Daughter Missing!

It was a scary and alarming. I was on the line with my Operations Manager when she received a phone call from her husband. Her daughter did not come home on the school bus. She called the school but the teachers from the morning session have left as it is late afternoon. Our conversation was cutoff and she rushes to school to look for her daughter.

Our team was very concerned. KL is not a very safe city. I spoke to another manager asking her to keep me posted of the situation. The good thing is she found her daughter. She was detained by the teacher for not writing out the "shen zi" or difficult characters(in literal translation). Chinese language is pure grunt work. It is just memorising by heart. It is a test of memory which is why I dislike Chinese in school. The other feature of Chinese school mentality is "discipline" It is punishment and fear of punishment to instill work ethic rather than the joys of learning.

I coached my manager to speak to the Principal and make sure the teacher must informed the parents of the kids who are detained and seek alternate transport home. I am not in favour of the Chinese method of dealing with learning. The joy of learning is totally stripped out and it is all about rewards and punishment.

Well, most in Malaysia, at least from the two mothers in my office, still believed in top Chinese schools where teaching is done at a punishing pace and result is paramount. I guess the sentiments in Singapore is similar. My kids do not have much free time. They have plenty of tuition on weekends. However, for infarction, they get privileges withdrawn rather than Chinese-style harsh punishment.