Some lessons learnt
It's the last day of the week but also the first day school starts since prelims.
Maybe to provide a smooth transition, the timetable is rather relaxing for today.
The first thing in the morning we had was a student forum, a kind of mass-meet-dean kind of thing for feedback on the 2 years we had spent in the compound. Rather useless and boring, from my experience of all the faculty-meet-head /student-meet-council/year1-meet-dean sessions.
But maybe because it's the last session our cohort is ever going to attend at this school, things turned out more interesting than before because some people decided to make some bold talk since it's the last one anyway.
Well, it is A BIG LOT interesting and sadly enriching.
First, it's the usual (and less "dangerous") topics -- facilities or the lack of them... why we still don't have a vending machine in school and so forth. The answers are predicted (since the same topic was raised last year and last term and god knows how many times): students don't appreciate the facilities, they spoilt them, the school removed them.
Then the bomb was set off unexpectedly.
Well, we don't spend money on trying to get new facilities then, what about spending it on getting more admin staff to lighten workload of teachers? The poor teachers had to juggle between admin work and teaching and it's really affecting the time they can have for students/ the quality of the time they are having for their students.
Ouch. That's sharp. The whole audi of students slouching in their chairs are all suddenly straight-back with keen ears.
It's even more interesting to hear how the response was.
How glad we are to hear that our students care so much about their teachers! (a carrot)
But actually teachers don't have a lot of admin work (then outright denial)
the ones they have are of uptmost importance, though seemingly useless on the surface, ike attendance taking, which is actually also a chance for the teacher to look out for any emotional stress the students are undergoing...
(then a slap. The admin work is for your good!)
Also, the nation currently faces a shortage of teachers (finally getting to the point)
but selection of teachers is always the top most priority in the school so we always make sure the teachers are up to standards. (still denies that the quality of education has lowered. But logical fallacy: making a topic your top priority doesnt mean you make the best decision in that topic.)
Woow. Before the rest of us could release our breath let alone recover from the sudden overexcitement, a second person, emboldened by the first, made his talk on why some groups of students get access to more facilities... the class benches are really great, ... couldn't see why the HP ppl, oops! are situated somewhere else, segregated from the rest...
Hahaha. couldnt tell if that was really a slip of the tongue but hey! it's a great technique.
Even the panel of deans looked more accommodating.
Ah... you mean the classrooms the HP students have? Well, actually some other special programmes have their own classrooms too, such as ....
Well, this is actually due to customisation of education... we want to cater to the different needs of different students.
(There is a reason for the different treatments... It's the best for YOUR OWN GOOD. Of course, we don't deny unequal treatment of students.)
We all know students come into the school with different interests and passion and of course, different abilities.
(yes, isnt it common knowledge that there ARE ppl who are better, aka elites? Dont you know that? Elitism DOES exist.)
Also, the MOE gives more resources for the special programmes...
(The idea of giving better treatment to elites is not initiated by the school, you know? It's from MOE...)
Oh well. I wonder if it's always a must to prove that you are always right, even in circumstances when the otherwise is more obvious.
Umm, there's a mistake? No! There isnt a mistake! YOU are the one who's mistaken. Oh... looks like there's really a mistake (when denial is impossible)... But HEy! It's not my fault! This is not within my responsibility... look for someone else to blame...
Such is the example the school is setting for its students. But HEy! What's that "please own up when you are really in the wrong"? "Honesty is the best policy"? All those moral lessons we've been drilled in since primary school? These are SO aptly represented in our educators' actions.
Or maybe... you know, maybe they are doing these for our own GOOD. You know, you should never admit you're in the wrong, that'll be in the losing end... You'll lose out in society... We're actually trying to teach you the survival rules of society, please understand our unrecognised efforts. You don't know how dark society is out there, those textbooks morals will never get you bread or butter. This is for the best of YOUR interests.
Oooh yes. Such are the important lessons I learnt on the first day of school, the last day of the week.
Maybe to provide a smooth transition, the timetable is rather relaxing for today.
The first thing in the morning we had was a student forum, a kind of mass-meet-dean kind of thing for feedback on the 2 years we had spent in the compound. Rather useless and boring, from my experience of all the faculty-meet-head /student-meet-council/year1-meet-dean sessions.
But maybe because it's the last session our cohort is ever going to attend at this school, things turned out more interesting than before because some people decided to make some bold talk since it's the last one anyway.
Well, it is A BIG LOT interesting and sadly enriching.
First, it's the usual (and less "dangerous") topics -- facilities or the lack of them... why we still don't have a vending machine in school and so forth. The answers are predicted (since the same topic was raised last year and last term and god knows how many times): students don't appreciate the facilities, they spoilt them, the school removed them.
Then the bomb was set off unexpectedly.
Well, we don't spend money on trying to get new facilities then, what about spending it on getting more admin staff to lighten workload of teachers? The poor teachers had to juggle between admin work and teaching and it's really affecting the time they can have for students/ the quality of the time they are having for their students.
Ouch. That's sharp. The whole audi of students slouching in their chairs are all suddenly straight-back with keen ears.
It's even more interesting to hear how the response was.
How glad we are to hear that our students care so much about their teachers! (a carrot)
But actually teachers don't have a lot of admin work (then outright denial)
the ones they have are of uptmost importance, though seemingly useless on the surface, ike attendance taking, which is actually also a chance for the teacher to look out for any emotional stress the students are undergoing...
(then a slap. The admin work is for your good!)
Also, the nation currently faces a shortage of teachers (finally getting to the point)
but selection of teachers is always the top most priority in the school so we always make sure the teachers are up to standards. (still denies that the quality of education has lowered. But logical fallacy: making a topic your top priority doesnt mean you make the best decision in that topic.)
Woow. Before the rest of us could release our breath let alone recover from the sudden overexcitement, a second person, emboldened by the first, made his talk on why some groups of students get access to more facilities... the class benches are really great, ... couldn't see why the HP ppl, oops! are situated somewhere else, segregated from the rest...
Hahaha. couldnt tell if that was really a slip of the tongue but hey! it's a great technique.
Even the panel of deans looked more accommodating.
Ah... you mean the classrooms the HP students have? Well, actually some other special programmes have their own classrooms too, such as ....
Well, this is actually due to customisation of education... we want to cater to the different needs of different students.
(There is a reason for the different treatments... It's the best for YOUR OWN GOOD. Of course, we don't deny unequal treatment of students.)
We all know students come into the school with different interests and passion and of course, different abilities.
(yes, isnt it common knowledge that there ARE ppl who are better, aka elites? Dont you know that? Elitism DOES exist.)
Also, the MOE gives more resources for the special programmes...
(The idea of giving better treatment to elites is not initiated by the school, you know? It's from MOE...)
Oh well. I wonder if it's always a must to prove that you are always right, even in circumstances when the otherwise is more obvious.
Umm, there's a mistake? No! There isnt a mistake! YOU are the one who's mistaken. Oh... looks like there's really a mistake (when denial is impossible)... But HEy! It's not my fault! This is not within my responsibility... look for someone else to blame...
Such is the example the school is setting for its students. But HEy! What's that "please own up when you are really in the wrong"? "Honesty is the best policy"? All those moral lessons we've been drilled in since primary school? These are SO aptly represented in our educators' actions.
Or maybe... you know, maybe they are doing these for our own GOOD. You know, you should never admit you're in the wrong, that'll be in the losing end... You'll lose out in society... We're actually trying to teach you the survival rules of society, please understand our unrecognised efforts. You don't know how dark society is out there, those textbooks morals will never get you bread or butter. This is for the best of YOUR interests.
Oooh yes. Such are the important lessons I learnt on the first day of school, the last day of the week.