Ayanda, Mamakanda, kakakanda ......

There are many types of schools in Malaysia. I am not talking about the national type or the national schools.
There are elite schools, harapan (hopeful?) schools, the potential schools and the unfortunate schools. This last type is always towards the bottom of the PMR, SPM and STPM achievements. The students come from poor socio-economic or academic background. It is not of any design but happens that way!

It takes determination and continued tolerance on the part of the administration to bring about success. Many headmasters or headmistresses due to the pressure of the state educational departments and the ministry only accept academic achievement as the measurement of success. Very few even think about the development of their students in terms of surviving in the society. No skills are developed. No one dare dilute the needs of the syllabus to suite the need or the level of their clients.

They start extra classes in January for the exam classes. Even the co-curricular activities are sacrificed to achieve greatness in the public exams. We even have tuition schemes where teachers are given an allowance to teach in the afternoon or holidays. (Primary schools) Have they thought about the weaker students whom gain nothing through these classes?

Hardly have we had 100 % teacher attendance in schools. There are many courses, meetings, briefings that need the teachers to stay away from schools. With the introduction of district level education offices, the numbers of meetings and in-service courses have increased. Do you dare think what happens to the weak students when 2 or 3 teachers do not enter class in one day? (Yes, we have relief teachers entering. Are they effective?)

Then we have headmasters going a bit further. They advocate "sekolah penyayang" a bit too far. I heard there are headmasters who ask the students to call them "ayanda" (daddy) the female senior assistants "mamakanda" or "bonda" (mummy). The teachers become "kakanda" (sis of bro). These are efforts to achieve so called success.

Some even reprimand the teacher for punishing the students. Some over zealous head masters tell the teachers about it during the weekly assembly. When the students hear this the problematic ones will not heed the teacher's orders.

Don't get me wrong. A teacher should be replacement for parents when the child is in school. But to call them father and mother is not proper. Please do not argue that that is our culture. We only have to behave as teachers. Hey! Guys, you are not running your family. You are paid to lead the school. Show that you are a leader!

This is one of the many problems our schools face. Are we attacking the problem at the cause? One should look at the root of the problem. Not implement programmes that sound and look fancy!