Some highlight on comments

Now that I have gotten the tag thing out of the way, would like to share 2 comments in relation to my previous entry with you… I think we should all have a read.

From Kata Tak Nak, who is a former (or is it current?) teacher:

”During the trial exams, the average passes for science (taught in English) was 20 something percent. About 1 and a half month later these same students took their PMR and the average passes for the same subject is 60 plus percent. What does this tell you? You decide.”

Zewt: Well, do even need to decide?


From Dienasty, this one is really good:

Am of the generation you speak of.

I personally know Jabez. He's a good kid, a hard worker, he took music in St Mary's, and i've a feeling i should defend him.

This year's standard has actually rose. Believe it?

Think about it. The number of straight As this year is measly compared to the number of straight As last year. And i compared with a few other friends, they agreed. The standard has rose. (psst, take a look at the national average)

Perhaps because next year is the first batch in English, and they want to make is seem as if the English students (sci and math) are a success.

But this is pure speculation by the student population of Malaysia. Ignore it if you want.

Wat do i have to say for me and my generation? Firstly, we're not smarter than you guys. I've been thinking a lot of what i want to do with my life, and i realized that 'genius' isn't determined by your IQ, your ability to get girls, or even the number of As you get.

It's your accomplishments that count in life. Einstein and Edison would've scored straight Cs, and yet they're counted as geniuses because they created things that people use today. Einstein was so radical ("Imagine yourself travelling at the speed of light? Would i see waves, or beams?") no education system in existence could've have handled him.

So what i've got to say is this: As count very little. Our politicians lately have been making a lot of noise about the laser-like focus on academic performance alone. This is good news, but i've been worrying a lot about certain implications this 'jumping on the opinion bandwagon' has, since i'm still a student (going form 6) and whatever they implement affects me directly.

The issue we have to focus on is not the standards, or the egos of parents (though both are problems, important ones, in our country). The main issue we have is still the number of subjects we are taking. I foresee a culture where the government's insistence to 'break away' from academic acheivement alone will create a culture of students joining activities solely to get certificates. What is worse is that while they push for more involvement in activities, but our government does NOT cut down on the number of useless subjects like Moral, EST and even irrelevant Islamic History. They even added Siviks to the list! So we, the students, don't join clubs, or co-curricular activities for the skills they teach, or the things they can learn. I'm already seeing this in some of my schoolmates, and in my friends and younger siblings.

I admit, my cert collection may be lousy compared to the positions they have held (i go for skills and knowledge). But can they write and think and construct arguments like i'm doing now? Can they throw a person twice their weight? Can they participate in a theological debate and then conclude, summarize and make sure everyone walks away learning something?

I don't think so.

And this is the challenge we have: tell our kids not to worry about Moral or EST or even the islamic elements in our history that does not promote racial integration in our country. Tell them that they should join activities to learn, not to collect certs. And while we can't do much, we can love our school going kids (read: ppl like me ;P), we can tell them that academics isn't everything, and above all, we can give them the support they need as they transverse this faulty system we have under our kris weilding Education Minister.

End of my comment. (I think i can actually put this as a proper post in my blog ;D hehe)

Zewt: Well, you certainly can, and you did. And I hope others will find some light from your comment.