Friday, September 01, 2006

One full circle.

And so, my dear students, it all comes to an end.

All the laughter, tears, sweat and sorrow will forever remain imprinted in yours truly's mind for the years to come. From the neccesant noise of the 'Bermuda Triangle' to the 'Battle of the Twerps', and on to the 'Cleopatra pose', it all added to the experience. Your's truly is glad that he was not given some proverbial scholars to teach, how terribly boring that would be...

This was an experience in which, the teacher was the student and student the teacher. You scums have no idea how much you've taught me and how much I've learnt from lessons had with you.

The measure of a person's self-worth should never be by the yardstick of mere academic results....of useless pieces of paper, of one-off examinations, because really, life is much more than that. The argument could carry on forever about ways in which to measure a person, and yet never find a pleasing conclusion to all. It is with a heavy heart that your's truly gives out lessons in how to do well in examinations(how many times have you heard me blare at you 'structure structure stucture'). Really, this should not be the way. Has it really come down to such a deplorable state? Of mere tricks and cunning being all what one needs to do well ?

How ironic it must be that the ones who profit most, a.k.a 'the proverbial rafflesian scholar'(no offense taken, you know I do so love hot rafflesian chicks), are the ones who go on to run the system, thus putting in place more checks and balances to ensure that generations onwards do not slip through the huge holes in the education system nets. Once again, despite their better efforts a maintaining equality, most once again slip through. And once again, it is the same kinds of people slipping through, mostly due to the fact that their parents have slipped through and have seen first hand the repercussions of those who do not. All your Rafflesians, ACsians, SCGS and MGS girls. Its quite simple really, the harder the exam gets, the more students fret, hence, those who can afford the best tuition(also known as system breakers) will do so in hopes of finding the formula to get past. A cheatcode or walkthrough if you would have it called that way.

So wherefore is the equality ? It is said that in 'meritocratic' Singapore, education is the great leveller, the one which all are on even footing. Bollocks ! I say. Wherefore art the equality which ought to be bestowed on thine students ? People who do not know where the loopholes are, do not have either the resources(money to hire top tuition teachers and not merely those students from uni out to make a quick buck) or the knowledge that there are such loopholes present to be exploited.

Once again the cycle repeats itself. Once again, the elite get richer, and the masses poorer because the sanctity of the system has already been breached and only those who know the code are allowed in. That is why you not see yours truly recite the national pledge. A pledge which is hollow.

Your's truly will end off now by telling all of his students to always keep fighting on. True, the odds are heavily stacked against you. But please, do not give up. At 13 or 15, if you give up now, what is going to happen to you in 20, 30 or 40 years time ? Fight on my little ones....I cannot make guarantees that you will be able to beat the system, but what I do know, is that you will not win or make it by giving up. This is the only way out. Farewell, and Thank You for teaching me.