yeah....Things will only get better

Ah... so you have it, people that share my views... then again, it's not that my views but a view shared by many many.....

Straits Times Forum
3rd September 2007

Back teachers who act on unruly students
READING last weekend's Saturday Special Report ('Those who can, teach'; ST, Aug 25), I was heartened by the vision exercised by teachers in engaging with students in new and creative ways. However, I believe there is another side of the story that is not told.
I have friends who are teachers, and they sometimes share with me the frustrations that come with the profession. The situation in schools is not always as bright and cheerful as the media may suggest. Not often reported is the fact that there exist some students who refuse to behave and consistently show disrespect to their teachers, sometimes intentionally disrupting classes and generally being a nuisance. This is not cynicism but an unfortunate reality.

Teachers naturally have to take action. However, when they hear of their child's impending punishment, parents tend to complain, and the school, to appease them, advises the teacher to be more lenient.

Not only does this diminish the teacher's authority and effectiveness as an educator and encourage further misbehaviour, but the lack of support from the school can also be very demoralising. Teaching can be very draining, and teachers make tremendous personal sacrifice on a daily basis. They need all the support they can get from their school. Paying them more just doesn't cut it.

I acknowledge that these accounts, as personal anecdotes, may not be entirely objective. However, given the highly competitive nature of the local education market, with schools constantly vying for popularity and top positions in rankings, it is not unreasonable to accept that such cases do exist.

It is true that education is a service, and that, as in every service, the customer is always right. But, remember that in education, the customer is the nation and not the students or their parents. If parents expect schools to effectively educate their children academically, they must also accept that it is the school's duty to enforce discipline. Schools must be prepared to stand by their teachers, to take action against students when necessary, even if it is not easy, even if it causes some unhappiness. Such an understanding does not seem to prevail.

Is the Ministry of Education aware of this important issue, and what measures has it taken to discourage schools from placing their own image and popularity ahead of the nation's priorities in the cultivation of an effective workforce?


Kevin Wong Zi Hao