Across the Land

It's almost the end of the year. All major examinations except SPM had been carried out and the students are having a lot of 'fun' either at school or at home. However, the education officers aka teachers are not slowing down. PBS key-in has not yet finished. There are many other tasks to be completed before the school closed for the year-end holiday. There are these ICT things, that got the teachers on their nerves! I bet, those at the top are also not having enough sleep. In the last few years, things keep changing and changing. I'm not opposing changes but they should be done after a thorough study. We, teachers are the ones carrying out the changes or else they will just 'collecting dusts' in the big files up there. Please have a pity on us. We might be your mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, aunties, uncles and so forth.

My students had already sat for the PMR Geography Paper last Thursday, the 3rd of October. And the last Geography Paper in the last PMR national examination after 20 years in existence. I have thrown away most of the reference and revision books in that format, preparing myself for the new form of students' academic evaluation. PBS. After 20 years teaching the students to excel academically and pushing them to learn Geography, to get them interested in Geography, I come to ask myself this question. Is Geography still relevant in the education system? Why do I ask the question? I heard that (not through gossips), the number of teaching periods for the subject is going to be reduced from 3 to 1, and another subject related to traffic safety is going to be introduced. Geography is such an interesting subject if it is taught properly. I had students who begged me to continue teaching even after the bell has rung. I could still remember their attentiveness when I told them storie...