AFTER the year-end exams, most students would be quite free in school as it is the end of the academic session and only a few lessons, if any, are being held. Teachers would also be busy marking papers or involved with invigilation duties for government exams.
Activities would be arranged for these students, but most of the time, they would be left to themselves in their class. They can't bring games like chess from home to play in class even when there are chess clubs in school!
This is due to the Education Ministry's ruling that no outside games can be brought to schools. I would understand if card games that could inculcate the gambling habit are banned, but there are others like UNO and Happy Family that should be allowed.
To totally refuse all card and board games is ridiculous in this day and age. This is the time for students to de-stress after a long academic year, but they are only expected to bring books to read! This drives students to stay at home where they would have their electronic gadgets to keep themselves entertained.
Playing card and board games in groups allows students to build comradeship and friendships. Most people of my generation would have happy memories of this year-end practice during our school life. But school administrators these days do not allow such activities, quoting circulars from the Education Ministry to back their decisions.
Many such rulings from the Education Ministry need to be tweaked. This includes banning students from bringing mobile phones to school. While I understand the ministry's reasons for imposing the ban, I feel students who come with phones should be allowed to keep their devices in a safe place in the school and pick them up after school.
This would enable students to, for example, call for an e-hailing ride should it be needed. Moreover, students who drive – those aged 17 who are in Form 5 – should be allowed to take their phones to school so that they can have a device to call for assistance if anything happens when they are on the road. My son had to keep his phone in the car because he couldn't take it with him into the school premises. Bear in mind that electronic devices could explode in the heat of the closed vehicle.
It's high time our Madani government's Education Minister tweaked these orders. Leniency should be shown in all matters affecting the well-being of students.
We have to move away from the "total ban" culture to a more holistic set of guidelines.
DR JOSEPH JESUDASAN
Melaka
