A video of a classroom exchange between a student and his teacher is now doing the rounds on the Internet.
It shows what is apparently a classroom with a male teacher telling a student to go back to his seat.
The student ignores the teacher’s words and walks over to another student’s desk and starts to fidget with the friend’s computer. He then walks back to where he originally was.
It was at this point that the teacher shouted at him, “Justin!”
The boy turns around, walks back to where he was and says, “[You don’t have] to shout. I’m not deaf, right?”
The teacher replies, “I tell you very nicely [to] sit down…”
The boy cuts the teacher off in a raised voice.
“Don’t shout. I deaf ah? I deaf? I am asking you, ‘Am I deaf?’”
The teacher says, “I tell you…”
Again, the boy cuts him off.
“Am I deaf?”
Teacher says, “I don’t know.”
Boy replies, “Don’t know then you should not shout.”
Teacher: “But I tell you very softly…’
The boy interjects: “You should not shout! I’m not deaf, ok!”
Teacher: “Ok, I apologise. Please sit down.”
The boy refuses and instead tells the teacher to apologise to him with specific words.
The boy is still not satisfied.
“Who ask you to shout? I deaf ah?”
Teacher says, “Did I say I am sorry already? Did I say I am sorry?”
The boy interjects again, “Say, ‘Justin, I am sorry.’”
The teacher then did as the boy instructed.
The video has provoked outrage among many who saw it, with most taking issue with how the boy behaved, and also on the apparent meekness of the teacher. It has also thrown up the question of corporal punishment or caning, which some said should have been used on the boy.
Incidents in schools have attracted the attention of the authorities, including the minister for Education.
The last two notable incident in schools were when St Margaret’s Secondary School asked some students to wear wigs after the students had shaved their heads to show support for children with cancer.
The minister for Education, Heng Swee Keat, said then that the incident presented an opportunity for what he called “the real heart of education.”
“[That] everyone appreciates there is a learning moment in every situation, in every decision we make, in every promise we pledge. Our Principals and teachers have a huge responsibility to help shape our students’ characters. Of course, parents play a most important role, so I ask parents to work together with our educators to give our children the best experiences and lessons to become outstanding young people of character. Because ultimately that is what is really at stake.”
In 2012, a mother filed a police report and went to the media, aggrieved that her son’s $60 haircut was ruined by his teacher.
Then, Mr Heng said:
“If parents do not show graciousness to others and respect for rules, our young will not do so either. Soon, discipline will be eroded, the tone in our schools will deteriorate, and the tone in our society too. Good people will be deterred from joining teaching.”
Have a look at the video below, which was originally posted on Youtube. We are unsure when the incident took place or where it exactly happened.
We would like to hear your views on this, especially if you are a parent, a teacher or a student.
So, do share it with us on the Facebook thread, or email us at: [email protected].
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