Teaching is hard. It takes a lot of skill. Not everyone who tries can do it well. We need to admit that and act accordingly. We should reward and respect great teachers by paying them more, and we should stop rewarding seniority over effectiveness.
– Betsy DeVos, US Secretary of Education
I read with ardent interest the story front-paged on New Sarawak Tribune dated last Dec 4 with the title “Double sessions a headache.”
Yes I totally agree with my good friend and former colleague Datuk Seri Manyin Jawong, the Minister of Education, Science and Technological Research, who pointed out that schools with double sessions were still a problem in Sarawak.
According to Manyin – we were colleagues in then Rajang Teachers College, Bintangor (now IPG Rajang) in 1982-83 – there are about 66 schools with double sessions in the state now including 25 primary schools.
I am in the position to state my view on this problem after having headed three of such secondary schools, namely SMK Serian (1986-87), SMK Julau in Sarikei Division (1988-1993) and SMK Lake in Bau three years later, plus of course the fact that my beloved spouse is teaching in one double session secondary school in Kuching City here. She used to feed me with some of the predicaments on her teaching experience in the school.
Both the afternoon sessions in Serian, Julau and Bau were then headed by their respective afternoon supervisors who both held special grades for non-graduates. Both were individuals whom I was already acquainted with prior to being colleagues in the respective schools that proved a plus factor for our collegiality in the three boarding schools.
Nevertheless there were particular problems for both schools, meaning not all the problems were similar. Julau for example, with many of afternoon students being day scholars coming from the small Julau town and its Malay kampung and no fewer than 10 nearby longhouses, then faced problems including students having to brave the jungle paths nearing the dark hours because the school’s afternoon session ended at 5.45pm, the earliest possible time after having been adjusted a few time. Due to poor road accessibility connecting SMK Julau to the nearby kampong and longhouses, the poor students, including those just reaching puberty, had to rely on their original birth gift ― on foot
Thus working from the school over a distance of four to five kilometres would take between 45 minutes and an hour or more. After encountering such predicament, many of them, especially Iban kids, applied to become boarders.
This was not so much of a problem for its Serian and Bau counterparts due to their better road connectivity, plus most of the afternoon session day scholars from the nearby villages had cars or vans to rely on for transportation, a luxury not enjoyed by their Julau counterparts then.
In SMK Lake, then with 117 teachers including 66 graduates, I had very limited encounter, if any, with many of the afternoon teachers, apart from formal staff meetings.
This problem hindered leader and followers interaction which could be seen as one of teachers’ motivations, a factor that could enhance the quality of teaching and learning.
The limited interaction between school principal and teachers could lead to low spirit of cooperation that could impede learning process. SMK Serian at that time with more than 80 teachers also faced similar problem of inadequate principal-teacher interaction, thanks no thanks to double sessions.
In fact in both Serian and Bau schools, I had problem recognising teachers despite trying my best to call for small gatherings and meetings both during and outside school hours.
Many teachers complained about too many meetings, especially outside school hours but most did not realise my intention of doing so.
Another common problem pertains to students’ and teachers’ involvement in co-curricular activities after (or before for afternoon session) school hours. For morning session, their co-curricular meetings and activities are coinciding with the afternoon classes and the noise as well as space hassle add to the heat problem faced by afternoon students and teachers.
These are among learning constraints and hazards that become a real bother and at times could put teaching as a high risk job.
Students from both sessions, especially day scholars, need to bring a bigger bag for putting their co-curricular gears to school. Just imagine for those involved uniformed bodies such as Scout Movement, Girl Guide, St John Ambulance, Red Crescent and others, these poor kids need a much bigger luggage to contain their attires and other implements. These are added hazards that could lower the morale of learning and participation.
An afternoon teacher who stays in Kota Samarahan teaching in a secondary school in Kuching city needs to go to school very early at least thrice weekly – she has to beat the jam hours by going around 5.30am – because she is one of the school’s sports trainers as well as an active club teacher-in-charge.
As such she needs to bring along her proper teaching attires on both days but at least she has the luxury of a car that houses such related belongings.
This same problem of students and teachers who kindly involve themselves in sports, games and uniformed units is similarly experienced in all double session schools, not only in Julau, Serian, Bau and Kuching. There are afternoon teachers who do not even know or haven’t seen their morning counterparts. This could pose bigger problems, especially if it is left unmanaged.
The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the New Sarawak Tribune.
