To Err Is To Human

"HOW and when does the Malaysian education system degenerate into the absurd? 

The quick answer is NOT when some students can't read or write in their teens, NOT when it is saddled with impoverished dropouts and NOT when it produces more academic laggards than sterling ones.

The disturbing answer is when headmasters and teachers, under immense pressure from kiasu parents and also to fulfil their KPIs, apply the law of the jungle on their students, that if you don't make the cut in grades, you'll be rounded up as fodder -- neglected, ignored or fed to the predators."

Above is the excerpt from an article in today's New Straits Times by Azmi Anshar ( mishar@nst.com.my ).


warning. this entry might contain harsh words, curses and banter stuffs. i will try to make them as mild as possible.


what the hell was that!?? school!? preventing the pupils from taking exams!? why - because they're too stoooopid to even write their names in the space provided? now you tell me - penting sangat2 ke peratus kelulusan dan pencapaian sekolah tu, berbanding pencapaian budak2 tu sendiri!!?

"That day has regrettably happened on Sept 13-14 after a primary school in Sarawak deliberately prevented "academically weak" pupils from sitting for the UPSR examinations to ensure that the three did not "contaminate" the forecasted overall high scoring results."

dear God... this should have not happened. that was not the intention of our Falsafah Pendidikan Kebangsaan. holistically yes we want our pupils to be the A-class all rounders. but that's not the way it should be carried out.

I feel sorry for the kids, and their parents. (i wonder why the parents dropped their police reports against the school). however, thankfully the higher authorities have had them set for the boys' UPSR on October 4th - 6th. now that's the right thing to do.

let's not go to the question of ' salah siapa?' teachers pointing at the pupils for being academically challenged (duhh..), parents pointing the teachers for being 'lazy and/or not doing the teaching job properly' (take note as my language is painfully plain as i have to minimize the amount of dosa i'm collecting by using the inappropriate words) or simply 'incapable of teaching' a.k.a tak layak jadi cikgu. even more, the school admins blaming all parties - teachers, pupils and parents; even the system - for everything/anything that suits not their high-end goals.

"Because of the mushrooming of super private schools that entertain every parental whim, national schools are greatly pressured to produce perfect annual results; their schools must be among the top 10 every time UPSR, PMR or SPM results are announced."

I recommend you to read full article in today's New Straits Time, page 6. or, you can just read it online HERE, and think about it.

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now i'm looking at myself. i'm sitting here reading the news, and bantering what dissatisfies me. i wonder, will i be able to prevent myself from being the like of those i banter?

will i be able to change and make-correct whatever wrongness in the system to provide a better education for my pupils; our future generation?

will i be a good teacher?