Monday, November 12, 2007

Gen-3


Meet Imran Hakim (born on 9 November 2007). Member of Fivers 2024.

Well that's what I hope anyway. But his mother is not too sure about Imran going to STAR like his dad and grandad. Between my father and me, I'm sure we could make her see some sense. We turned out all right, so why shouldn't Imran?

But it's not that simple is it? I mean getting into STAR these days. And leaving with a high quality, well-rounded education.

For a start, how does one get his child into STAR? I've heard of this old boy quota but apparently it's so competitive to get your child in on the old boy ticket since there are so many old boys' children. You have to make significant contributions to STAROBA, I've been told. So I'm making a checklist already (Item No. 1 - publishing the Malam Perdana Programme Book - checked!). But just for the record, I didn't get in on the old boy ticket since at that time my father had some funny ideas about sending me to La Salle P.J. instead (or Kolej Islam Kelang). It was only by good fortune and coincidence that I was despatched to STAR through the SBP lottery.

Then, there's this other small problem of doing well in the UPSR first. I have no clue about the Malaysian syllabus. I'm already dreading having to re-learn the various Malay peribahasa and penjodoh bilangan to help Imran through his Bahasa Malaysia exam (or is it Bahasa Melayu? They can't seem to make their minds up).

But more importantly, when he does get to STAR, is he assured of getting the same well-rounded experience that I had? I admit, it's nice to see that our boys are now doing well in public exams. Last year's PMR results come to mind (our boys were the best in the country, no less). But is that the end of the matter?

During last year's OBW, I played volleyball with the boys. They beat us on account of our lack of fitness but what they told us later was heart-breaking. It seems that the boys had no coach and had to organise training themselves. True, there was a teacher in charge but apparently all she did was make sure the boys got to the matches. It's the same story with other games. I don't know how far this is true but some boys were even prevented from playing for the state so that the school's academic record remained impressive.

[Corrigendum: According to Winged Acrophobic, we did win the volleyball game. I left the game after I lost the set and didn't realise we went on to win.]

There are other signs that co-curricular activities are being sidelined. Last year's Fifth Formers reported that it is the ambition of one particular teacher to abolish cheering for games. The abolition of cheering would be the death knell of our school spirit. I can imagine in future Staroba matches, I would be shouting 'Cobra!' and the younger old boys would look at me as if I should be locked up in a mental ward.

I don't know what's the cause of this apathy. A lost sense of pride? Undue attention to academic performance? Less selfless teachers? I'm not sure I want Imran to get 10As for his SPM but end up with the personality of C3PO.

I suspect that my father initially didn't want me to go to STAR as he didn't want me to go through the physical hardship of living in hostels (squatting toilets, sub-standard food, crowded dorms). He hasn't seen the state of the hostels and classrooms now! I was shocked when my friends and I did an impromptu inspection of the hostels and dorms during an OBW. I'm sure we have got used to the good life since we left STAR but I don't remember living in such dismal conditions. Furniture was broken. Walls and lockers bare. Clothes strewn all over the place. Don't they have inspections and inter-house cleanliness competitions anymore? Oh I forgot, they don't even have houses now.

Thoughts like that are just too daunting. Maybe I shouldn't be too disappointed if Imran doesn't get to go to STAR. But I'll keep on brainwashing the wife, just in case. In the meantime I'd better hide those old hostel photos.

18 comments:

akula said...

Hey, congratulation!.

No coach? Whatever happened to the teachers?

Academic excellence won hands down ye.

Dont they trust the students capabilities to cope with both, academic and sports?

They should nurture the talent and the brain at the same time la.

HM bangang ke or does he himself is lacking the capability and senses to administer the student?

And that teacher who suggested to abolished the cheering should just shut up and f**k off. He knows nothing about school spirit.

Anuar Fariz Shuaid said...

Dear bro,

Foremost, congratulations on your Gen 3. Thanks for dropping by at my blog previously. You are having such a wonderful blog yourself. Great !!

By the way, why don't you notify us more about your good self. I've tried to find a clue at your profile nexus but still don't have any idea about you. FYI i'm fivers 1997. Yeap same vintage with those stoney and Wira..

Anyway, I'll come back another time for sure.

tigerlaneboy said...

akula .... thanks, bro. it's sad to see what's going on in school. this focus on academic excellence is totally misplaced. it's a given that if you go to STAR, you should do well in your studies in the first place. if you want to only do well in your studies but end up as a soulless android, you can go to any one of the other boarding schools out there.

Anuar Fariz ...thanks, bro. i've already listed your blog in the right vintage. curious about me? sorry i don't mean to be so elusive. actually people who know me in real life already could guess who i am by reading the clues in the blog. drop me an email and i'll sing like a canary (i wanted to send you one but your profile is just as bad!)

Anonymous said...

you'd better keep the old hostel's photos safely.

i've seen my husband's and oh my, what can i say.

:)

though i hope that my kids can be the STAR 2nd gen, i think maybe at this rate, they'd better stay at home with us.

facilities wise, we can provide better.

however it is not all about facilities rite?

it's the experiences.

entahlah.

thinking again, tal

tigerlaneboy said...

wawa ..... it is about the experience. budak2 sekarang dah tak heran tengok the facilities we have. u send your kids first la, then we can have you to promote the STAR experience to the reluctant mums.

Azurah Anuar said...

haha you wish!

i've seen the dorm when i went for the obw..

masya allah..dhaif nya.

but we'll see. who knows mmg ada rezeki my kids ke sana ke.

;)

Da Winged Acrophobic said...

Last OBW, we beat them at volleyball la. In spite of our lack of fitness. Congratulations! We'll come visit Imran soon.

tigerlaneboy said...

Wawa .... memang dhaif. but what was a respectable lady doing peeping into the boys' dorms? You might get to see more than you bargained for! :)

Winged Acrophobic ... yes, please come visit. we beat them? damn, i lost the set that i played but didn't realise we beat them. lagi sedih, in that case. (pssst, u want your blog linked here?)

Anonymous said...

Congrats bro..aku pun setuju sangat. apala nak jadi dengan bebudak star sekarang. dulu2 confirm kena balun dengan prefect kalau mcm 2 punya "bersih" dorm. ntahla. sebab persekitaran macam 2 kot baru diorang excel stadi. Further scientific studies required la. hehe..by the way this guys are from my batch, fivers 96 that i know off from ur Unknown Vintage List..
* Absolute Vanilla (bro..u misspell this one)
* Awan Putih
* Crazy Logic Pop Star Tour
* Ezham
* Khairil Mustapha
* Krinch
* Rizman
* Syafeeq

Encik Rasis said...

couldn't agree more with you there bro... bukan residential schools je, semua sekolah pun dah jadi macam tu, academic inclined. susah nak jumpa students sekarang yang all-rounder, like us. extra curricular activities yang digalakkan pun, lebih kepada aktiviti-aktiviti dalaman (debate, pantun and such, but not sports).

maybe kementerian patut postingkan semua cikgu-cikgu yang old boy balik ke star so that the spirit won't die? what do you think?

tigerlaneboy said...

mozilla ....done as requested. kalau boleh, please identify kutu2 yg lain tu datang dari batch mana. maybe your theory tu boleh pakai. creative geniuses (like me) definitely need a chaotic working area.

Encik Rasis .... ni macam hint mintak kena posting ke Star? To whom it may concern, please take note!

Encik Rasis said...

creative geniuses definitely need a chaotic working area? no wonder my workstation is a mess. hehehe...

me back in STAR? i wonder if the school administrator would ever welcome a 'rebel' and supporter of the school spirit like me... hurm... tapi kalau sorang-sorang je, tak best jugak.

jetsetqueen said...

Congrats! I think I will send mine (in the future) to La Salle PJ..so that whenever mommy sends the son to school, she can pass her old gal's school :)

tigerlaneboy said...

Rasis .... rebel ke cikgu ni? we are all behind u!

jetsetqueen ..... wah looking good. awek pun suka masuk blog ni. hmm, i think i might know a few people from your alumni.

Anonymous said...

Should I be offended I wasn't invited to read this blog?

p/s: Little fellar is sooo adorable. Congrats.

Lily

tigerlaneboy said...

Lily ...the readership was meant to be for people with err..certain appendages. But what the heck. Ke mana lagi tumpahnya kuah....

Anonymous said...

Eh hellooo the little fella is still a BABY lah!! Give him some space to breathe la. Kecik kecik dah plan sekolah menengah mana nak gi!! Aiyohhh!!.. *slaps forehead twice*

You boarding school guys are all the same... :P

STAR, MCKK, RMC..etc etc...

*sigh*

tigerlaneboy said...

mobilemom .... how can u equate us to people from those other schools? (your hubby would be upset too) I'm already teaching the little fellow to say 'Cobratasha!' (sorry, in-joke, mobilemom)