the schools issue

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. 

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 ^^)

happy birthday, my dear =)

 

Dear readers, on occasion, I will use this blog as a medium for some personal announcements. This time, I need to say Happy Birthday to my most excellent friend. Guys, listen up. She is a wonderful girl (or is it lady ^_^), she has the power to make people happy, she stands up for what she believes in, she is brilliant! And above all, she was the reason I had real meaningful time during high school. 






Hey, don't you have any idea who she is..? Yeah, obviously she is...

SITI MARYAM BINTI ABDUL HADI

Today is her birthday. Please know, she is important enough to have this entire space. Bless her. She is such a spectacular human being. I've known her for years, though in these last few years we only spent a few hours together in person. She is a connector, a human being whose friendships span for decades. Have never yelled at anybody, nor raised her voice (though someone annoyed her). Always there when I need her and she will never let me down. She is an advocate for the right of all human beings, born to be a healer and to bring peace to the whole world. I'm privileged to call her friend.

I would not have half of my sanity left if it wasn't for her. Maryam and I met may be around 7 years ago (the number makes me feel so old) and we bonded fast and furiously. She is an awesome person in every sense of way. Maryam and I had been through many interesting times together and have been able to laugh at everything after the fact. We went through all ups and downs during student days and shared every single secret about everything. Talked about what's going on during holiday until late at night. Joined underground society (WUFF, AAF and whatever the things were). Had our own trademarks and codes (metana, fosforus, aluminium, cacat hijau/biru, kasap, yucks etc etc). Did some naughty and silly stuffs.

Do you remember during Hari Merdeka, the incident with Leha? Remember we tried to sneak out the exam paper? Remember whatsoever we did at 4S when we were form 3? Remember we memorized the Hooke's Law during form 3 (when we didn't even have the slightest idea what does it mean) because of 'the note'? Remember our masterpiece of the so-called novel? LOL! :D. Hey, you see! I'll spend the entire week just if I were to list down all of them. Really.

Back then, we were so innocent and ignorant. I don't wish to forget or to just let the memories go, though they are meaningless (at least to many people), these are the things which make my life colourful. And I hope you won't too, Maryam, even when you get older. Just by thinking of all these craps makes me want to go back to high school days so badly. I know, you guys, are now doing very well in studies and I believe, you will too, in the future=).

Maryam, I adore you and I can imagine of us being old and grey (I'm not waiting for the moment though) and still laughing at the past memories. Thanks for being the person you are. I love you and hope you have a fabulous birthday. Only if you are lucky, I'll sing for you later. I repeat *only if you are lucky. Hehe :))

So, happy 20th birthday dear! Welcome to the next decade of your life *_*

i'm not good in writing

Hello everybody! I'm back. Well sort of.

I've been neglecting this blog (again?) and for that I'm a little sad. Luckily no one reads it, so it's not like I'm letting anyone down. I just realized it has been a month since I last updated this blog. Where has the time gone? This holiday is cruising by a warp speed. I felt so horrible, and I still do. Because, you see, I have 3 weeks of holiday but still I haven't made a single move to jot something down.

By now you have probably noticed that I don't blog much. I certainly don't post as much as my friends do;) and why is this..? I've asked myself the question a lot. Here are some rational observation:

I do have (I guess) tons of ideas of what to blog about but..

• I never get around to actually writing the post.
• I start writing and get distracted by something else.
• I work on tasks I put on planner as higher priority and decide not to do it at the end of the day.
• I fall behind and feel like I have to write some masterpiece to make up for it. Otherwise, why post so sparingly?
• I sit down to write and have so many ideas but I simply can't put them into words (this, in fact, is happening right now. Let's hope I can get to the end of this one!)

Every once in a while I have a New Year's resolution type of thoughts and think, "This time, I'm really gonna do it. I'm going to blog weekly now, may be more than once a week!" And not surprisingly that won't happen haha :D I can get one, or may be two posts out before I'm back to old habits. That really sounds like me, no?

So, what does that mean? I'm a really a BAD BLOGGER. I hate to admit it, but since honesty has always been one of my better-known virtues, I shall confess. I'm the worst blogger. I know. It's true. It really is. My head is hanging in shame. It has taken me so long to face the truth, but I have finally garnered the strength to admit to my utterly shameful blogging performance.

Why, you ask? Here comes the reason and may be the solution..

1. I post infrequently. A cursory look at the dates of my posts will tell you that I post once a month (that's the best I can go). For someone who is in love with the very concept of blogging, and is continuously researching and experimenting with it in a number of ways, that is an utterly shameful number. I am the lowest form of life on the blogosphere!
2. I obsess over content. I wait for things to happen before I react to them on the blog, which I'm not sure is a good thing for me to do. I have a lot to say, even without things happening - just about stuff the way I see it. All of that deserve blogspace too. So I'm not going to wait for General Motors Co. and Chrysler Group LLC, whose bankruptcies were backed by the US Treasury before I log on and rip that pseudo-democrat apart. I'm supposed to make my blog a little less serious, a little less current-affairsy (don't know the real word ^^), and a little more like me.
3. I obsess over presentation. One of the reasons new media experts have attributed to blogging's success is its spontaneity. Me? I do plan spontaneity. I, ladies and gentlemen, for no obvious reason, has taken it upon myself to change the rule of the game, that is, changing the way people and businesses communicate. Overambitious? Hardly. Perfectionist? Perhaps. Whatever the reason might be, I will act anal about spelling, edit phrases until they are as clever as I want them to be, ensure that no paragraph has strayed into another's territory and so on. Only when I have made countless pre- and post-publishing edits, do I let go.
4. My blog looks like something the cat dragged in. On the second thought, this should probably reason #1. I changed my template from blue background to white because I want it to look wider. But will you see how utterly boring it looks now?! And the choosing of the style and color is very un-me. Even my pretty little column on the top doesn't do anything.

With the promise this post will be published unedited (except for the spelling/typos - come on, you have to give me that!), I do solemnly hope that I shall post every single week from now on. Even if it's just a picture I want to share. Even if it's only a random comment about the weather. Even if it's just another self-analysis. Even when another motors company goes bankrupt:)

Simultaneously, it will be my constant endeavour to make sure my blog doesn't degrade into the sort of general trash that is so pervasive on the blogosphere today. I hope it will make some sense. And I do really really hope it will still be read and that more and more people will like it and visit it hehe ^_^

Thanks for spending your time.

Good day =)