Life lessons

 

“Quality Education: On the Horizon or Light Years Away?”

  Life without challenges. Would we be happy if that really happened in reality? Everyone can achieve their dreams without hindrance. There is no more strife between us to hunt for necessities like a predator-prey food web. In fact, there will zero innocent suffering to be. There are no longer reasons for imperfection, poverty or disqualified in obtaining what every individual deserves. However, what is meant by a person's situation to achieve something that he or she truly desired is comes with quality and according to a high expectation to create new value and fresh viewpoint in life. If all these views are directed to the education’s right of the current generation, do they also compete with each other in acquiring quality education? Despite the fact that they are at the age where they belong to school exploring knowledge and life skills also get to enjoy their youth with peers. Well, those statements are maybe a general perception of normal students should be.

    Things have come to such a pretty pass that public still questioning the students who are unable to participate in proper education especially in the twentieth century. Nevertheless, it should be noted that not everyone is lucky enough and definitely, people have different challenges that not simply judging from the outside. In this issue, some people blame the parents for their failure in raising children well and accuse them of being lazy to work harder to provide the best education for the kids. Does it not cross their minds that not everything happens at the request of someone? There is a circumstance where the father has low educational background causes him to have difficulty to find a job due to not passing the required qualifications. As a result, such people are work as labourers and security guards in order to earn a living for their families. Indeed, those job salaries are barely enough to cover the basic expenses, what more if the father wants to support the needs of a large family. 

       This story is quite unique compared to previous writing as it is not just my own experiences, but also from my eyes and ears as the witness of some friends that going through a rough patch in their life as well as it comes from the nature side of mine being concern about people's condition. Come to think of it, the toughest time during the verge of the biggest examination of our life, SPM which has been a cinch for us, students and teachers. Honestly, we were all burdened with expectations not only from teachers, but even the District Education Office (PPD) was also impressed by the success of our school in the prior year when we surprisingly broke the records of the highest number of straight A’s students in Johor Bahru and became the beginner of regular school to exceed the record of other prestigious schools. All of that sounds great, but we as students knew better about the struggle to achieve our principal's hope to maintain the success.

      We started to see the light of the sudden change in the school whereby the usual culture of learning there was no longer what it used to be. Students were categorized based on their results meanwhile potential students were placed in the special air-conditioned room for study and discussion. Besides, they were given health food supplements such as milk, raisins, chocolate and vitamins. These efforts made by the teachers in hoping that the potential students would continue the legacy of success. The students were finding their feet to knock socks off in the situation. Though I was treated in that ways, my inner side strictly opposed it and I felt embarrassed with myself as consciousness pressed me to consider others. I could not even look into my friends’ eyes when they confided about their disappointment on how their effort seemed worthless. Equally important, not the compliments or rewards they chased for, it was the acknowledgement of their efforts. Maybe they did not show in the form of flying colours results but the drastic improvement from failed before to pass with big gap differences after taking extra classes and daily exercises. 

     Furthermore, there were heartbreak news and stern reminders to oneself who often drown in pleasure. In the time all students focused on exam preparations, some were tested with the huge trial. Particularly, those who lose their source of enthusiasm, mother and father. A classmate of mine cum comrade-in-arms, his precious soul his beloved mother left him forever. He also was an orphan since the age of nine after the death of his late father who was killed by accident. The only son at home to look after his mother who sat on the wheelchair whole time and doing part-time jobs in the weekend to find his own pocket money as reluctant to ask from his mother. As heavy is the head that wears the crown, he the one knows the feeling of the heavy burden on his shoulders for years, we could see him walking in front the door with shabby clothes, sweating and anxious as the last student to enter the class. Sometimes, he would come to school after the recess bell was ringing. He was a common topic of joke among the students and a place for the teachers to release their anger. Sadly, no one knows the truth until he decided to quit school just a few weeks before the exams.

      ‘You do not know what you have until it is gone.’ Human always takes for granted the very things that deserve gratitude the most. We never realized the lessons we could take from him and the priceless life value he has taught to everyone. Without having time to say goodbye to him, he just disappeared. Nobody knows where this boy brings himself. The characteristic of him which we really admire is how he never asked people to sympathize with his condition. Truly an inspiration. Unfortunately, this is not what textbook and examination meant for. Apparently, the value of life is what we have been searching for so long. 

        If this what people called as the value of quality education, no wonder it is one of the goals of sustainable development. Killing two birds with one stone. For the Muslims, we also protecting our intellect (‘aql) in order to appreciate the greatness of Allah SWT.