Caregivers in the boarding schools have helped both parents as well as school authority to impart quality education to the children and enhanced teaching-learning process in the schools, especially in pre-primary schools, where the children are very young and their parents very far from the school.
Pantang Pry school in Zhemgang has two caregivers, Yangchen Dema Choki and Sangay Drakpa. They have become the immediate contact persons for the children. They look after the basic needs of children, such as dressing, feeding, health and hygiene and even supervising their playtime. Apart from their regular duties, they also provide a beneficial learning environment and a safe ‘home away from home for little ones’.
“As far as possible, we try to wash them right after the school hours and on weekends we wash their clothes, trim their nails, bathe, haircuts etc. and rest we do three times in a week,” said Yangchen Dema Choki, caregiver, Pantang pry School.
“Mostly we face problem with the small kids, especially at night when they wet the bed but now we are finding out other methods to deal with and we are using plastic under the bed sheet and dry in the sun next day So, that is the problem but we don’t feel much”.
They said they love working with the children and are naturally having fun with an enthusiastic attitude that thrives as child caregivers in the school.
“I am happy dealing with small kids and learning their behaviours, character, attitude through their innocent acts. Now am happy and feel like to stay with them longer,” Sangay Drakpa, caregiver of the same school said.
With their love, affection and care they have become parents for children in Pantang School and they are much more attached to the children than teachers. However, they are just contract employees and worry they would be sent out after completion of their term.
“If the government could regularize us, it would be great and thankful because right now we are on contract basis for three years. As caregivers we learnt and got enough experiences to deal with children,” Sangay Drakpa said.
Meanwhile, school authority of Pantang Pry School said before caregiver was introduced in the school system, the school had so many administrative issues like children not being able to come for studies, teachers burdened with teaching load or conduct regular classes with maximum number of absentees. But now, these issues have drastically gone down and classes are always in full swing with the full presence of all pupils.
“Before teachers have to shoulder all these responsibilities, starting with health, hygiene, washing dresses to teachings with extra hours of job, But now, caregivers have immensely benefited, especially, full-fledged boarding school like here,” said Tseten Tashi, the Principal of the school.
Many in Pantang said people who are exceptionally patient and passionate can only thrive as child caregivers. The government should regularize these caregivers who have adequate knowledge and skills in supporting the children.
The caregiver system was first introduced in 2017, and today Zhemgang dzongkahg has 12 caregivers in the central schools and few boarding schools.
