Blog 3 article

Article:

I not stupid, thanks to teenage tuition teacher

Section:
Forum

Publication:
The Straits Times 01/09/2007
Page:
H13

No. of words:
411

IT WAS the year 1982 and I was in Primary 2. I was still illiterate after a year of schooling, and none of the teaching staff appeared to notice.The medium of instruction was English and coming from a family which spoke only Teochew, Mandarin and Hakka, I was severely disadvantaged. Except that I did not know I was.

I had been labelled "stupid" by my form teacher the previous year for not being able to understand a single instruction in English. Ironically, to a "stupid" kid who thought that English was a language meant for Caucasians, the one and only word of spoken English that she understood was "stupid".

It was only when my parents engaged a polytechnic student to teach me basic English after school that my fortunes began to change. Suddenly the words were no longer squiggles and actually meant something. My grades soared and the "stupid" label was quickly forgotten.Twenty-five years on, I often wondered what my fate would have been like had it not been for timely intervention by a teenage tuition teacher. Would I have made it to top schools and then gone on to graduate from medical school?

The more likely scenario would be that I failed my PSLE and possibly ended up being written off by society. How many such students do we have every year, written off by everyone, labelled as "dumb" just because they did not have the socioeconomic advantages prior to formal schooling? I have always been struck by the irony of teachers bemoaning the fact that they were given a class with less academically promising students.

Then there are those among my patients and friends who are teachers in charge of disadvantaged students. Many of them burn with passion for teaching, only to feel frustrated at being hampered by the need to perform in non-teaching duties if they aspire to get promoted.My hope is that these passionate teachers do not become disillusioned.It is also my hope that there will be more teachers like my teenage benefactor, and Monfort Primary teacher Mrs Bala who would go the extra mile for the little soul in need.

My deepest respect goes to the humble teachers who toil without a word of thanks most times of the year. And a lifetime of gratitude to the one tuition teacher who opened the door of opportunities for me in 1982.

Dr Hoe Wan Sin