Sunday 16 October 2011

A White Elephant in the school?



So far it has not shown any purpose of its existence.
Familiar with the shade in the picture? It was built somewhere in the middle of this year, very near the fishpond opposite the PMR laboratory, and cost, I was told, not less than RM1000.The fund somehow  was said to be a part of donation by a political figure. But the real reason I bring this issue up is, having been there for some months, I have never seen a soul, be it a student, a teacher or any human being using it, or even passing through it. And I dare anybody from  SMK Bukit Besar who is reading this article, tell me, with proof, that people are using this shade, for any reason. The fact that money is being spent for things that do not serve any function, in this case the benefits of the students and teachers, is rather disturbing. This also goes to show that we never learn from past experience. Look at the picture below. This has been around for more than a decade, and the only purpose for its existence is to shade a few teachers' motorcycles. With parts of the roof  falling off, this is a typical example of an abandoned building. 
A shade for teachers' motorbikes.
Passing by the location when the new shade was still under construction, a few times, I remember telling colleagues that the shade will never serve any function if not built together with benches and tables. Go to any parts of the school where there are tables and chairs, like the Pondok Sahsiah and Pondok Ilmu, and  the benches at the Pendidikan Khas block, you will see students grouping, discussing, doing home work and browsing the internet over their laptops. The afternoon session students, while waiting for classes to start, would sit under the shade doing home works or reading books. Others would have meals during recess there, with proper manner, rather than squatting in the little garden beside the canteen building, which as it is known, is not big enough to cater all the students. This is just common sense,  that  I learned in the very first year as a teacher some 24 years ago, that I seriously feel other teachers learn also.
The Pendidikan Khas Block.
A friend, trying to be positive, reasoned lack of finance, assuming that the benches and tables would come later. I however differ in opinion, as, if they realise the problem, they should have put benches and tables at the older shade that is shading motorcycles now, not forgetting to replace the falling roofs.
I have the feeling that this new shade is going to rot  in some time, just like the older one. And this one will not even serve as a motor cycle shade, going by its location.

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