| From: | "hockhin teoh" |
| To: | "A S KHOO" |
| Subject: | FW: a very moving letter in malaysiakini.com |
| Date: | Fri, 25 Apr 2008 14:55:44 +0000 |
Subject: a very moving letter in malaysiakini.com
A daughter devastated, a mother with no answers
A Schoolteacher | Apr 17, 08 3:27pm
I am a teacher by profession. I am teaching in a
government school. Being a teacher, I am expected to
inculcate moral values in my teachings. I have
memorised all the sixteen values "Nilai-nilai Murni"
as a result of twenty-five years of teaching values
that transcend curriculum. Day in day out, all the
students are exposed to all the values which are
expected to cultivate good thinking and moral values
among our young citizens. Examples of some of the
moral values are being kind-hearted, respecting each
other, fairness, honesty, and moderation.
In the recent SPM examination, many of my students did
very well, some scoring straight As. We, teachers of
all races, felt so very proud seeing the achievements
of our students. We had "Hari Anugerah Cemerlang" in
my school. Parents, regardless of race or religion
were there to lend support for the programme and at
the same time to motivate the children. One such
student is my own daughter, who scored 12 As, best
student of the school. She used to wake as early as 4
o·clock in the morning to start preparing for her SPM.
When I asked her why she has to take up 12 subjects
and torture herself, she told me, "I am not a
bumiputera like many of my friends" So the need to
take up two extra subjects (not offered in her school)
in order to be on par with her Malay friends.
She applied for the Progran Matrikulasi well before
SPM itself. Yesterday was the day she was eagerly
waiting since obtaining her SPM results because all
the applicants will get their reply from the
matriculation office. While I was in school, my
handphone rang. It was a call from my daughter. When I
answered the call she was already sobbing, and I am so
silly to think that it was tears of joy.
The sobs turn to cries after she heard my voice - she
was devastated, depressed and very disappointed
because she failed to get entry into this
government-sponsored programme. She is the eldest in
my family. I have another three school going children.
May be I am to be blamed because it was me who asked
her to study hard, get good results because being an
ordinary teacher I can not afford to send her to
private colleges.
When I came back after school yesterday afternoon,
again I saw tears in her eyes. She asked several
questions. "Is it wrong to get 12 As in SPM? My Malay
friends who got 2As and 3 As got to do the
matriculation programme, I am denied. What's wrong?"
You are also a teacher just like uncle, (my Malay
colleague in school) his son was offered a place
although he scored only 5As. Why? I don't have
answers.
Being a teacher (I teach History and Moral Education),
I teach my students to be loyal to the country, to
respect the leaders, to obey the laws of the nation,
to promote goodwill and so on. I encourage them to
participate in "Rimup" (a race integration programme
among students of various races).
I do not know what to say to my daughter. I feel
guilty because what I teach in school is actually
rubbish, perhaps I need to tell them the reality being
a non-Malay citizen of our beloved nation. For that I
need to resign. Please Mr. Prime Minister, may be you
have something to tell us.
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