As a former Chairman of Parent-Teacher Association, I found one of the greatest aspirations of parents whom I have experienced in my everyday life, is to provide what they encounter, a ‘good education’ to their children. Of course, opinions differ on what constitute a ‘good education’, as indeed do the motives for wanting to provide one. For some, it is a fancy air-conditioned school. Others, it is a boarding school of old repute. For many, it is a good school that promotes ‘traditional values’. For others, one that prepares their children for top university and to get their children out of the vicious cycle of poverty.
The subject of schools and education is vast and complex; and there are many scholarly reports about the state of the Malaysian education system. The scourge of bullying is the evil that has affected children and schools all over the world. Every teacher would have encountered it in some form or the other. There are several factors, which, in my opinion, aid & abet this evil in our society. During the course of my career, I've seen bullying in all forms - from most blatant acts of older boys beating the life out of their younger compatriots, to the slightly more ‘sophisticated’ technique of getting juniors to run errands.
Last weekend when we passed through my hometown, my wife, Zarina was excited to show our grandchildren the grand school - Taiping Convent School where she studied and boarded for five years during secondary education in 1971-75. It has an open courtyard with cloisters, an English garden and her classroom well ventilated. Zarina recalled, “Its students have ranged from orphans to children of royalty, many of whom later became government leaders and luminaries. The esprit de corps among students and alumni remain strong, united by their proud academic achievements and contributions to society.”
Ilfi Fatihah, student of Primary 5 asked her grandma “What is the difference between a convent school and an ordinary school?”
Zarina responded, “Discipline factor: It has proven that convent schools are strict at following rules and regulations imbibe to make them smart & unique.”
Zulkifly Baharom (hajizul50@gmail.com) is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
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