WHEN DOGS COME INTO EDUCATION

Many years ago, my friend who was a lecturer at a teachers training college in Johor Bahru lamented at the quality of the trainee teachers there. His profound words “education has not gone to the dogs but instead dogs have come into education” remains etched in my mind.

Now let me make it clear that it is not my intention to insult teachers. I have uncles and aunties who were school teachers and incidentally my good mother was also a teacher. Many of my school teachers had a great impact in my life and most of all Mr Chakravathy of Sekolah Menengah Tinggi Setapak, Kuala Lumpur. I still remember going to see and inform him that I will be leaving for teachers training. Instead he tore into shreds my teachers training selection notification and sternly told me to continue with my studies. Phew! what a right decision it has turned out to be.

Reading, Hannah Yeoh’s latest posting in her web-log www.hannahyeoh.blogspot reminds me of my friend’s profound words.

Hannah Yeoh is the DAP Assemblywoman for Subang Jaya. This law graduate from University of Tasmania and incidentally where I too graduated from, was a student of SMK Subang Jaya and was also the Head Prefect for the year 1995/1996. For years there has been a tradition of an annual Prefect Reunion where former and present prefects attend the function which is actually a private function.

What has made Hannah really upset is because some cabbage brained teachers saw it fit to issue a threat to the school prefects to withdraw their invitation to her and even worst to issue an ultimum that should Hannah be invited the function will be cancelled. I just wonder how sensisitive would her presence be at the function. Do the teachers think Hannah will turn the prefects reunion function into a political function and give a political ceramah or use the opportunity to recruit members for DAP? Come of it !

How true are the profound words of my friend said years ago. Dogs have indeed come into education. The school and the teachers of SMK Subang Jaya rightfully should feel proud that one of their students had not only qualified as a lawyer but also has now been elected as an Assemblywoman. Instead, these dumb-asses saw it fit to cast Hannah as an outcast for no other valid reason but simply because she was a DAP Assemblywoman. Had she been a BN Assemblywoman, the school would have had a special assembly and everyone connected with the school from the Principal to the tuck-shop operator to the lolly-pop man would have jostled to kiss her her arse in the hope of getting some “peruntukkan or surat sokongan”. The PIBG Chairperson would have been there with a garden of flowers pinned on his bush-jacket giving an off tangent glowing speech about the government and pleading for “peruntukkan untuk PIBG”.

It is sad that there are teachers who have been so brainwashed that they live in a blinkered and skewered world devoid of any logical and sensible reasoning. I still remember when I was selected by my class teacher to speak on the best book I have read and why to the class. I told the class the best book I read (then) was Time Bombs in Malaysia by Lim Kit Siang and went on to talk about what Lim Kit Siang said about the real situation in Malaysia and what was Malaysia’s future. Through out the session, the teacher felt really uneasy and after I had finished sarcastically quipped “lain kali baca buku yang lebih bermanfaat”. She just could not accept “such books”. She would have been happy as a button if I had said that the book I read was “ Hikayat kura- kura lawan arnab”. Incidentally when I became the top student for History, she presented me the book “The Malay Dilemma”.

Coming back, it is really despicable that teachers have became agents and tools of the government and has no qualms about and are willing to intimidate, instill fear and threaten others against others who do not share their belief - all hallmarks of the government. Teachers not only ought to impart knowledge but also identify role models which their students can emulate. Who better than their ex-students as role models. They ought to be proud of the achievements of the schools’ ex- students. Sadly, the teachers of SMK Subang Jaya are blissful to live in their cloistered coconut shell and see it fit to demean and mortify their own (ex) student. Would the teachers of SMK Subang Jaya reacted in the same manner had Hannah Yeoh been the Assemblywoman from BN? Surely not !

Rightfully, the parents of SMK Subang Jaya should demand an explanation from the Principal and identify the dumbass behind the withdrawal of the invitation. In fact that person could be a real threat to other students for that person may have his/her own agenda to poison the young minds at SMK Subang Jaya with his/her own skewed thoughts and other propaganda.

Truly, we can do without these petty minded teachers who are nothing who only know how to only froth the rulling party’s agenda.