Teacher Talk... Part 1

Got this from one of the articles that I was reading. It seems teachers in Malaysia use up to 17% of their time on class control. Some countries use only 10% of the time. 17%... and that got me thinking. I think the percentage could be higher than 17%. You see, in many of the classes where I am, market atmosphere prevails. There have been occasions when I've stormed into a class to tell them to shut up only to find sheepishly that there was a teacher in it. These days, I'm wiser, I look first... but that too, I've to look carefully, for like the market, there is movement everywhere and it's sometimes difficult to tell the teacher apart from the student. Sad state schools are in!

There are in-service courses which are shams. Used to be they would at least be some covert operations to cover the 'wrongs' up. These days, they are not really bothered. There are courses where the speakers/moderators don't turn up. And teachers who get called for such courses sit and while their time away... while their classes at school are taken over by relief teachers. And the joke is, certificates of participation are sent to the respective teachers in their schools. Nothing taught, nothing learned but there is a cert to show participation. Recently there was one such course. Integrity... what on earth is that?

Extra classes.. extra classes are now a must. Keeping up with the Joneses, you could say. When are they conducted? Some schools do it at ungodly hours; in the wee hours of the morning. Some like mine incorporate them into the time-table... first period of the day. Admit failure even before we begin teaching. Teachers are a inept lot! Administrators want to show that they're doing something when they're not... show off... in every sense of the word. If they do care.. then go in the classes known with discipline problems... teach! I had a boss who did that once... and I've only admiration for her integrity and good ethics towards her job. But good people like this don't last long... she didn't even extend her service even when she could have... BTW, just for the sake of appearance, the boss even had the cheek to say that if the teacher has too many real teaching periods, just photostat the questions and leave it with the students for them to do... teacher can go eat in the canteen. Why have the classes then?

Classroom fans break down... for months they remain unrepaired. Teachers teach in our sweltering heat. Students sweat it out! Yet the school authorities cannot find the willpower and money to repair them. But money to paint the floor, touch up areas where VIP might tread and see... 'mou-ngan-tai'! Priorities all skewed!

PPSMI equipment continue to be eyesores in the classrooms. Security boxes, uninterrupted power supply boxes sit there gathering dust and cobweb... most of them not even used once. Equipment which never saw any productivity in their short lifespan... accountability non existent. Audit? What is that? Have not heard of any heads rolling because equipment never saw any action....

And this boils down to.... yup! The heads... Heads who should be getting their hands dirty and checking to make sure that accountability stands, that the best interest of the kids are looked after.. but instead, they opt to pay attention to facades negating the content. The result from the years of compromising quality and integrity by appointing people whose conscience seems to malfunction ever so often and conveniently cos showing off is the aim is so clear for all to see! Such is the state of our kepala(s)... getting fat salaries, akin to gaji buta. The system really buta...

I guess this the the product of Malaysia Boleh!