A Different Reality

I helped in facilitating a non-discrimination workshop two days ago in SMK Selayang Bharu for the form 3 students there. Was a good experience because the realities in that school were very much different from what we usually go through.

In the school, racial segregation was very apparent. Though this is the case in most, if not all, of the govn. establishments in Malaysia, the level of racial sentiments in that school was a little higher than the normal.

There was race gangsterism, where gangs were made up of students of a particular race, and racial gang fights were quite common in the area. Fatalities did happen.

In that school, discrimination is common.

Also, whilst walking around the school compound, students can be seen lingering all over when classes were on. Initially, I though it was after-school hours already, but it ain’t. In the classes, many were uninterested.

It was common for students to “lompat pagar”, i.e. jump over the school fence and ponteng. It’s an everyday thing.

Teachers were helpless and were exhausted of actions. Corporal punishment is peanuts.

Students were very uncooperative during the workshops. They just refuse to participate. 11 left after morning tea, over the fences. Many followed suit after lunch, thus leaving only 7 participants from the initial 30.

Not trying to badmouth the school, but just wanna point out the stark difference in reality between what most of us would have gone through in our schooling years and this.

Even in our own schools in the past, many of us were probably confined to our own world and course; too busy to notice what’s happening in the other end of the spectrum.

Do I feel thankful for what I had? Yea I do. But above that, it’s more disturbing to know that such conditions exist, but not able to do something substantial to solve it.

But yea, sometimes it’s good to hear the other side of the story, the other side of the coin. When you’re down and frustrated for not getting what you wanted, or you’re jealous of something, just remember of the many others whom are very much less fortunate, and be satisfied for what’s in front of you.

We may not have everything, but surely, there are many things that we can be very happy about.