1TOILET TO ENCOURAGE “ONENESS” BETWEEN STUDENTS AND TEACHERS
THIS IS NOT A JOKE! LET’S INTRODUCE THE POLICY AND SEE IF IT WORKS
1Toilet to bring students and teachers closer?
The state government of Terengganu will introduce a 1Toilet policy to encourage a sense of oneness between students and teachers.
I do not know how to react. Should I laugh after reading the news article, treating it as some joke? Should I take this policy as a noble cause to create a sense of “oneness”, or my all-time “togetherness”?
I did not study in the local school so I do not know the relationship between students and teachers in the classroom. The following quote, however, got me thinking:
“When students share the toilets with the teacher, they (students) will believe that they are on par with academicians and this automatically invokes a sense of being important to an organisation, which, in this case, is the school,” said State Education, Higher Learning, Human Resource, Science and Technology Committee chairman Ahmad Razif Abd Rahman in The Star.
The policy will also encourage teachers and students to sit in a common place at the school canteen during recess. How can sharing the toilet or canteen space promote a sense (or feeling) of being on par with academicians? Will students go, “Oh wow, I share the toilet with my teacher. I feel important now. Look at me!”
When I was in school, the last time I wanted was to hangout with my teachers (but I am all grown-up now and some are them are on my Facebook list and we are FRIENDS!). If you are a 13-year-old or 17-year-old, do you want to hangout with your teachers?
Then again, I have a great relationship with each of my teachers. I was lucky enough to be educated in the international schools, where on average, there’s only 15 students (maximum) per class. During our classes, we learn (of course we do!) but at the same time, we still “mingle” with the teacher during our class. It was fun, personable and interactive.
So, the moral of the story is… start a healthy interaction between students and teachers in the classroom. There’s no need for students and teachers to wait during toilet breaks and recess to mingle. I do believe that students need proper guidance and a teacher is a great role model to follow. Then again, teachers should also lead by example and getting the best from their students. If a student is already having an inferiority complex feeling in the classroom, how can he/she invoke a sense of importance with the 1Toilet policy?
