Parenting & Exam 101

A must for me every workday morning (NO!! It's not breakfast >> I eat daily, no off days) is to read 'Views - The Star (shall we call it Letter to Editor?). Today 1 particular letter grabbed my attention : 'Parent's role in children's schoolwork' by James Nayagam...

His daughter has gotten a 'B' & didn't dare to show her exam result, after much persuasion from them only then she did. He prayed & thank god because Sarah passed her exam and was met by a hug from her. So he wrote in, encouraging parent's acceptance, understanding & love in their children's examination results. I thought to myself >> dreams are made of this :P

It reminds me of my own childhood....Where moms was most proud & bragging whenever their offspring has gotten 'As' and appear in the Top No so & so in class or school. Every year, my teacher's complain to my mom : Smart but too lazy, talked too much...

Ffwd to Secondary, I don't get as many 'As' but I gained way more knowledge which they couldn't grade but evidence, i.e. my report card begs to differ. So, the all time million dollar question by my beloved Mami :

M1 (Mami) : You are not stupid, why didn't you make the effort to score all As?
M2 (Me) : I know, A is not everything. I can't learn much in school with those systems!
M1 : You think you are so smart isn't it?
M2 : I learn & read a lot more than I do in school! (already a rebel cum smart ass)

The problem here is, whatever that came out from the teacher's mouth is like old story to me.. I have learned more & I meant way more since Standard 3 because my hobby is to collect unwanted books behind the libraries & take it home with me. The things that kept me in school was English, BM (both periods providing literature books to be read), Kemahiran Hidup, History, lab experiments during Science & PE.

I knew many straight A students & I meant many..some coupled with vast knowledge & EQ, survived but a lot of them, crashed & burn...BADLY!! They can't survive in the real world, the playgrounds created by other adults.. (I can't say I am in great shape but I am happy where I am).

Moral of the story is... 'As' might and the keyword IS *MIGHT* give you easier access to doors & maybe.. maybe to many doors but it is not everything. Many if not most of the most successful people in the world (I think you'd know a few) are without a decent piece of paper (except that piece of thing called cheque, their Datuk, Tan Sri, Tun-ship certificates) to show for it.

What I would like to see are parents nurturing the emotional & mental wellbeing of their children. The common courtesy, sensibility, sensitivity, compassion & empathy in their children must not be cast aside..

Too many bratty children with As (which doesn't equal them being smart but rather countless hours spent memorizing data) are occupying this world. I see them brawling, rolling, screaming, zooming, cutting, knocking, you name it they've done it brats when you are outside, sometimes inside your home. You can be proactive & change that! Kudos to James, I hope you continue to nurture your children & help them get to where they want to be.

Meanwhile I will wait for 10 more years to ask my son again if he still wants & could be a pilot :P

Salute!