Paying the Price

Too many reports of students doing stupid things and losing their lives as a result of their stupidity. What's so fascinating about "tau pok" that drives a group of students to render their classmate in a coma. And what makes the students think they can beat the flow of the fast moving waters in the canal given none of them are actually strong swimmers to begin with.

My mom asked me if I did all those things when I was a student. Frankly speaking, no. However, I do recall my classmate from pharmacy school asking the freshmen to do the "tau pok" thingie. Sure it has it's danger, but I think it is not so when you were given time to plan who goes at the bottom of the pile and how to go about executing it so the whole group was part of the "tau pok" without flattening the one at the bottom.

Then, my mom asked why students do such stupid things nowadays, and I just shrugged my shoulders and said, "It is the price we pay for propelling the country's economy forward." Dual income families are now the norm. Both parents have to be working in order to afford luxury goods for the whole family. Both parents have to work in order to pay for the bills and daily expenses. Both parents have to work because both want to have a career. Both parents are working because our government is encouraging housewives to return to the workforce. Whatever the reasons, we are seeing more and more family with both parents working.

If both parents are at work, then who is there to guide the children? Teachers? Teachers are not with the students 24/7. Besides, they have 30-40 students to look after, the best they can do is give general guidance. It is not right to expect teachers to give individualised guidance. After all, teachers have a life outside school, they cannot be expected to sell their life and time to the education system what with the puny pay they are drawing.

Parents should still be the ones to guide the younger generation, but of course commonsense tells us if the parents are at work they cannot be home looking after the kids. You might, argue that there are bosses who allow their staff to work from home, but pray, tell me just how many bosses are that open-minded? Or for that matter, just how many workers are that motivated that they can discipline themselves to work without a physical driving force?

Whatever is the case, if parents do not have the time to look after their children, then they SHOULD NOT have any children. Children need time and care, they need love and concern. They need people to guide them as they grow. Just don't burden the society.