Dear students,
Many a time, while teaching you all last two years, if my memory could recall that i ever said ' study hard and don't be a teacher'. Some students just laughed at and brushed off the idea as they thought i made jokes like i used to in order to ease a strain of teaching and learning .In fact, i said what i meant like what Robert Deniro once said in The Heat ' I do what i said and i said what i mean'. Maybe i made joke and when i reflect there is some truth in the said words.Given the fact that the situation and challenges faced by teachers are more 'unique',complex and daunting as like it or not we many times have to compromise our principles by sweeping some truths under the carpet for the sake of school name and others.Thus, the problem persists and sooner or later becomes a malaise which no remedy could help cure it.
Take for example, cheating exercise deems no longer an option but necessity practiced by best yet noble students with noble intentions to help those in need .Some teachers even the principle himself at one of the reputable schools in Terengganu asked his students to have a glimpse of the answer for Arabic paper pasted in the toilet. He might have justified his action by claiming his act was out of nothing but to help students pass the subject.Realising or not he actually based his claim to Machievelli's popular maxim's ends justify means.The ensuing problem is almost all students will now have a new perception on the act of cheating itself as something relative and no longer a grave mistake. The shouldn't in our era are not longer applicable at present. What else should we do as it is learnt our State Education Director himslef admitted yet boasted with our students who were smart cheating during the exam and teased other state education directors by challeging to do just the same.What a shame! forget the quality
Lately myriads of disciplinary cases unheard of before are common that some schools including our school have to sweep them under the carpet considering the matter might become worse.I once felt guity but the feeling is thinning as it seems to become an acceptable practice at school.And i think i am just a trainer or instructor not an educator as i could not convey a message that could bring about changes to their demeanour for better. Students caught hugging, robbing and kissing or within the knowledge of teachers for doing so yet they remain as student leaders to the shame of others let alone to be examplary ones. And may be we have but little or no choice or school name is always above or we are afraid of our own shadow even we are in the know that what matters most is substance!We seemingly rather look great though hollow inside!
In short,though to exagerate a bit what Russian proverb says 'A fish rots from head down' rings true. Sadly, i am in the middle, i hope i am the bone that rots the last and become fertiliser to help fertilise a wild flower. And again I hope God has better plan to help us the weak address this small malaise.
Sir
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The purpose of education itself is defeated becuase of such obsession to uphold school or state image through wrong means.
ReplyDeleteWe live in an era where leaders are so caught up in realising their so-called aspirations, visions even though those are materialised in ways not permissible, that is against morality. It is so that ppl can compare them with the past leaders or the future ones, hoping that ppl will think that theirs is the best. But still, they are better than ones with no aspirations or goals at all, who leads with money as the only means.