What’s something you used to believe as a kid that seems ridiculous now?
I used to believe that all school teachers were like guardian angels—protectors, guides, and cultivators of decency and kindness in children. This belief was first challenged when I was in primary school, in Year 2.
One day, while we were waiting in a queue, some playful pushing broke out among the students behind me. They accidentally jostled me from the back. I turned my head to see what was happening, and when I faced forward again, my English teacher slapped me across the face without a word. She didn’t scold the children who had been pushing; instead, she took her frustration out on me. I didn’t understand why, but I was utterly disheartened by the unfairness of it all.
That evening, I told my mother about the unpleasant encounter. The next day, she escorted me to school and reasoned with the administration. However, the head teacher neither took the matter seriously nor offered an apology. Disapproving of the school’s handling of the situation, and sensing my strong desire to leave, my mother moved me to another school. Even at seven years old, I held a firm belief in honesty and fairness. Sadly, that first school fell far short of the professional standards I expected of teachers.
Although I have grown from that unpleasant experience, I would not assume that verbal or physical bullying from teachers has disappeared. Coincidentally, just two weeks ago, a news report about a sports teacher physically bullying a student revealed that such misconduct still occurs from time to time.
That said, I still believe that there are many teachers who dedicate their time and energy to the benefit and growth of their students. We often say that to raise children without giving them a proper education is the fault of the father. More so, to educate children without strictness is the fault of the teacher. But if “strictness” is interpreted only literally—without a foundation of truth and fairness—the pain inflicted on children will not be merely academic; it will wound their hearts, and for a long time.
So, while I still wish all school teachers were like guardian angels, I can no longer believe they are in reality. And if I were to insist that all teachers are faultless, I would surely have lost my mind—which, as today’s prompt rightly suggests, would be utterly ridiculous.
en yan hua fang 