Sunday October 18, 2009 (The STAR)
Low morale in Lower Six
I refer to the letter “Unfair Treament for Lower Six’’ (StarEducation, Sept 27), I totally agree with the writer’s statement.
It has been about one month since the implementation of the “semester-based system” in the majority of schools in Malaysia. I would like to write and express my disappointment about the new system.
The new system requires students to stay back after school until 3.30pm for activities. I found out from the teachers that this batch (2009/2010) was used to try out the suitability of the semester-based system to be implemented in schools in the future.
Unfortunately for us, our exams are still not semester-based. STPM is seen as one of the world’s toughest exams by many people around the world as the syllabus covers a broad range of subjects with one major exam at the end of it all.
But forcing us to stay back after school will deprive us of the chance to revise our lessons.
Many of us would be too tired after coming back from school and just hop on to the bed into dreamland even if they wish to study.
The new system is a complete waste of time. The extra time that we are required to put in in school is used for nonsensical activities such as colouring posters, singing songs, doing sketches, preparing presentations, doing research and development (R&D) and etc.
Honestly speaking, we could do our own R&D on the Internet as not everything could be gained from the books. The Upper Six students told us, “Internet is our best friend” as they found numerous new information on the Net without staying back after school.
What about our co-curriculum marks? We were told that 10% of the overall criteria to enter local universities is from our involvement in co-curricular activities.
Before this new system was implemented, we all could go for our co-curricular activities. With the new system in place, we are forced to stay back and could not involve ourself in such activities as the timing will clash with us as most activities are held after school.
I am an avid blogger and having visited a few of my friends’ blogs, I found that none of us like the new system one bit. Not only are the ones with blogs dissatisfied, my friends who do not have Internet access are complaining about it in school.
The same could be said about my friends from other schools. Few of my friends who choose Form Six over college education said they might be leaving school next year. The reason they came to Form Six was to experience school life.
In addition, some students hate it so much that they decided to skip school altogether.
We cheered whenever the activities were cancelled and we all could go home.
Not only are the students disatisfied with this new system, the teachers are unhappy. They could not write in as they could risk losing their jobs. Almost every teacher I have spoken to, too, did not agree with this new system.
Family break-ups and cancer concerns
The Women, Family and Community Development Ministry promotes and raises public perception on the importance of the role of women and family institution in contributing towards the developmental agenda of the nation.
The role of a family institution is very important and all family relation require strong ties within the family.
The new system could jeopardise the relationship between a child and his/her parents as when the student comes back from school, they will be tired and what if they have tuition classes to attend? By the time they are back home, they will be dead tired to have a conversation with their family.
Without quality time together, sooner or later, family ties will be broken and the family institution will collapse.
Collapse of the family institution is one of the main reasons students involve themselves in deliquent activities.
Do we want an increase in our already overwhelming crime rate all because of the fall of the family institution due to this new system?
It is also troublesome for students who require public transportation to reach home. Some of my friends do take public transportation to get home. Some of them have to walk in the hot sun and take two buses to reach home as the school bus drivers would not send them home.
Prolonged exposure to the afternoon sun could lead to skin cancer.
Do we want to wait till years later to find out that many of our future generation who took Form Six were to suffer from skin cancer because of this new system?
No longer cheap
Many parents decided to send their children to Form Six as it is the cheapest route to universities. Not any more.
Parents will need to fork out additional expenses for their child’s lunch is not provided. Not everyone is well-to-do.
In these times where money does not come easy, forking out extra money will be a burden to them as the overall house expenditure would have increased as well.
The quality of the canteen food is terrible as I could see many of my friends do not have a choice.
They have to eat either fried stuff or food like curry noodles. The food is not nutritious as it is high in salt and oil and lacking fibres.
Having said that, I hope something can be done about this new system.
I would like to suggest that the ministry do the following :
1. Revert to the old system where everyone goes home like normal; or
2. implement the semester system straight away.
There is no point “testing” as the Malaysian education system is not a playground or lab where future leaders were “tested” with new policies. We as the students are not “guinea pigs”. If we were to continue to “test” policies on our children, our education system will be seen as a joke in the international arena.
A SICK FORM SIX STUDENT
Via e-mail
Sunday October 18, 2009
The maddening crowd
I AM studying in Lower Six this year. My school is a premier school in Johor Baru.
The reason for my writing this letter is that a new system has been adopted in all schools with Form Six classes throughout the country. The system requires all Lower Six classes beginning 2009 have to stay back until 3.30pm compared to 1.10pm in previous years.
Every afternoon, Lower Six students will be divided into groups and each group will be given a specific topic relating to a current issue and discuss among themselves.
Later, each group will be given the chance to present their topic on stage in front of their fellow classmates.
I am not totally against this idea as I understand that this is part of the Education Ministry’s initiative in boosting the level of confidence and enhancing communicative ability among school students while doing presentation.
I also understand that it is very pertinent to start and nurture students from young before they embark themselves into the commercial sector when they graduate.
But please be rational and reasonable. The moment we reach home, most of us will be dead tired.
Not to forget the amount of assignments given by our teachers and we have to complete everything on time. By then we would be too tired to study.
Another woe is that we are only given an hour for our lunch break before we begin our presentation; it is impossible for students to head home to have a home-cooked meal and then rush back to school.
Most of us will not be able to eat at home as we are not living nearby.
Therefore, students are left with no other alternatives but to patronise nearby mamak stalls for their lunch.
Needless to say, food sold at mamak stalls can be unhealthy and unhygienic.
On the other hand, transportation is a major problem for most of us.
Left with no other immediate solutions in sight, we have to rely on public transport like buses.
And mind you, most of us are not living nearby and thus, walking back home will be out of the question and too dangerous for us students considering the disturbingly high number of snatch theft cases across the country.
There was once when I had no choice that I had to walk back home from school and believe it or not, I was robbed midway!
Till now, that incident still haunts me.
Please take note that life in Form Six has never been easy.
It is undeniable that life in the sixth form can be pretty daunting and challenging.
An ample amount of time is needed for us to carry out constant revision.
Therefore, I would sincerely like to implore to the Education Ministry to seriously reconsider its decision.
The ministry fails to see the light that whatever theyre doing is in fact making our lives even more miserable, stressful and very depressing.
Will this result in good achievement in the STPM exams?
Last but not least, I would also like to take this opportunity to call upon all Lower Six students and hopefully, concerned parents out there who are equally against of the idea of Lower Six students staying back till 3.30pm, to express their dissatisfaction.
STRESSED OUT STUDENT
Via e-mail
well from my point of view...form6 life is not a very nice 1.....
few reasons are=
a-staying back school till late 3.30pm or more...
b-the STPM is 1 of the toughest examination...
c-STPM is not "SEMESTER" style of examination...
d-R&D can be done at home with internet...some of my seniors says that internet is form6 student's BEST FRIEND instead of the school's library...if a person do not have internet connection i'm sure there are plenty of solutions for it such as = go to friend's house and do some investigation on certain topic, find the topic from teacher then go to the 'not tinted' cyber cafe and work his or her work there...
e-I do really think that the past(years back) results are better than the present ones...
f-(.......)should not 'test' the system cuz students are not genie pigs!!! (.......) might as well change the stpm examination to semester style or stick with the old style which really do rocks =) or maybe some days stay back late for the sake of some experiments and some co curriculum act...everyday stay back after lunch in school will not be a very promising results in studies...
g- besides that there's a news bout the rural area are improving in their studies...state government should try to help schools to boost the academic level so that the future leaders will be EXCELLENT =)
Anyway this are just point of views...many others may have the same or different points of views =)
well i just feel like posting this cuz i've been a form6 student before...
no offence taken to any1 or any organization body..
just a state of mind =)
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