Riding the MRT

After having read Tan Boon Leng's letter on taking the MRT, I feel that she should be the one laughed at, and not Kam Choo Choo. Yes, she may be dwelling on the realism involved in taking the MRT but I think it reflects an inability to dwell on the blessings in life, and a lack of travel on train systems in other countries. Dorian Axel Manrique Teo is a contrasting testimony to this.

Kam Choo Choo, on the other hand, has learnt to appreciate the fortunes Singapore has when compared with other countries. She has also shown optimism in seeing good amidst the bad around. Tan Boon Leng, there is a fine line between being realistic and being pessimistic.

Appalling in this time of recession

A case in court on a divorcee requesting maintenance fees from her husband is indeed shocking. The fees are really for her own and her children's extravagant lifestyles, which reflects on how she has brought them up. Mostly vanity-based, the expenses stated are unnecessary and indulgent, showing a materialistic and worldly perception towards living life. Do these expenses make a truly good life? Besides, she gets her own pension and her children get their own wages. She will get a hefty sum from the sale of their houses too. All this money is more than enough for her!

The amounts she spent on these items are exorbitant and she even spent a five-figure sum from their joint account! That is pure abuse of a fund set up to symbolise their joining in matrimony! Her reasons may be insecurity and love for her husband, but the approach used to deal with these issues is wrong.

I am heartened to note that she was thoroughly chastized by the judge and her request was not granted. Apparently though, she had not taken the advice to heart, as she wants to appeal against the judgement passed. What a woman!

Putting assignments online

I think it will not be so instant as if the teacher announces them or writes them out on the board. The students can immediately take note of them instead of going home to look at the website. The teacher can also save the time spent going to the staff room to post them on the website, and use it to attend to her other duties.

Computers may be getting cheaper but those families who are in the low-income category will not be able to afford even the cheaper prices. They can use second-hand computers or go to internet cafes, but the former may break down after a while and the latter are not so many in quantity now. Going to their friends' houses to use their computers may result in some of their friends' parents not being happy with it. The school may have a computer laboratory but there may be insufficient computers for the students to use.

Recruiting of teachers

Sebastian Tan wrote a letter on ensuring the right type of people are chosen to be teachers, so that we don't get errant ones who are detrimental to our children. It is not easy to know which applicant displays deviant behavioural traits though. They may also manifest those traits only when they are already confirmed as teachers.

He also mentioned how a teacher put chilli padi on a child's mouth. I think the public's condemnation of this act is because the parents of this generation treat their children as royalty. They cannot bear to see their precious children be disciplined in such a manner. I remember how my teachers used to hit my knuckle with a ruler. My grandma also put chilli padi on my lips. It is a harsh way to teach what is right but it instills proper fear and respect towards those who are in charge of us.

Relief teachers are still teachers

Ms Linda Lim's daughter was unfortunate enough to have been taught by a relief teacher who makes me ashamed to acknowledge that I was one too. I am aghast to read that the teacher did not check with the subject teacher or the class monitor about the textbooks, before punishing the students. It is even more dismaying to know that the teacher did not consider the fact that the girl was only in Primary 1, and thus was not aware of how class logistics were run. I do not know how to comment on this lack of care. What makes it far worse is that when the truth came out as the fault of the teacher, she was not humble enough to apologise for her mistake. Taking charge of a class does not make her infallible. Even the Pope apologises to his critics for certain statements he makes.

Athlete of the Year award

Some people are unhappy with the Straits Times's choice of Tao Li as the recipient. They feel that since she did not win an Olympic medal, she is not better than Yip Pin Xiu who did win. Another reason is that she is a Paralympian and thus needs more encouragement plus support.

Is medal winning the only criterion for this award? Tao Li has surpassed expectations ever since she entered the swimming arena. She proved her critics wrong by shrugging off their condescension and creating ripples in the world of competition. This makes her a role model for any young person and student. I actually cut out an article on her achievements, for my student as a form of inspiration and motivation.

There seems to be an implication that Pin Xiu's identity as a Paralympian; a disadvantaged sportswoman, should evoke sympathy for her. There is a mention of the lack of supporters for the Paralympians. In this case, the award seems to be just a patronization towards her, is it not?

Teachers' gawking behaviour

Teachers' intimate relations with student minors, provocative pictures on the internet and jaw-dropping enterprises on their blogs have shamed the dignity of their profession. Santokh Singh wrote an article on the modern evolution of the relationship between teachers and students. I heartily disagree with it however.

He frowns upon teachers revealing their handphone numbers to their students. I am 'guilty' of such a gesture. I'm also 'guilty' of sharing with them my email address, msn nickname and blog. I use smses to confirm lessons with them, email notes on the exam, use msn to answer their queries on the questions they encounter and use my blog to teach them language and writing skills through my entries on life. It does mean extending my contact with them after lesson hours, but queries form in the students' minds even after school hours. Then who do they turn to for such academic puzzles to be solved? Does this gesture of mine mean that I'm overstepping the boundaries between my students and I? I am not having any physical intimacy with them and my blogs are harmless. Go, scrutinise them and refute this.

My tone may be informal and friendly when communicating with them using such technological tools, but students nowadays are different from those of the previous generations. They would like their teacher to be their friend too. Yes, I admit to using abbreviations in the process but it is a way of being understood. I've used the full form of the terms but instead they cause bewilderment in return.

It's not that we're depriving the parents of their time with their children. Do they even have time to give to their children? Yes, it is after school hours but most parents are too busy with their jobs to give their full attention to their children. Why are there so many latch-key children then?