What are the Young People Up To Nowadays?

What can I say about today’s youth? You can use almost all adjectives to describe them. Rebellious, shocking, disrespectful, no sense of moral value, cunning, selfish etc can go on and on and on.

I guess most of you are now aware of the famous NY Poly issue. The fact that not only was she regretful, I remember that she even says that it is Ok to do it as many are also doing it. And many youth surveyed says the same thing also!!! How shocking!!! I always says, “When other do it, it does not mean that you should also do it and as everyone is doing it, then it is OK” NO, NO, NO, others may do it but it had never meant that since many are doing it then it is Ok to do it. Where is your sense of moral value? Where are your own principles?


And for today, it shocks me to be told that one of the students challenged a teacher! In my days as a student, I can tell you what is the immediate outcome. Off to the principal office to “receive” your stroke of rattan!!! Immediate caning without questioning! Thankfully, this student had realized his wrong and the issue were settled between him and the teacher, though I am not sure what had transpired between them. Hopefully, it will not happen again.

Don’t test my patience, my young student. Was actually very mad this afternoon. Students were playing all over the class, not realizing the danger of what they are doing. Put my foot down and told them to go out of the class if they want to play. Sad to says, when I see some of them again later, they were trying to make water bomb. It may be fun, but if that water bomb is to accidentally hit somebody eyes and if that person is wearing contact lens, can you imagine the harm done!!! Hello, can you stop for a minute before having such fun? Unfortunately, I am seeing a decline in behaviour in one of the class that I am quite close to. It saddens me to see it happening. At times, I feel like giving some of them a good SLAP (wow, so cruel of me), so that at least they will learn now then in the future where it might be too late.

Well that’s all I have to blog for today

AWAKE My Young People

Continuing from where I stop in my last entry. Incase you do not know what I was talking about, pls refer to the posting below. In that posting, I wrote of how come so many of our old folks seems to be toiling in their twilight life.

It is not that our country economy had collapse such that all of us must do such manual work. Neither is Singapore a third world country, in fact, we are a develop country that is supposed to be a prosperous country. Then how come we still so old folks collecting cartons, clearing rubbish, etc, working in such a bad state. No I am not saying that such work are low class etc, but rather why is it that our old folks cannot live a more comfortable and enjoyable life in their final stage of life on earth?

I believe that one reason is because of this word “FAMILY” Huh? I guess many of you will have this immediate reaction. Huh? what is Mr Cchu talking about. Let me elaborate. Too often when a man or woman get married, to them, their family is about they and their children. Such family is too preoccupied with their own “family” and began to neglect their parents, grandparents. When the parent set such example, their kids follow likewise. So when the kids grow up and get married, they start their “own” family, that exclude their parent, so such old folks are left to fend for themselves. This vicious cycle seems to have no end! It is also because of the small family unit, that parents began to pamper too much on their kids, such that these kids become too self centered. I had seen kids who think of themselves only, everything is centered around themselves.

Let me add another example. In my school I had seem students coming in expensive handphone, accessories etc, and yet when their school fees are due, there is no money in the account. Had such students thought about lightening their parent burden, by spending less and use such money to pay school fee? Sad to say, instead they continue in their lifestyle and spare no thoughts of helping their parent. If they are like that now, can you imagine, how they will treat their parent when their parent grow old? I sincerely pray that our youth will be awaken to see that it is time to be more conscious of such things that are happening around them. AWAKE! AWAKE! AWAKE!!!

Mr Chu

WHY, WHY, WHY?

Did you read the forum page today (22 Feb 06) in the Straits Times? If not, I had extracted the article as I find it speaks of something our youth ought to ponder on. The article is as copied …

“ ON FEB 11 at around 7.30pm, I saw an old woman with a crooked back dragging a cart full of cardboard boxes and old newspapers while I was walking along South Bridge Road near Chinatown. Apparently she was going to sell them to earn some income further down the road. When her load fell off the cart near Cross Street, a young Singaporean man assisted her and helped to push the cart to her destination. He also gave her some money out of his kind-heartedness.

As a visitor to Singapore, I did not expect to see this in a First World country. Isn't there a pension fund so that the aged do not have to survive in this condition? Has Singapore become so selfish in its quest for economic prosperity that the poor and the aged get discarded along the way? The sight of the old woman pushing a heavy cart on a busy Saturday night is something that I will not forget for a long time. It has certainly changed my impression of Singapore.

And to that young Singaporean man, I salute you for your compassion and generosity.

Richard Tan
New South Wales, Australia”

Some people believe that such old folks were doing it because they are a little bored with nothing to do!!! Sincerely I never believe anyone would like to do such manual work. My father in law once tried to occupy himself by trying to work as a cleaner in the toilet (he does not need to work, as he is well provided for) but this job lasted not more than 2 hrs before he gave up. No, I don’t believe that any old folks will want to occupy themselves in such work, but rather they need to survive. In such a country like Singapore, why are there so many old folks seem to be working for a living even when they are so frail or fragile. WHY, WHY, WHY!!! To me it is so saddening. What had happen to our generation? I may not have the perfect answer, but I believe I may have one of the answers to this sad predicament. So what is it? I will post my thoughts on this issue the next time I blog! So keep Reading!!!

Mr Chu

Be Forgiving!!!

It disturb me when I see how students hold grudges against one another. I was handling a case (too confidential to mention) when I could see the hatredof this student towrds his/her classmates. Looks like nothing can put the fire out of this student. This particular student was all out to make sure his/her classmates will "die" no matter what!!! It is saddening to see our youngster falling to this stage. Will our society be a place where there's no such thing as compasssion, understanding, giving others a chance, tolerance, etc?

I remember years ago, when I was in poly, there was some misunderstanding between me and another student. That student was so adament not to patch up, so determine not to have anything to do with me. I was angry at first, as I recall that I did no wrong, but one day, I simply approached him and says that "I am sorry for whatever happen". I extended my handshake as a token of "peacemaking". Even to this day, I can still remember the expression on his face. He was shocked! He was taken aback and was stunned for word for quite a while. Finally the ice, the unspoken wall was shattered and we became classmate again. Though we may not be best of friend, but still we are friends.

But as I reflect now, over what happen to this student, I can feel that there will be no forgiviness towards his/her classmates. The hatred that is embedded deep in this student heart, looks "unresolvable". Unfortunately, there is nothing that can be done now, (a little inconvenient for me to say why) but can only pray that in days to come, this student will be transformmed and will not have a hardened heart.

With this, I will end my blogging for today.

Be forgiving and the world will be a much better place to live in.

Mr Chu

Thanks for all your concern!!!

Continuing from my last entry, I said that there are some good that comes out from our student. Last week due to some unfortunate circumstances, I sprained my ankle and the number of student who called and sms me, showing the concerned actually touches me. This is why I am a lecturer. I get satisfaction of being a lecturer not because of promotion, not to impress my bosses, not to score points so that I could move higher in ranking etc, but because I want to touch lives!!! Sound so great, as though I am such a noble person!!!. No lah! I am not a noble person, but it always troubled me when I see how our youth fell along the way and are led astray. I always tell myself that if I can just touch even 1 student to “reform” I will be very happy.

Imagine, that one of the student who sms me had just been scolded by me for not coming to school in the proper attire on the same morning!!! After scolded and in the night can still sms me asking me to take care, this goes to show that lives can be touched even if that person sounded or looked unchangeable. Mine time is running out soon as I had been teaching for over 20 years and I am on my last lap of teaching career. Hopefully I can still move and change lives during these last few years of my teaching life.

To all my “grandchildren”, that is what I called some of them and they me “ah gong”, thanks for all your concerned and care. Hopefully, all of you will grow up and even as you embarked on adulthood, you will still and always be a caring person. This is my wish for all of you, though I may nag, I may scold, but I can tell all of you that I never do it to vent my anger but rather hopefully it will have an impact on your lives so that you could be a better person.

Spare A Thought for your teacher!!!!

When will students ever learn to spare a thought for their teacher? Just a few days ago, one of our dept student was caught by the disciplinary master and the 1st thing that the disciplinary master did was to call our staff. And I went in response to his call and have a shock of my life!!! That student was wearing jean and worst, was also in slippers. This particular student claimed that our teacher had allowed them for the past year to come in such attired. Shocking!!!

How could the student says that in front of the disciplinary master and infront of me!!! The student is only trying to shift the blamed for such clothing to the teacher without accepting that he/she was in the wrong! I pity the class advisor of this student, for no reason, and no fault of his/her, the teacher is now to be blamed for such action. I told the student off that none of my colleague will allow such thing to go on for the past year!

Very often, students really do not know the consequences of saying such things. They may eventutally cause the teacher his/her job. Luckily it was the disciplinary master whom I now very well, and he undertsand and did not pursued further. Imagine, if it was the new principal. The principal will definitely call that class advisor and probably, he/she will get a warning from the principal for allowing such attire. Things that student does, whether you believe it or not, have a repercussion on their teacher. I always believe that my fellow colleagues are good teachers and should not be penalised because of students' wrong doing. If they are penalised then to me it is INJUSTICE!!! I don't believe that my colleagues will allowed such thing and consent to students not coming in proper attire or allowing students to come in coloured hairs. These are all the work of the students and not the consent of the teacher!!! Please spare a thought for your teacher if you intent to break the rules of the school.

Still there are some good things that comes out from our students which I will write in my next entry as I need to stop here. So keep reading!!!

Bye

Mr Chu