‘Successful and unsuccessful people do not vary greatly in their abilities. They vary in their desires to reach their potential.’– John Maxwell, American author, speaker and pastor.
On the first day of the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination recently, many parents turned up as early as 6 am at a particular school in Kuching to provide moral support to their children.
One of the parents who was interviewed thanked the school for allowing them to be with their children. She believed moral support from parents would further boost the students’ confidence in facing the major examination.
Another believed that having parents with them and praying with them before they entered the examination hall would further boost the children’s confidence in facing the examination.
My initial reactions on reading this piece of news was “how time has changed and how lucky today’s kids are.”
I also noticed most of the parents interviewed were women. Was it a coincidence? Does that mean women in general cared more for their children and tend to pamper them? Most of the parents interviewed were also teachers.
Public examination times are anxious times not only for students but also their families. The students have to study hard long before they sit for the exam.
When I was In Form Five long ago, my schoolmates and I were given weeks off from school to study for our SPM.
It was up to us to choose why and how we wanted to study. I chose to study at home because it was most convenient to do so. My parents never forced me or my siblings to study. They just told us to study hard and to pass our examinations so that we would have a bright future and could find jobs.
In retrospect, I wonder how I would have felt if either of my parents had turned up at my school to give me moral support during a public examination. Would I have done better? If I had done better, where will I be today? Will I still be working as a newspaper editor?
When I was growing up, my father was busy working. At one time, he was helping the Kheng Chew Association, the Hainan association, in Sibu to run its mahjong club. Another time, he was an assistant in a coffeeshop in the town, helping to make authentic Hainan coffee and toasts. He had to work hard to support six fast growing kids.
He told my siblings and I to study hard and trusted us to carry out our responsibility.
If we captured any of the top three positions in class from Primary One to Six, we were eligible for the yearly educational incentives given by the Kheng Chew Association.
Nothing made my father prouder than to see me or my siblings receiving the incentives from the association’s officials.
When I was growing up, my mother, an illiterate housewife, was busy doing housework chores like shopping for the food, etc, and looking after my younger siblings.
Neither she nor my father had time to go to school to provide moral support to my siblings and I during examination times.
I think in my entire life, my father only went to my school once. That was on my first day in primary school. Since I never went to preschool or kindergarten, I had a cultural shock on the first day of school.
I did not know that the long complicated Chinese name the teacher kept calling out belonged to me.
After a long wait to settle some class matters, my father, who had been busy talking to a friend by one of the windows, asked me to approach the teacher’s table. When I did so, the teacher told me she had been calling out my name for ages.
At home, I had a short nickname and everyone called me that name. Until I went to school, that nickname was the only name I knew.
Although a lot of water has flowed under the bridge since then, I still cannot forget this funny incident.
Before I conclude my column, I’d like to wish all students sitting for the SPM success in their examination.
My friends, if your children or grandchildren are sitting for the examination, make sure they eat well and help them to get enough sleep.
Talk to them about exam nerves and encourage them to exercise even during the exams. Talk about exam nerves, don’t add to their pressure and make time for treats.
Until next week, stay safe..
