The Fate of certain Rural schools in Malaysia

           

            Being a teacher lifelong and served in various districts, and at last settled in this district in Perak. Where this place my home for almost more than quarter century but the people seems just the same as before. The Town has developed, has seen many changes with new buildings. Only the community seems to be the same with their own conservative way of life and thought, especially the locals who were once known as the elite group.   

        

      Those who were raised here pretend to be like the city lass with their life style and their appearance, but when it comes to sharing of knowledge, Oh: my goodness, nothing can be learnt from them. I mean they are very calculative in everything, sharing of ideas, sharing of thoughts and acquiring of knowledge. This is something not very healthy.

   

     The kids those who were suppose to learn easily and happily, struggle when it comes to learning and writing. Few teachers are here for name sake for multiple years, teaching a subject that they don’t know what to teach and how to teach and the admind has appointed them as the exam class teachers.

      A teacher who is suitable to teach the preschool learners with the knowledge that is equal to a early childhood way of teaching handles the learners blindly for several decades.

       These language teachers are not sure of the syllabus they are teaching and the class and the students level but they want to teach the upper forms with their primary school qualifications for that particular subject and the result  they have been assign to teach, the critical classes and the students level and mind set remains the same.

     

       As for extracurricular activity, these teenagers are given exercise which will suit the primary 3 students, even though the particular Teacher has been reminded several times regarding the teaching and learning method which suppose to be taught equal to the students’ age and capacity.

   

     When appointed as a relieve teacher to that particular class during exam, I was shocked with the students understanding in that particular Topic. The students are not sure, whether to write essay , report  or journal for the writing report paper. I told them to read the questions carefully and to answer, they told me their English teacher told them to write journal for essay and for other writing questions.

     

        I was terrified with their explanation, a group of students in rural secondary school , who are not competent in the language , were asked to write by the English Teacher. I read the question to the students and told them that to explain in detail what has been asked in the question. And told them that, writing report is very easy and one need to mention the place, day and location and describe  the incident and who are the people involved.

       I asked them again if the teacher gave them or show them steps to write a journal , and they answered, the teacher only give them sample journal and ask them to copy in their book. This is what a so called English language teacher who has been doing in a rural secondary school for decades, very stubbornly teach the class what ever she doesn’t know and they learn blindly and she teaches them blindly.

      She only wants to be known as a form five English Teacher who cant teach the basic language skills according to the learners level.

  

   

      This is what this particular Teacher has been doing to her students for almost 13 to fourteen years and she is the one controlling the examination classes by appointing her supporter, those non option teacher who never ever attended any courses related to teaching of English in secondary school and for my dismay that particular non option senior teacher was a SPM cert Teacher who studied different course in Poly and remained in this  rural school lifelong and conquered the main people for her own benefit, that was for the 10 percent Incentive given by Ministry of Education to teach English , math and science subjects.

      She benefited but the students have been victimized, many were dropouts and few only mange to become Primary school teachers, teaching other subjects. After observing the environment and the teachers commitment and attitude with their behaviours, I came to a conclusion that the rural schools in Malaysia , either secondary or primary , somehow misused by certain group of people for their own benefit and those who are victimized are the students.