Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Education Attitdues In School
The Secondary 4 Preliminary Exams have just started, and I already lost faith in what the education system currently stands for. A peek at the mark-list of the students' Mathematics, Social Studies and Chemistry results show that all the innovative teaching methods that my school had bragged and boasted to other schools in our cluster is nothing but a load of bull.I feel sad each morning as I greet my Secondary 4 students, who are still preparing for their remaining papers. I do not wish to spoil their mood by revealing to them how badly they have done as a cohort. My only consolation was that nearly everyone in my own Sec 4 form class passed their Mathematics, even though the distinction rate was pathetic. Given the current state of readiness my students are, it is quite likely that the majority of them will have to sit out the first two months of Junior College next year, and pray hard that their O-level results will save their sorry asses.
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What the hell is wrong with the educational attitudes in school these days? It wasn't like that during my time. Heck, during my student days, the school didn't even believe in preparing us for our graduation exams with series of mock exams and assorted revision programs. After the syllabus was completed, we were left to sink or swim on our own. The only time our teachers turned up in class was because we requested their presence for consultation purposes. In my school right now, we had been busy fire-fighting and re-teaching certain topics, and not to mention mark endless scripts of mock exams to prepare the students for their graduating exams. In return, the students give us utter trash to mark.If anyone is to be blamed for the shitty results, the main culprit are the students themselves. What the hell is wrong with them? There isn't that sense of urgency in them that their exams are around the corner. Some of them don't even give a shit that they are going to fail badly.'So what if I fail my Math or Science? I have a senior who won a scholarship to study ballet in the USA even though she totally screwed up her Amaths.''What's the big deal of getting 40 points for my L1R5 during Prelims? After all, I plan to go Polytechnic, not the junior college.''I don't understand what the teacher is talking about in class. And no, I don't believe in reading up the textbook to clarify my doubts.' (What the fuck? Are you fucking illiterate? You can't even answer simple Chemistry questions that require nothing more than simple memorization from your fucking textbook?? )That is the current prevailing attitude of the graduating students currently. And the scary part is, we aren't exactly the bottom-of-the-barrel type of school.
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A couple of days ago, we had an emergency meeting to discuss the atrocious Math exam results of our students. Many teachers were eager to voice out what was wrong with the system, except me. I felt that there was nothing more to say since management wasn't interested in wanting to deal with the problem of academic weakness. Management is only interested in fire-fighting during exam period. As for the rest of the school year, management shows greater interest in going after performance awards, conducting workshops to brag about its 'superior' teaching methods, and getting students to to engage in attention-seeking project works.Our students shitty results are worrying. This is because the school doesn't believe in taking decisive action early to eradicate a long-term problem. Management believes that all academic problems can be resolved during the intensive 6-8 weeks exam prep program. Hallelujah! At this rate, I can play with my students all year around and only start teaching during the last 6-8 weeks before the O-level exam starts.Why the hell isn't the school taking the weak students more seriously? Why aren't we telling them to either shape up in their studies, or risk getting suspended from all Co-Curricular activities? In my school, we are only taking token effort to help the weak students. Over the five school days each week, three days are reserved for remedial class. And each remedial lesson can only last 1 hour, since students need to spend the next 3 hours on their CCAs.Ask yourself; you are weak in Math. So is the rest of the class of 40 students. Yet, all the school does is give you one extra hour a week for remedial. You want to ask your teacher for help. But your teacher is too busy attending meetings, attending workshops to become an even better teacher, or too busy running a rehearsal for a school event the next week. Great attitude towards education, isn't it?The school is only willing to give you a measly hour a week for Math remedial. But the school can ask you to stay back twice a week, each time 3 hours long into the late evenings for a rehearsal. It kinda tells you where the school's priorities are. And you can't cut back on CCA, 'coz that will directly affect the political influence of the CCA Head-of-Department. The less you do for CCA, the less relevant the CCA Head-of-Department will appear.Basically, the school is more keen on putting up a good show and getting its paperwork in order, than producing actual good results.I didn't wish to express my views during the meeting. I never forgot the fate of loyal mandarins who told the foolish Emperor straight to his face that his empire was falling apart. I just do what I can, shut my mouth, earn my money and enjoy my life after work. Quietly behind the scenes, some of my colleagues and I ignore managements' idiotic orders from time to time and try to save our own classes.
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My school's paperwork is excellent. If you check our students' files, you would have realized that they turn in their homework regularly. The thick files are there to prove that the teachers have covered their asses. But you need to ask yourself, if homework is always turned in promptly, even by the hopeless cases, then why are students still failing so badly for all their subjects?The answer to that question isn't that important. As long as the files are thick, and are labelled systematically enough to please the external Evaluation teams, the management is happy enough. At least they can claim that on paper, all necessary checks and balances are in place. And yes, we will get our own version of the ISO 9000 quality assurance stamp of approval.Our result suck from year to year, and we can get the ISO approval. Kinda tell you that the education attitude in school is really going to the dogs, isn't it?
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For an average school like mine, academic results won't improve until my school starts to focus on improving results. Focus should start when they are in Sec 1, and not fire-fighting two months before the O-level exams begin.Results also won't improve as long as students maintain their lacklustre attitude towards their own future.My boss likes to act fierce. Maybe she should go and scold the students and get them to wake up their bloody idea. Why the hell is she so kind to them? Is this part of the "Love" approach to education, where we do our best to not burst anyone's bubble by telling them that if they don't buck up, they are going to fail?The school is going down the drain. And I suspect, mine isn't the only one.
LOL. COOL POST~ not mine obviously. its by some other blogger. but i tot it was kinda funny. lolx. reminds me of dear old mr brown. kinda cynical.. but kinda true at the same time. lolx.
Q~ ♥
9/18/2007 08:45:00 PM
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