Edward Says School Is Purgatory

I was actually getting back to marking my students' exam papers a few minutes ago. As I was doing that, I couldn't help myself comparing students of my generations with the current ones.

I can't blame the system 100% on this because AFAIK, the system was never any better during our times. Ok, I'm not talking about the system here. Let's talk - STUDENTS.

The students today are too dependant on the teachers' notes and answers. They are not even scared of the punishment they are about to get. Last time, I was afraid to get punished even if it was to stand for not able to give an answer for a comprehension question. Today, they care less if you ask them to spin their heads at the propellers if they did not do their homework. Once, I have asked my Form 3 students to do a simple task (group work) by doing a simple research on different famous world leaders. All I need are the names, place and date of birth, early education, achievement and contribution. I did mine too for the next lesson. However, a week later (after some delays) each group handed me a printed 3-pages excerpts from Wikipedia on Gandhi, Lincoln, Jose Rizal and Martin Luther. I guessed they played game with the wrong opponent here, so I asked them to take everything, compiled ALL information from their so-called research on EACH leader, and made EACH ONE OF THE STUDENTS to write EVERYTHING they have printed. Yes, handwritten. The next day, most of them got demerit points as they failed to hand in the handwritten scripts. Somebody needs to learn something here. And I believe if they write down the information, they would at least read the information.

Creative and critical thinking skills are induced prominently in the teaching nowadays. But the effectiveness was very low compared to that of my schooling years. For a reading comprehension lesson, MOST students would not try to give the answers to the inference questions or making conclusions. They are plain lazy to THINK of the what ifs and what do you think questions. In my times, this was the opportunity for us to show our skills in answering the questions and we would compete against each other to give the best shot.

Everything about learning excited me, in my time. Especially in History. I was fascinated by the world's amazing facts and sadly, the 'now students' find History boring. I bet they would hesitate to differentiate the memorable 1957 and 1963. Form Four students of Science streams could not even differentiate Aedes and Dengue! The forty-minutes period for a lesson is always fully used, or wasted by the teacher to prompt the students. In the end, it's always kind of frustrating to know that nothing ever comes out from the other party.

I'm currently teaching an additional subject (not my major or minor option) this year for Form 3. One class is packed with the supposed brainiacs, while another one is full of the weakest of the Bumiputera students. The medium for the subject is Bahasa Malaysia and the lesson is always carried out through group discussions and presentations. I know it's unfair for me to judge the students, but personally I like being in the weaker group. The other class is struggling with the medium used, but what angers me the most everytime I enter the class is - I TALK, YOU TALK. KENA MARAH, BUAT MUKA. TAPI TAK TAHU APA-APA. It's fine for me if they could not understand my language, but please listen while your teacher is explaining things with all the gestures and actions she could think of, just to make you understand.

Above all, the students are lacking of manners. I would bow my head a bit whenever I passed by a teacher (be it the one who taught me or not) and greeted him/her, like I have been taught to at school or at home. Now, they wouldn't look at your face and you're like a walking statue to them. Two weeks ago, during the exams, I pulled a student by the ear and give him 35 demerit points for whistling directly at me when I was on the way to the ladies' room. "Feewiit", I forgave him. "Feewiit..!", I still kept my composure. "FEEEEEWWWWIIITTTT!!!" That's it. I turned back and walked towards him, reaching for his ear. He tried to hide his face but all I want to know is his name. He was in the classroom during that time, sitting at the back door, with a teacher in the classrom and it was during an exam! I HATE IT when PEOPLE whistled at me!! The next thing, I passed his name to the PK HEM and I enjoyed the rest of the week.

I have never been impressed by the quantity of A1's that most students got nowadays. I'm not underestimating but you have to prove your quality in the world after SPM. That what matters the most. So if you think you could survive with good results n SPM, wait until you deal with the real thing when good grades are just BONUS. Good grades don't affect your PERSONALITY and ATTITUDE, but these TWO could make an impact in your results. So, start considering things that matter.

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