Kamalanathan swarmed by excited students of Green Road Primary School during his visit yesterday.
Kamalanathan speaks to a pupil at Green Road Primary School during his visit. Looking on is headmaster Awang Kassim (standing right) and several of the school’s teachers.
KUCHING: The success of a school cannot be measured by academic achievements alone, but also the quality of its co-curricular activities.
“Only then can it be a complete success,” said Deputy Education Minister II P Kamalanathan P Panchanathan during a visit to Green Road Primary School yesterday.
He cited as an example the multiracial student wushu drum group that welcomed him upon arrival, and hoped the school would continue running such initiatives for students.
Kamalanathan also commended the teachers who worked tirelessly to produce excellence year after year.
“I am aware that it isn’t easy being a teacher in this era. It’s not a job anyone can do.”
He described how in the past, getting punished by a teacher in school means additional punishment from parents when a student got home.
“Today, it’s so different. You ‘rotan’ a student, they go home and tell their parents, and tomorrow the parents turn up with a lawyer!”
“If teachers don’t take the initiative (in instilling discipline), I am sure students won’t achieve excellence. At the same time, we cannot force teachers to shoulder the blame completely if students fail in exams.”
Present to welcome Kamalanathan to Green Road Primary School was headmaster Awang Kassim Awang Hossain, teachers and students.
Kamalanathan was on a working visit to Kuching, during which he also visited Sungai Tapang Secondary School and Unimas.