Global Action Week, 2011

The Global Action Week was observed in Damphu Lower Secondary School too which was initiated by the school UNESCO Club. The theme for the Global Action week for this year was Women and Girls’ Education. It addresses the problems that girls and women face in achieving quality education throughout the world. It also addresses the numerous benefits to the wider community when women are educated and the various mechanisms and solutions that can be used to help empower women and girl learners across the globe. Every one of us agrees that education is important and everyone has right to education.

The UNESCO club of the school has planned a series of activities to observe the week efficiently and productively. Every morning, 1-2 students were given opportunity to talk/speak in the morning assembly. The main stuff of the speakers/presenters was related to the Women and Girls’ Education. They were given either to speak in Dzongkha or English as per their choice and ability. Some of the teachers also took part in sharing their views on current Education of Women and Girls in the country.

Drawing and essay competition among the students were also conducted on the same theme. Many students participated in the competition. Handsome prizes were awarded to the winners.

On the concluding day, the club invited chief guest/guest speaker from the Dzongkhag. The chief guest, Dasho Dzongrab highlighted the importance of Women and Girls in the society and their education. Songs/dances and skit were presented by the UNESCO Club members and other volunteer-students.

The skit starts with the son going to school and meeting the bad company. He is not interested to study and it is time for him to appear his examination. He tells lie to his innocent and illiterate mother. Now it’s the result day and the son feels too confident and tells his friends that he would beg the first position from his class. It becomes just opposite – a last person who fetches 10 out of 100 marks. The boy plans every possibility to deceive his mother. He adds two zeros to his marks which makes 100 out of 100.

The mother asks the son about his performance in the examination.  The son proudly says that he scored 100 out of 100. Mother becomes tremendously happy and proud of her son. The son demands so many from poor mother which she agrees. But in the mean time the sister of the boy arrives and asks “What is going on?” The mother happily replies,   “see our Tashi has stood first from his class scoring 100 out of 100.”   The sister snatches question paper and looks at the marks carefully. She knows that it’s not the original marks and she tells the truth to her mother. The mother regrets and feels disappointed. She complains that her parents had not sent her to school and now her own child his troubling her.

Finally, she gives the message that Women and Girls need to be educated in order to help learners learn productively in a family and the society at large. The programme ended with Vote of Thanks by one of the club members.