Students no longer enjoy a sense of belonging when it comes to their school which is nowadays just a nameless institution they are forced to attend daily.
Any objection from the floor? No raising hand. So, shall I assume everybody agrees with me? Good..=) I would like to bring this example of mine. I have two sisters, 13 and 16, studying in boarding schools somewhere in Negeri Sembilan. They always call home and ask my dad to pick them up during weekend. Being all stressed out when it comes to the end of the school holidays. Always find lame excuses in order to skip classes and sometimes eager to see the doctor on Sunday (just in case the doctor will give them MC).
Upon witnessing any of these situations, I began asking myself,
"Was I behaving like them when I was in high school?"
"Did I really hate my school when I was in those days?"
... not surprisingly, the answer is YES! They are just another version of me heheh ^_^.
I used to hate my school. Have I mentioned that? I mean, there were certain things about school which I really don't like (only certain particular things). I hate wearing uniform (how uncool is that!). I hate queuing to have my meals. I hate short water supplies. I hate waking up early and yet having my turn to use the toilet after 6. I hate when seniors think they are superior (which makes them think they can complain everything about us, while we can say nothing about them). I hate having my weekend planned by others. May be this is just an issue for those who are staying 'on-campus'. I don't say each and every one of us. May be some of us. Or may be it's only me.
I used to hate my school. Have I mentioned that? I mean, there were certain things about school which I really don't like (only certain particular things). I hate wearing uniform (how uncool is that!). I hate queuing to have my meals. I hate short water supplies. I hate waking up early and yet having my turn to use the toilet after 6. I hate when seniors think they are superior (which makes them think they can complain everything about us, while we can say nothing about them). I hate having my weekend planned by others. May be this is just an issue for those who are staying 'on-campus'. I don't say each and every one of us. May be some of us. Or may be it's only me.
Well, today our country has reached a respectable age of 52 years of independent nation, and it is a good time for us to re-examine what else we can do to make us more united. One of the cornerstones of Malaysia unity has always been education. Hate them or love them , schools - seen as agent of unity or the cause of disunity - have been the center of political, social and communal concern.
As a citizen of a 52-year-old-nation, people are very passionate of the education system. I bet there are no two individuals in Malaysia who will completely agree with everything we have in our schools today.
We not only learn to read and write at school, but also to form our opinions and prejudices about almost everything from what we see and learn. It is a shame that in the school system today, the children are deprived from the sense of belonging. Being proud of your school, it would seem, is not the normal syllabus nor it is part of co-curriculum activities.
The students are not enjoying the basic feelings of belonging because, it would seem, our education system only serves the higher socio-political purpose of producing mechanical Malaysians who think and act alike.
I'm pretty sure, our Prime Minister, in emphasizing the need for skilled human capitals, he doesn't mean that we have to produce socio-robot, yes? Or have I misundetood his statement?
I remember when my parents talked about their school. How proud they are being a student of those respective schools. They believed in their status as 'students from premier school in town (they called themselves ^^), though they only studied in typical day school (not like us, they claimed).
Dad mentioned, whenever he was attending any event which combined Convent's students and St. Methodist's students, all of his schoolmates would rush upstairs to conquer the upper seats. Why? Because they were from Convent and from their opinion, being upstairs confirmed their status as students from the best school in town. And more importantly, they loved to see the true enemy from St. Methodist were sitting downstairs.
Now, have you ever heard your brother or sister speak with pride of their school, or of rivalry of another? Mine, NO. Sometimes, perhaps. But most of the time, all they want to share about is how boring the school is or how annoying the seniors are. Even me, in past, I hardly talked about my school to the others. You know, it was the feeling of 'my school is just another school people have never heard of'.
Dad, on the other hand, will proudly introduce his children and where they are studying to his friends. May be he still has the syndrome of 'my school is the best'. Except for the 'my school' part, now it becomes 'my children's school'.
The question is, why students nowadays are not proud of their own school? Most probably because our education system has changed all that. Today, there are a lot more schools than, let's say, 30 years ago. Chances today are; your school will lose the genius students to a specialized school for straight A's students as well as it will lose a state football player to a specialized sports school.
It seems, those specialized schools are important part of creating pride in students, and in turn, it will inspire the students to do well on all fronts of their school. But, it is not how things work nowadays.
I believe, in every state, there are schools which are able to produce top straight A's students and state football player. Unfortunately, the best student, once found, are taken away from the original school and placed in these so-called achiever factories. Does it help the nation to create much better football players or hockey teams by gathering all good athletes in one school?
Man, they've got to be kidding me, right? They have been doing these for the past two decades, but where is the super duper team? What have these specialized schools got us? Not even a single shot of international glory!
I'd rather have all top students (in sports or otherwise) to stay behind in their original school, so that they can inspire the others. It is pity because all our schools are the same and facing the same criticisms on the teaching front. Having their pride and joy taken away is just another things these soulless, faceless and uninspired schools cannot afford.
So, it is time to bring back the children's pride in the place where they spend the best years of their life. Let them enjoy the glory of their own school.
ps: this post kinda boring, no? it's ok if you're not agree with me because this is solely from my point of view. and guys, i don't say your schools are useless. no hard feelings ok ^^)
We not only learn to read and write at school, but also to form our opinions and prejudices about almost everything from what we see and learn. It is a shame that in the school system today, the children are deprived from the sense of belonging. Being proud of your school, it would seem, is not the normal syllabus nor it is part of co-curriculum activities.
The students are not enjoying the basic feelings of belonging because, it would seem, our education system only serves the higher socio-political purpose of producing mechanical Malaysians who think and act alike.
I'm pretty sure, our Prime Minister, in emphasizing the need for skilled human capitals, he doesn't mean that we have to produce socio-robot, yes? Or have I misundetood his statement?
I remember when my parents talked about their school. How proud they are being a student of those respective schools. They believed in their status as 'students from premier school in town (they called themselves ^^), though they only studied in typical day school (not like us, they claimed).
Dad mentioned, whenever he was attending any event which combined Convent's students and St. Methodist's students, all of his schoolmates would rush upstairs to conquer the upper seats. Why? Because they were from Convent and from their opinion, being upstairs confirmed their status as students from the best school in town. And more importantly, they loved to see the true enemy from St. Methodist were sitting downstairs.
Now, have you ever heard your brother or sister speak with pride of their school, or of rivalry of another? Mine, NO. Sometimes, perhaps. But most of the time, all they want to share about is how boring the school is or how annoying the seniors are. Even me, in past, I hardly talked about my school to the others. You know, it was the feeling of 'my school is just another school people have never heard of'.
Dad, on the other hand, will proudly introduce his children and where they are studying to his friends. May be he still has the syndrome of 'my school is the best'. Except for the 'my school' part, now it becomes 'my children's school'.
The question is, why students nowadays are not proud of their own school? Most probably because our education system has changed all that. Today, there are a lot more schools than, let's say, 30 years ago. Chances today are; your school will lose the genius students to a specialized school for straight A's students as well as it will lose a state football player to a specialized sports school.
It seems, those specialized schools are important part of creating pride in students, and in turn, it will inspire the students to do well on all fronts of their school. But, it is not how things work nowadays.
I believe, in every state, there are schools which are able to produce top straight A's students and state football player. Unfortunately, the best student, once found, are taken away from the original school and placed in these so-called achiever factories. Does it help the nation to create much better football players or hockey teams by gathering all good athletes in one school?
Man, they've got to be kidding me, right? They have been doing these for the past two decades, but where is the super duper team? What have these specialized schools got us? Not even a single shot of international glory!
I'd rather have all top students (in sports or otherwise) to stay behind in their original school, so that they can inspire the others. It is pity because all our schools are the same and facing the same criticisms on the teaching front. Having their pride and joy taken away is just another things these soulless, faceless and uninspired schools cannot afford.
So, it is time to bring back the children's pride in the place where they spend the best years of their life. Let them enjoy the glory of their own school.
ps: this post kinda boring, no? it's ok if you're not agree with me because this is solely from my point of view. and guys, i don't say your schools are useless. no hard feelings ok ^^)
m not hatin our skul,its just,tah nape tyme tu la rase terkongkong sikit.heeh. but i think da skul era has brought up the best in me :') tmpt kte knal kwn2,grow uppp,buat keje2 -youknowwhati'mimplyinghere-.
ReplyDelete& i do agree bout student pndai yg pndah to other skul. lucky,we stil have youu dear. hehehh.
my bros always talk proudly of their school..MATRI..hu2...klu MATRI lwn hoki n tmpt lwn not very faraway dorg rjn je nk g tgok n jd pnyokong..hu2..
ReplyDeletebut MATRI's system is different though than any other schools..even I fell for their school while I didn't even study there!!hu2..I guess I love their$ school more than I love mine!! Can u imagine that? just by listening to them..hu2(the identity of my school shud b kept confidential here..he2)
but i agree w maryam..i don't really hate my school..but mayb like what u said la ecah..no sense of belonging,but mayb its bcoz of myself,not being close w d teachers..didn't really take part in school activities..just playin around all day..doing my own thing..hu2
and i knew i would love school and enjoyed the school days if I did socialize more+excel in studies+active in co-curricular activities++++..just simply do more..hu~
that's all lah..btw..good post..gud vocab too..hu2..keep on writing=D
Well, on the second thought, I don't really hate my school too. In fact I don't hate the school at all =). It's just, you know, the feeling of helplessness when you have no choice but to follow everything stated unwillingly. Knowing me, you will notice that I'm not a person who can stick to the rules.
ReplyDeleteAnd people, when I said I hate school, I don't literally mean h.a.t.e. I just simply hate (in a very immature way) hahaha. You know what I mean, right?
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