I can't deny the fact that I didn't love school when I was little because whenever I remember that, I have to wake up very early and go to school. I have to answer questions in class, and if I don't, I will be wiped with a cane, which makes me dislike school.
But then, there was something so good about being a student that is no longer relevant nowadays, and that thing is professional teachers. Then we had teachers who are very qualified to be called teachers, mature teachers who understand students, teachers who have the experience of what it takes to be called teachers.
When I got to SS1, my subjects changed because I chose science class although I don't like school, but yet, I was passionate about being a doctor because I wanted to save lots of lives. There were subjects I disliked so much to the extent that I would definitely sleep whenever the subject teachers entered my class.
My chemistry teacher noticed that, and she called me to the staff room. She said, "You can't hate a subject and understand it at the same time." I asked why she said so, and she explained that "it is only when a student doesn't enjoy the subject that she sleeps during the class.".
She was right about that, and I couldn't deny it, so she volunteered to give me extra coaching, and that would be my break time. She purposely chose the break time so that I would also sacrifice something for the help she wanted to do for me.
That was how I started picking an interest in chemistry because she took her time to study me so well in the classroom, and while teaching me personally, she told me that I was a slow learner, which is why I needed extra coaching hours.
When it was exam time, I couldn't stop reading, which surprised me too because I knew myself better than anyone, but I didn't want to let her down, so I had to read and pass. I started reading not only chemistry but every subject that has calculations because I wanted to show her my results at the end of the term.
When the results came out, I was shocked at the mark I scored because everyone in the class knew me to be a dull girl who didn't know anything, but every time I went out for a break, none of them knew I didn't play around like them.
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Now, to talk about teachers nowadays, most of them are still supposed to be at the university, but because of how the country is, everyone has to work, and because some schools don't want to pay much salary, they employ them for small amounts of salary.
When I was living with my elder sister, her children brought notes home, and I asked why they didn't write them in the school. The boy said, "Our uncle told us to write them at home and do some findings to complete the notes." I couldn't believe my ears because when I was in secondary school, all notes must be written in the school because they would be marked the next day.
What I am trying to say is that gone are those days when teachers took students seriously because back then they felt like students were their responsibility, which is no longer so. Most teachers are there because of the salary, not because of the students.
Being a student back then was like hell because, despite the hot weather, the classroom never had a fan. But nowadays, students now enjoy fresh air from the fan that was put inside their classroom, which makes studying easier for them.
I think every school should make sure their teachers are qualified for the post, not just someone who wants the work at all costs.