On TV3 news the past few days ago dok tunjuk special report on our country's education system. I think on the 2nd day of the installment, I caught the report on teachers - why teaching job is not respected anymore. Mind you I was a teacher once albeit for only 2.5 months. I've done that, been there. My views...
1. Time change, the world evolve. Dulu people only have teaching as the highest rank in the employment ladder. You've got to have education to be able to reach that top spot. Then when people began to get better and better education, the whole world of employment opened up - you can be doctors, lawyers, architect, etc. Those require higher level of education and promises better salary. So people reach out. Teaching profession evolved too, perhaps slower that the rest. So, that's why not many people choose teaching profession anymore.
2. Time change, culture evolved. After the wars life was difficult. So, when some people hold the title "teacher" they bring with them the spirit and determination to make things better, to educate the people, to develop the country. Now, country has developed, perhaps not many teachers actually have that kind of spirit anymore. And for what? Unless you teach in some rural area where the kids go out at 5am to get on trains to school and their lives are so poor, what motivation do teachers have nowadays anyway?
3. Time change, perception evolved. Teaching is no more perceived as a career of choice. It's now a career of convenience. Some people become teachers because they can't get any jobs elsewhere, others especially the women become teachers because they got married and want a career that's not too demanding and give them plenty of time for family.
I was high-spirited when I was in my final year. I actually wanted to work in a rural place and teach kampung kids English. If you wonder why my teaching stint lasted only 2.5 months:
- Imagine my horror one day I met a friend whose graduating in Economics and telling me she's applying for teaching diploma because she's getting married - "Jadi cikgu senang, lepas sekolah boleh balik rumah jaga anak". That low...?
- Among my school friends, I was considered one of the brightest because I was always in the 2nd or paling teruk 3rd class, never lower. (We have like 6-7 classes of pure science). Yes, I took pure science in Form 5. During semester break, when the gang meet up, I can see satisfaction on some of my friends' faces when they talk about their courses in accountancy, economics, science, etc, whereas I was studying to teach English. It was like, they finally feel they won.
- School politics? I can never win with teachers sucking up to the headmaster left, right and center. I did extra English classes for Form 5 students when I was teaching in afternoon session. Did anybody know about it? I don't think so. I had to teach 6 classes of Form 2. I was always in and out of classes, I can't even remember the students' faces.
- Self-worth and personal development - I spent the 2 weeks of the school holidays thinking of my future and I know I can't stay in school. I don't want to join conversations about cooking, recipes and gossips with the other teachers. I don't want to spend my time going into lines during assembly catching teenage girls and boys flirting. I don't want to have heartaches trying to teach the retarded boy in Class 2 Merah English words when he can't even spell his own name. I want more than that.
I actually have very high respect for teachers, if they teach for the right reasons. Sometimes, when I send Aliyah to school and look at the school kids' eager faces, I actually longed to have the opportunity to teach such kids. With more experience, better controlled anger and patience now, perhaps I could be a good teacher. I don't know... Perhaps that's the solution to the Education Ministry's problems. Employ experienced teachers, seasoned employees with better anger management, knowledge and compassion.
However, I have a very simple solution. Get the teachers to watch Oprah Winfrey Show. Select the shows that portray inspiring stories. The latest one with Bill Clinton and Andre Agassi was good. It was about how the school set up by Andre Agassi, built in the poorest, most problematic area successfully produced excellent students. I'm sure our teachers will get inspired.
1. Time change, the world evolve. Dulu people only have teaching as the highest rank in the employment ladder. You've got to have education to be able to reach that top spot. Then when people began to get better and better education, the whole world of employment opened up - you can be doctors, lawyers, architect, etc. Those require higher level of education and promises better salary. So people reach out. Teaching profession evolved too, perhaps slower that the rest. So, that's why not many people choose teaching profession anymore.
2. Time change, culture evolved. After the wars life was difficult. So, when some people hold the title "teacher" they bring with them the spirit and determination to make things better, to educate the people, to develop the country. Now, country has developed, perhaps not many teachers actually have that kind of spirit anymore. And for what? Unless you teach in some rural area where the kids go out at 5am to get on trains to school and their lives are so poor, what motivation do teachers have nowadays anyway?
3. Time change, perception evolved. Teaching is no more perceived as a career of choice. It's now a career of convenience. Some people become teachers because they can't get any jobs elsewhere, others especially the women become teachers because they got married and want a career that's not too demanding and give them plenty of time for family.
I was high-spirited when I was in my final year. I actually wanted to work in a rural place and teach kampung kids English. If you wonder why my teaching stint lasted only 2.5 months:
- Imagine my horror one day I met a friend whose graduating in Economics and telling me she's applying for teaching diploma because she's getting married - "Jadi cikgu senang, lepas sekolah boleh balik rumah jaga anak". That low...?
- Among my school friends, I was considered one of the brightest because I was always in the 2nd or paling teruk 3rd class, never lower. (We have like 6-7 classes of pure science). Yes, I took pure science in Form 5. During semester break, when the gang meet up, I can see satisfaction on some of my friends' faces when they talk about their courses in accountancy, economics, science, etc, whereas I was studying to teach English. It was like, they finally feel they won.
- School politics? I can never win with teachers sucking up to the headmaster left, right and center. I did extra English classes for Form 5 students when I was teaching in afternoon session. Did anybody know about it? I don't think so. I had to teach 6 classes of Form 2. I was always in and out of classes, I can't even remember the students' faces.
- Self-worth and personal development - I spent the 2 weeks of the school holidays thinking of my future and I know I can't stay in school. I don't want to join conversations about cooking, recipes and gossips with the other teachers. I don't want to spend my time going into lines during assembly catching teenage girls and boys flirting. I don't want to have heartaches trying to teach the retarded boy in Class 2 Merah English words when he can't even spell his own name. I want more than that.
I actually have very high respect for teachers, if they teach for the right reasons. Sometimes, when I send Aliyah to school and look at the school kids' eager faces, I actually longed to have the opportunity to teach such kids. With more experience, better controlled anger and patience now, perhaps I could be a good teacher. I don't know... Perhaps that's the solution to the Education Ministry's problems. Employ experienced teachers, seasoned employees with better anger management, knowledge and compassion.
However, I have a very simple solution. Get the teachers to watch Oprah Winfrey Show. Select the shows that portray inspiring stories. The latest one with Bill Clinton and Andre Agassi was good. It was about how the school set up by Andre Agassi, built in the poorest, most problematic area successfully produced excellent students. I'm sure our teachers will get inspired.
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