Star Q
Most Malaysian schools do not have conducive environment for studying especially those in rural areas. The morning classes where the temperature is cool is the best part of the day for students to study and for teachers to teach. But as the day turns hotter in the afternoon, everybody becomes restless and all they can think of is to abandon school and return to the comfort of their own homes.
That is the scenario when, once upon a time, school used to end at two forty on normal days. Of late however, some school administrators have decided to carry out their co-curricular activities in the morning, thus extending the teaching and learning time, on certain days, to a maximum of four-twenty!
There is obviously some good reasons why initially, the government outlined school to be over in the afternoon and not late in the evening. As mentioned earlier, our schools do not provide conducive environment for teaching and learning to be done late in the evening. Students' classes are not equipped with air-conditioners like the ones fitted in the administrators offices to combat the searing afternoon heat. They only have three ceiling fans per class to be shared among forty of them plus one teacher, while the administrators have one unit of air-conditioner (plus a fan) each.
And with regards to the sweltering afternoon heat, these hot and humid classrooms would wreak with the smell of sweat and body odour which in turn makes it difficult for the students and teachers to concentrate on what they doing in class. It is indeed a miracle if anything kind of teaching and learning can actually take place!
Having classes later than two forty is also not conducive because students' stomachs would be rumbling due to hunger and obviously the afternoon heat causes everybody to become thirsty. In such a situation it is not surprising if students complain of hunger and thirst, while some mischievous ones take their own initiatives by making frequent attempts to buy cool drinks at the canteen.
While on the subject of canteen, it is certainly without doubt that parents will have to fork out more money for their children since they will have to eat, not once but twice a day; once during the morning break and the second one during the afternoon break. These ambitious schools should realise that not all parents can afford to fork out extra money; money for lunch which could have been saved if their children were to return home at the normal time of two forty! And we are all very much aware how much the prices of food and drinks have risen of late!
The last reason, but definitely not the least, is discipline problems. Rowdy students who become restless and somewhat uncontrollable during the normal going home time of two forty, will get even more restless in class. These students consider classrooms and teachers and an inhibition to their freedom and would retaliate by becoming even more rebellious putting a lot of strain, not only on the other students in the class, but also on the teacher who not only has to put up with teaching at an ungodly time, but has to put up with these students' disrespectful behaviour, twenty times fold!
Unfortunately, I can only write about what I see and hear. The final and only decision still lies in the hand of the iron-fisted administrator who intends to reap personal gains by putting others into misery. Thus, no amount of coaxing by the parents, teachers and students will have a dent on his decision if he is adamant to have his say and his own way with things!
Note : This entry is not a personal attack on any specific individual. This is merely a personal observation.
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