Of course, an educator is different from an administrator. But which is more needed for our schools?
Is bookplate-making or a student's TV station so peculiar to those schools in China that it can't be emulated in Singapore for lack of ideas and facilities? In fact, the activity per se doesn't matter, but the initiative to boost the students' motivation does.
The essence of education lies more in activating a desire in the educated to study on their own accord.
In Singapore, waves upon waves of new policies, re-set targets, appraisals and assessments tend to make even the most competent principals feel inadequate.
Besides, a principal is judged by his executive abilities rather than his commitment to the ideal of education.
Of course we have no lack of educators highly actuated by ideals, but they hardly have the urge to break through the various restrictions. Principals and teachers alike may have lots of fresh ideas of how to do a better job, but they have yet to take an even tougher challenge and uphold the ideal of education for the benefit of their students.
Here we have a perfect education system, which provides a regular environment for normal growth. Yet our practices, on the whole, still encourage excellence and fulfilment of potentials while neglecting the balance between intelligence and character in the educated.
Education should be different from business management. If our principals can free their minds to pursue their ideals on a reasonable assumption, we can expect to see more of their cherished dreams come true.
•The author is editor of Thumbs Up , a weekly newspaper for Primary pupils. Translated by Allen Zhuang
我們的教育欠缺些什么？
● 蔡深江
作者最近率領(lǐng)本年度模范華文教師訪問中國山東和北京，參觀當(dāng)?shù)氐闹形慕虒W(xué)情況。這是他的感想。
最近在中國參觀了兩所學(xué)校，校長辦校的理念讓人暗自喝采。
中國也面對(duì)新生代學(xué)生不愛閱讀的問題，濟(jì)南一所小學(xué)的校長于是在學(xué)校推行制作藏書票的活動(dòng)。
不但是全校各年級(jí)學(xué)生要制作藏書票，老師也必須參與制作。整個(gè)制作藏書票的活動(dòng)成了學(xué)校最主要的一個(gè)工程，每一年浩浩蕩蕩舉行。
美術(shù)老師負(fù)責(zé)課后教導(dǎo)學(xué)生以石膏刻制版模，其他科目的老師則鼓勵(lì)學(xué)生閱讀課外書，點(diǎn)出制作藏書票的意義。
最后，所有師生的作品都展示出來，藏書票加上簡單的讀書報(bào)告，成了學(xué)校最漂亮的成績單，不但達(dá)到了鼓勵(lì)閱讀的目的，也巧妙地提煉了學(xué)生的美學(xué)觀念。
校長的出發(fā)點(diǎn)很平實(shí)，只是想通過藏書票這個(gè)古老的印刷方式，結(jié)合美的教育和閱讀習(xí)慣，讓學(xué)生通過一種更輕松有趣的認(rèn)知過程，加強(qiáng)學(xué)習(xí)效果。
北京的一所中學(xué)則是讓學(xué)生成立電視臺(tái)，從節(jié)目的策劃到臺(tái)前幕后的大小工作都由學(xué)生負(fù)責(zé)，連擔(dān)任電視臺(tái)臺(tái)長的學(xué)生也是通過校長和全校師生一人一票選舉產(chǎn)生。
校方則提供相當(dāng)有限的制作經(jīng)費(fèi)，以及設(shè)立簡單的攝影棚和條件不是很好的剪接后制場所。
我和負(fù)責(zé)同學(xué)在悶熱的剪接室交談，夏初的暑熱使人難受，然而我對(duì)學(xué)生們的精神十分佩服。
校長用周會(huì)放映學(xué)生拍攝制作的節(jié)目，并且讓學(xué)生公開討論，辯論解說節(jié)目的內(nèi)容和制作水平。
學(xué)生在課余時(shí)間進(jìn)行攝制的相關(guān)工作，不影響他們的正課學(xué)習(xí)。
面對(duì)訪客，校長不談學(xué)生的學(xué)業(yè)成績和其他輝煌的比賽記錄，專心分享她和學(xué)生成立電視臺(tái)的用心、效果以及驕傲。
我不得不將本地的教育情況帶出來比較。
※本文作者：佚名※