You see, education (I'm using the politically correct term here) is compulsory in Malaysia, with every parent having to enroll their child into primary school at the age of 7. It is also not uncommon for parents to enroll their children in pre-schools or kindergardens. My parents did so, and I was more or less used to being away from my parents by the time I got into Primary school.
That's right, primary school. That's sorta a combination of Elementary and the first two years of Middle school to anyone who doesn't understand that.
So, Primary school was terrible, if you wanna know. Why? Well, that's for me to know and you to try to pry it out of me. Either way, I got out of Primary school and into Secondary school. Kind of a 'duh' transition, isn't it? Anyway, Secondary school was a crapload more fun, mainly because of the freedom I got, in more ways than one. School was fun. Wow. I can't believe I said that.
Back to the reason I don't like the education system. I enjoyed myself as much as possible in school, but the classes. Holy crap, you cannot possibly imagine the depths of idiocy of the people I have had to call 'teacher'. Don't believe me? Try this. A Physics "teacher" who doesn't teach Physics, instead rants about how we don't give him enough respect, how we should save the world by turning off the fans while in sweltering heat, the lights before daybreak, to somehow "save diesel", and that the resources used are not renewable, and how the world is going to be destroyed by energy shortage. All this in the space of an hour and fifteen minutes. "Oh, I was just about to start teaching, but my time's up! See you next class!" It's no wonder everyone, even the bootlickers, boycotted his class.
That might have been an extreme case, but there are other reasons. Racist teachers, for example. I, personally, have never gotten less than an A in English. The first 3 years secondary school I kept my record. Then, when I was in Form 4 (age:16), I got perhaps the most discriminatory teacher I have ever faced. I wrote an essay, and when I had it returned, I was in for the shock of my life. A 'B'! I've never gotten a 'B' for English before. I complained to her, showing her my supposed 'bad grammar' that was in actuality only in intransitive passive voice. As if she needed a reason to rob me of my 'A'. I looked at my classmate's papers, people who had never gotten a credit for English before. Lo and behold, it had an 'A' on it. I read through his essay; it was incoherent, laced with grammatical errors like poison in a cyanide pill, and the spelling almost lead me to believe that truth was spelled with two 'H's, so frequent was the mistake. And yet, only the most severe and unmistakable of the errors was pointed out. The difference between him and me? The day we pray, him on Friday and me on Sunday.
At first, I thought that she was only dangling a carrot on a stick, attempting to drive me to excel. It is worth noting that at this point, my Asian friends had the same grades as me. I read their's over, as well. Although I agreed with the mistakes made grammatically, I did not agree with the grade. All thing through time, they say. In time, I saw what it was: a personal vendetta against all who prayed to a different God or had a different tone of skin. Some people really just can't see past the things that divide us and look at the things that unite us instead. It's really something I can barely wrap my head around.
However bleak I have depicted it, the MSFI has employed some good people. Even fools must sometimes be right by mistake, I suppose. Some of the teachers I've had are intelligent, willing to share knowledge and passionate. It's not good to lock any group into a stereotype, because stereotypes destroy individuality.
All that is yours is rightfully mine, and mine it will be. . .
-Gabe
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