate fate but we cannot blame on fate alone...in fact its sad but I won't be surprise to see and hear many bhutanese dieing of suicide case..Anyway nicely written K.K sir...
I too was immensely disturbed by the news; badly saddened by the awful incidence. It is very pretty sure present method of disciplining structure is failing the purpose to correct the student's mischief. The situation and time have changed. Lifestyles have changed and Living standard too. But ways of confronting the human i.e students' behavior has remained unchanged... In the schools and institutions, principals, discipline committees, teachers have the same obsolete practices of 1970-80s implemented to present generation adolescents. so until we do something about this loopholes, we are bound to lose a couple of our innocent youths in the hands what we called systems.
In the atmosphere of butter and ice cream, a block of stone or wood would really taste worse and many would prefer to skip than to eat it..
It is high time we think through warmth & structure to discourage the adolescents from such mishaps in the future.
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