Meeting a necessary evil

ONE of the things that still eludes me even after all these years of teaching is the necessity for lengthy meetings. Whether it be a routine staff meeting, curriculum, co-curricular, sports, or P.I.B.G. (Parent-Teacher Association) meeting, or even so-called briefing, I have yet to get up from one without thinking that the whole two to three hours could have been condensed into 30 minutes without losing any important points. 

“Staff meetings,” declared Mr Kang the school philosopher, “are a necessary evil. And, there is no sense in prolonging such evil is there?” he added with a look over his shoulder.