Learn From Your Past!!!

Almost half a year had gone by. So how is our life going on? Like my daughter says “JC life is tough!!!” So say I the same thing. Life is always tough. When young, we think of how we can grow up faster so that we can be more self reliance and have our own money and do what we like. But when you start working like me, after sometime, you wished you were a student with no worry of making a living and living a comfortable lifestyle.

Let me tell you, life is never ever going to be what we want it to be, a life with no worry, a life with no regrets, a life with no heartaches, a life with no rejection etc. Life will always be a challenge to all of us, as long as we are a living person. The main issue is that, do we learn from all these experiences and move on to be a better person. Sad to says, many of us do not reflect back on what happen but keep doing the wrong things over and over again. It is easier said than done, but if only we learn from our past experience and makes a change for the better, and then we will always be in a “slump”

Let me share with you a true happening only this week. If you had recalled a very early entry of how a student kept a school asset claiming that she had returned it and then when a reward was announced, she miraculous found it. This same student now seems to be facing another main problem from another school she is attending now. The head is asking us for some details. She NEVER LEARNS!!! To be frank, she had in fact commit an offence earlier before the lost item and I and another staff had personally help her as she was crying so badly when caught. Hoping that she will learn, but instead she still takes us for a ride and claim the reward for the “lost” item. So it began to “pile” up and she had develop a character that is found wanting!!! Now she is in deep shit!!!

So, to all my young reader, do learn from your mistake and try not to repeat the same mistake, hoping that you will get away with it. Sorry, I believe strong in this verse. “You will reap what you sowed!!!” Indeed, what you had done and being refused to make a change, sooner or later, your wrong doing will catch up with you and you will have to pay for it.

So take time to reflect and let us all learn from our mistakes and from our past!!!

What Went Wrong In Our School System?

Is our school system really developing the desired students that society is looking for? Before I answer, I must make it clear that I am not in any political party trying to denounce our government, No, our government had done well and I am one of those that had benefited from its policy. From poverty, I am now Ok, not rich, though, can survive without much of a problem.

Back to what I want to write. Somehow, I feel that our education system is moving on the wrong track. You read of how a JC student who whacks a bus driver and the father had to beg for forgiveness on his behalf. Will not relate the story. But the issue is, that from one of the top school in Singapore, out comes such behavior. Surely, we expect better characters from such top school. So where went wrong? No, I don’t blame the boy too much, although he must also be responsible for what he did. I sincerely believe that it is what is happening in the school system that is causes such problem. It is what we in the education call KPI, or Key Performance Indicator. We are so consumed with such performance indicator, such as percentage of passing rate, percentage of drop out, etc that at times, our full concentration is on meeting these targets that we fail to groom our students to a person of good moral value.

If only we will return to old days of educating our youngster, where we do not have to worry of punishing our students, where we do not have to keep ensuring that they will score very well in exam only, then things will look much better.

When I first started teaching, if a student is really not behaving, we will definitely discipline them without fear of having their parents complaining. Nowadays, I see too many teachers who worry too much of having parents complaining about them, that they will tends to give too much leeway to our youngster. That is why; our students are getting bolder and react without much restraint!!! I can tell you that I missed the old days of a teaching life. I now tend to be losing my passion for teaching as we become more and more incline to meet all those key performance indicators!!! Hopefully things will be better and changes will take place in the education sector, if not I dread the out come of our future youngster

Cheers!!! A Salute To This Youngster!!!

It is time for me to write something less gloomy. If I keep “harping” on our youngster, one day they will throw a chair at me. So must write something different. To “save” my own skin lah!!! Hahaha

Anyway, back to what I want to write. Was very glad to read an article recently about a young undergrad (youngster again!!! Arghh!!!). No, this is different. It was reported that she had been doing volunteering work since at a young age and when given a choice for her university studies, she choose to major in Social Work as she wanted to continue her passion in helping others. It was so refreshing to me when I read the write out about her. This is a true story of someone who wants to help others without any string attached, without seeking some fame or glory. And to better prepared herself to help others; she had chosen to major in something that will be of great help to her, in assisting and helping others.

It touches my heart to see someone some passionate in social work. Let me tell you, social work is not an easy career. If you are going to take social work as a career then probably, you will fall along the way, giving up your work. Not only is it a demanding job, but sometimes it is very heart wrenching. I know as I had personally experience this in one of the survey that I had conducted for the CDC.

I was assigned to do a simple survey at Bukit Merah one room flat. And as I was going from house to house, the sight that “welcomes” me was very painful. I see a room that was filled with junks as the old lady was hoping that she could sell some of them for a little money. Another house was smelt with urine. The stench was so overwhelming when the old lady opens the door. She had no one to help her cleaned her house as she was frail and old. At another home, the lady simply refuses to let me go as she had no one to talk to. Then another family was almost “begging” me to help them to get assistance for their utilities bills as they fear that it will be cut off soon due to non payment for almost 6 months. I can go on and on sharing with all of you what I saw that night, but I will stop here. (hey supposed to write something happy, but how did I side track)

Anyway, for this young lady, who had so much compassion for the underprivileged, I salute her. I do wish that all my young reader as they grow up, they will spare some thoughts for these people. Many of our youngsters probably had not seen any poor people, really poor, as they are very often shelter by their families. But let me tell you, such people do exist even in our affluent society, even in this well develop country!!!

So, le us cheer for this young lady and hopefully for the many others we do not come across!!!

CHEERS!!!!

What Is Happening To Our Youngster?

It was very disturbing when I read last Sunday New Paper. Shocking, disbelief, saddening, chill running down my spine, etc I can go on and on about how I feel. As I was telling my daughter, I am not out to “degrade” our youngster, but somehow, reports from the newspaper are “confirming” how I feel about our youth. Maybe as I had always says, I somehow can read people, so I guess I am probably right in my views of the youngsters.

For those who did not read the article. Briefly this is what was reported. Headline … “She deserves it…” The story was about the death of a young girl who was drowned in the canal, while playing with her friends. There was this girl who was either the deceased classmates or school mates. When she knew that this girl was drowned, she wrote in her blog that the deceased deserved to die!!!. My goodness, this comes from a girl of only 14 years old. How revengeful she must be. No matter what others did to us, we should never be cursing the other person to be dead!!! Her heart must be made of STONE!!! I can’t imagine how she will eventually grow up to be. One who is always out for revenge? One who delights in the misfortunes of the others? One who is always unforgiving? One who gloat over others misery? If at this young age, she is like that, then I can expect her to grow up worst, unless she makes a change in her life.

This is not the only article about how terrible our youth are. The following day, it was reported that a group of about 50 other students whack her for what she wrote in her blog. My goodness, now, a group of our so called, future generation, are acting like hooligans!!! The girl may be wrong, but what give this group of student the right to “execute” judgment that they think is correct? Is our future youngster going to grow up to be like that? I really worry very much for our future generations. I hope all my young readers who are reading this blog will make a conscious effort to change for the better before the future turns bleak for them. Do something today!!! Do something that is compassionate!!! Show a little kindness. Have a little more patience with others.

I guess that’s all I have to blog for today.