Teachers' Day

The schools are celebrating Teachers' Day today. It's an all day affair at SK's school with performances and activities to entertain the teachers.

YK has gone back to his secondary school with some friends to visit his ex-teachers. The camaraderie amongst the old boys in his school is very strong.

Being a teacher can be quite a thankless job, so it is only right that we have a day to honour them. Now that I am working closely with teachers for our gardening business, I have come to appreciate them more.

I was very impressed when a principal from a pre-school called to enquire about our gardening kits for little children. The teachers love the kids so much that they are paying out of their own pockets so that the kids can learn to grow vegetables. Such dedicated teachers are hard to find.

Recently I read about a teacher in an elite girl's school who tweaked her student's ear and pulled their hair when they couldn't complete their worksheets. When SK was younger, I used to hear his tuition teachers yelling during math lessons.

Back when I was in primary school, we had our fair share of nasty teachers. During those days, they could get away with caning or slapping the kids. One of our teachers even made us clean his house during the weekend!

Parents today would not hesitate to lodge a complaint if they find the teacher's performance unsatisfactory. Kids today can be too boisterous and the teacher's hands are tied when it comes to disciplining them.

I've tried teaching my own kids before and I know how hard it is. That's why I leave the coaching to the tutors to preserve my sanity. The teachers (and students) will get a well-deserved day off tomorrow. To all the teachers out there, "Happy Teacher's Day!"