Gratitude

I was a rotten kid in school. Hated Math homework. Always preferred to read my fantasy novels instead of some bone dry Physics textbook. And I've paid the price. Detentions, writing lines, demerit points. Even having my mom called to school every year for counselling to help improve my performance. Short of having my bum smacked in front of my classmates.

None of these stopped me from being totally grateful to my teachers. Aside from imposing the regurgitation that is mandatory in the education system in Singapore, a few of them were able to step back from the system and make an effort to impart those life skills that are simply not taught in textbooks. These are the educators who has continued to inspire me long after I've left their classrooms.

I was fortunate not to be in the same classes led by the teachers featured in this letter.

Teachers should not expect lavish gifts on Teachers' Day

However, now my children are pressured by their peers to present gifts to their teachers and some of these don't come cheap. A card won't meet the same standard as a gift. In a single-income family, I struggle to earn a decent living and provide for my family and each year, I have to spend money on such non-essential gifts. My children told me the 'benchmark' for gifts had been raised even higher the past few years, with some of their classmates giving tins of abalone and packets of bird's nest, and ordinary items won't do.

I am perturbed by the now standard practice of showering teachers with gifts and especially more and more expensive ones. While I fully support the view that students should be moulded to respect and show gratitude to their teachers, I wonder if schools have gone too far in expecting parents to shower their teachers with expensive gifts.