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i noticed an interesting misconception today while helping to guide the first years' class today. the students are asked to form simple sentences for words such as "matapelajaran" and "cita-cita". for the word "matapelajaran", the teacher wanted the students to write about their favourite subjects. so, the students busied themselves by forming sentences except for a few naughty students who simply will not want to stick their buttocks on the stools.
then, one of the student wrote, "matapelajaran yang paling saya sukai ialah pendidikan seni dan pendidikan jasmani". a very straight and normal sentence. but the teacher commented, "hah?! you like arts and physical education? everyday don't need to study lar!!!". 12 years back, when i was in my 4th year of schooling, i was asked about my favourite subject and i answered Arts. the teacher then said, "that's what lazy person like to do".
my point here is, why do people often perceive children who like arts and physical education more than any other subjects as lazy bums? what's wrong with having interest in drawing and painting, and doing physical exercises? how exactly is laziness linked to interest in arts and p.e? this is called prejudice! most parents hope that their children will have more interest or better, talent in more popular subjects such as math and science. from the parents' perspective, their children will have better future if they do better in math and science. is that so? i still remember, when i was still a little girl, i love drawing. although mum and dad encouraged me a lot, that they even enrolled me in drawing class, they dislike the idea of me dreaming to become a fashion designer. all they said is, "there's little future in the fashion line".
parents and teachers really need to change their perception. they should. if arts and physical education is so unimportant, why are we taking arts and p.e from primary school up to secondary level, and why the fact that if we fail arts in form 1, we fail in the overall aspect? why not abolish this two subjects in school and insert more slots for the other "useful" subjects?
yeah...i think the answer would be, "to release stress, to nurture the creative skills in students...bla bla bla...".
i think that even though these children might be too young to determine their own interest and their own path, but i believe it is not in the adults' right either, to determine for the young ones, about what they are interested in. wrong ideas should not be created in order to avoid forming more clouds and mist.
i believe that it is to early for the adults to label or to judge them. people do change.
remember how we need to fill in the 3 choices of ambitions when we were in standard 1? most of us will fill in -teacher, doctor, policeman, nurse, lawyer, fire fighter, postman...all the common and basic occupations taught to us. then, we have no idea of other occupations such as coroner, broadcaster, radio dj, anesthetist, actuarist and other "canggih" occupations. how many year one students will write down anesthetist for their ambition? but, when these students grow up, they will open their eyes to a wider view. a lot will end up doing different stuff from what they wrote years ago. what i mean to say here is that, interests are similar to the "occupation scenarios".
interests might change over time too, right?
then, one of the student wrote, "matapelajaran yang paling saya sukai ialah pendidikan seni dan pendidikan jasmani". a very straight and normal sentence. but the teacher commented, "hah?! you like arts and physical education? everyday don't need to study lar!!!". 12 years back, when i was in my 4th year of schooling, i was asked about my favourite subject and i answered Arts. the teacher then said, "that's what lazy person like to do".
my point here is, why do people often perceive children who like arts and physical education more than any other subjects as lazy bums? what's wrong with having interest in drawing and painting, and doing physical exercises? how exactly is laziness linked to interest in arts and p.e? this is called prejudice! most parents hope that their children will have more interest or better, talent in more popular subjects such as math and science. from the parents' perspective, their children will have better future if they do better in math and science. is that so? i still remember, when i was still a little girl, i love drawing. although mum and dad encouraged me a lot, that they even enrolled me in drawing class, they dislike the idea of me dreaming to become a fashion designer. all they said is, "there's little future in the fashion line".
parents and teachers really need to change their perception. they should. if arts and physical education is so unimportant, why are we taking arts and p.e from primary school up to secondary level, and why the fact that if we fail arts in form 1, we fail in the overall aspect? why not abolish this two subjects in school and insert more slots for the other "useful" subjects?
yeah...i think the answer would be, "to release stress, to nurture the creative skills in students...bla bla bla...".
i think that even though these children might be too young to determine their own interest and their own path, but i believe it is not in the adults' right either, to determine for the young ones, about what they are interested in. wrong ideas should not be created in order to avoid forming more clouds and mist.
i believe that it is to early for the adults to label or to judge them. people do change.
remember how we need to fill in the 3 choices of ambitions when we were in standard 1? most of us will fill in -teacher, doctor, policeman, nurse, lawyer, fire fighter, postman...all the common and basic occupations taught to us. then, we have no idea of other occupations such as coroner, broadcaster, radio dj, anesthetist, actuarist and other "canggih" occupations. how many year one students will write down anesthetist for their ambition? but, when these students grow up, they will open their eyes to a wider view. a lot will end up doing different stuff from what they wrote years ago. what i mean to say here is that, interests are similar to the "occupation scenarios".
interests might change over time too, right?
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