Mid term break for the first term has just ended... but if anything is to go by, school kids still had to go to school during the holidays. I saw students in uniforms early in the morning, heading for school. Many schools were conducting extra classes during the break. This, I think is madness! A break is supposed to be just that....A BREAK!
What is the point of having a break then? So that there can be more cramming sessions? Activities such as camping or other co-curricular activities which cannot be carried out during school days are understandable, if not good, to fill up the holidays. But cramming sessions???
As it is, the students put in a full day of school during term. Many schools end at 3 p.m. officially; and sometimes extended via extra classes up to 5 p.m. So, if the holidays are meant to be breaks for the kids, then it has all but failed to live up to its purpose. How to have time with neighbourhood kids or even with family members? They're too busy shuttling from one class to another during term! From school extra classes to tuition classes... all to get ready to be a rat and join the rat race!
Teachers are 'forced' to carry classes during the hols. I supposed all school heads want to be seen as doing something, being proactive... but I suspect all these are meant more to show the Department that they are on top of things, that they are doing something for the students. Again, on paper it looks really good.
Even primary school kids are having tonnes of homework to do... I wonder whether there is fun in learning these days... but everyone will tell you, have to prep them for the rat race.
*sigh* We make sure our kids keep chasing after the grades... what about theirs and our souls? Are we all becoming rats? You know, there are many types of rats..... brown rats, black rats. Brown rats make good pets, more docile, maybe. Black rats are good climbers, they are good at stowing away and they're also the ones who were responsible for spreading the plague... go figure out which type of rats we're becoming...
Ah the life story of a rat! Our rat pack join the rat race.. after some time they become drowned rats, immersed and taken up by the chase. Meantime their offsprings become mall rats or gutter rats cos papa rat and mama rat too busy. Rats! I smell a rat. We've so much more of everything it seems but....
Anyway, thankfully, this time around I wasn't 'forced' to hold extra classes... it would have probably driven me up the wall and pull my hair in exasperation..
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2 comments:
in our time wasn't it that school finished around 1.30pm, kids go grab quick lunch & change clothes, then tuition classes start from 2pm onwards?
Sounds like school has now replaced the tuition classes.....
Nope! School has started giving tuition classes... students still go for their personal tuition classes. So for many of them, their lives are jam packed like sardines.... which may not be a very bad thing sometimes... But is it totally good?? Dunno! Changing times, changing demands... rats also undergoing evolution! LOL!
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