Should I be disappointed?
Yesterday, I told our ex-partimers (school students on break) that they were welcome to join in on the English tuition class held every Thursday for our staff. *they are no longer employed with us since last week.
I was surprised when nearly all of them responded and said they would come.
But today .... none of them showed up.
Should have been disappointed right? Cue "Boomer" rant? Complaints about Gen Z?
Sorry to disappoint but no. I wasn't disappointed. I was in fact, encouraged. Why?
Well firstly, the very fact that they responded was already unexpected. That they responded in English was another surprise.
But what was even better, was when they contacted me and apologised for not being able to attend. I'll cut to the chase.
These kids...they're known as the bad boys in school. Your naughty boys. The last class. The ones without future. Or very little. And yes, I've worked with enough kids like these to know how they behave or normally would.
The very fact that they contacted me to give their apologies...at the least means they have manners. Very important that one. Something that many so called educated people often don't have these days.
And the very fact that they reached out first....means there is still hope. That maybe somehow, our nagging at work, seeped in a little bit. And that is important for me, because I believe if they come to realise how important education is, then hopefully when they go back to school, they will take their studies more seriously.
Maybe this is the only thing we can do, to help the teachers, school and our education system.
If there is anything though, that I have learned over the years working with children like these, it is that small things can make a big difference in the long run. We may wish for immediate results, but the world doesn't work that way.
I will take the little victories that come our way because sometimes, that is all we have and that will lead to something bigger in the future, for them. In the meantime, we keep trying.
It takes more than just a village to raise a child and everyone has a stake and role in it, whether we realise it or not.
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