Better than a thousand days of diligent study is one day with a great teacher.
– Japanese proverb
In your place of work, if you are aware that something is seriously wrong, will you be prepared to bring up the matter to your superior? Or will you just keep quiet, pretend that nothing is wrong and wait for others to put things right?
The choice is yours. The majority will probably keep quiet and not rock the boat. The few who dare to speak up (which means confronting those in authority) will most likely have to face dire consequences.
It is common knowledge that in today’s workplace, more people are keeping quiet and are just going with the flow – thinking that this is the best way to advance, get noticed or win the political gaming that takes place at work. For others, it is a survival mechanism.
Then, there is the other school of thought. What if keeping silent hurts you more in the long run? Think about it. Is it really worth it to keep quiet and suffer when you could speak up and help put things right?
This past week, the case of the teacher who faces the sack after voicing concerns on the school syllabus and heavy bags students have to carry daily caught my attention.
Mohd Fadli Salleh, a primary school teacher from Sekolah Kebangsaan (1) Gombak, Kuala Lumpur, has received a letter from the Ministry of Education accusing him of committing offence on three separate occasions.
In his Facebook post on Oct 16, Fadli lamented that his actions – raising his concerns through multiple social media postings over issues affecting students – have no personal motivation and that what he has been doing is merely for the greater interest of the students.
If what the teacher said was his noble objective and that he was merely trying to improve the situation in school, rightly or wrongly, I believe he should be heard.
The heavy bag issue is not new. It has been a problem for a very long time. I’m actually surprised that it is still a nagging problem today. It should have been resolved a long time ago.
The question that must be asked is: Why has it not been taken care of? The heavy bags have been a burden on the students, particularly the younger ones in primary school.
Fadli, who is a mathematics teacher, has also questioned whether the national syllabus is suitable, given the current needs, class capacity and school facilities.
He pointed out that it was unfair to just compare the syllabus, without considering the facilities, capacity and time allocated for teaching a subject in national schools.
The teacher added that the facilities available in national schools are also far behind that of developed nations, where teachers are even equipped with a teacher’s aide.
“Their internet coverage, the use of smart boards and other school facilities are up to date. But here, some teachers’ desks are from the 1960s and in some schools, students sit on chairs which are decades old. They just get fixed each time they break.
“Not all places enjoy high-speed internet. Everyone knows this. So it’s not just about ensuring the syllabus is comparable to developed nations. If the facilities, the class size and teaching time do not commensurate, how can we perform at par?”, Fadli asked.
I have read many reports in the media about Fadli’s case and he has given all his reasons for why he has to speak up publicly.
At 39, Fadli is one of the younger generation of teachers who is passionate about his profession and is earnestly speaking up to right the wrongs.
As Fadli had explained, his attempts to bring his concerns to his superiors was an internal exercise in futility and this prompted him to go public.
He is probably aware that he would be facing dire consequences from the Education Ministry but he was prepared to take the risk of even losing his job.
I would have applauded Fadli’s brave and noble act instead of threatening him with a show-cause letter.
Not surprisingly, the show-cause letter has prompted public outcry, with many parents saying they agree with the teacher’s criticism of the national education syllabus.
I am glad that Education Minister Datuk Dr Radzi Md Jidin is also aware of the Fadli case and he has invited the teacher for a meeting to discuss further the concerns raised.
I hope that the minister will do the only sensible thing – tell all teachers to act like Fadli and speak up when it is necessary to do so. Promote Fadli instead of sacking or demoting him.
As far as I’m concerned, Fadli is an exemplary teacher. On behalf of all parents, I say thank you to Fadli for speaking up. He is a gem of a teacher indeed.
The views expressed here are those of the columnist and do not necessarily represent the views of New Sarawak Tribune.
