The Sacredness of School

A revelation hit me many years ago while I was watching some students perform a dance item during assembly. Two of the dancers were from my class and they had on the biggest smiles I had ever seen on their faces. They were confident and graceful. It was the best side of them that I never saw before. Then, a thought crossed my mind – School is a sacred place.

Sanctuary

That year, I had the privilege of teaching a Primary 6 Foundation class. I wish I could say how I miraculously managed to help some U-graders achieve a good pass but that’s far from reality.

Out of the 7 students, only one of them had a legitimate learning challenge. The rest were from difficult family backgrounds.

Over the years, their confidence had taken a beating from constantly being unable to meet the academic standards of each level.

From numerous home visits, I realised that many of them were living in small houses with half a dozen other family members. Some of them had other duties, like taking care of their infant siblings, or helping out at their parents shops after school. Knowing this, I could understand why they were less than enthusiastic when they were able to make it to school.

Then I saw them dance.

They exuded vibrant energy as each burst of motion synced perfectly with the music. They had a glint in their eyes and an expression of rapture, a sense of ascension from all that was wrong in their lives and finding their unique place in the universe. Here, on the stage, they were finally on equal footing with their peers, even if for just 3 minutes of a dance.

Here, in the school, they were safe. There were timetables and personal spaces. There was order and things made sense. The toilets worked. The first aid kit was always fully stocked. There were paints and paper in the art room. If they needed to talk to someone, a teacher would always make the time, if not the school counsellor or their peers.

Here, in the school, they were protected, at least for 6 hours, from the harsh realities of their lives.

Role Models

There have been many times, during Parent-Teacher Meetings that a parent earnestly requested that I tell their child to do something. Parents have asked me to remind their children to drink water often, brush their teeth and bathe before sleeping, and not hit their younger siblings.

“He don’t listen to me. He only listen to you.” That’s a common statement that teachers often hear. It has nothing to do with someone’s parenting ability. It’s more to do with a child’s perception of teachers.

Most students, especially when they’re younger, see teachers as role models. They are infallible, always tell the truth, dependable and fair. Hence, they had the authority to demand the best from their students.

While I’d like to say that teachers are paragons of good character, the honest truth is that the job requires teachers to uphold that moral and behavioural standard. They are the role-models from whom students learn to be hardworking, excellent, kind to others and good citizens.

When I was on my way to school or home, I always made a conscious effort to wait patiently at all traffic lights and cross at the zebra crossings, just in case a student was nearby. Outside of that setting, I am much less compliant.

While the physical structure of a school is just bricks and metal, and the people that work in them are fallible, they are symbols of safety and stability and represent the ideals of our society and its members. This is a precious and sacred concept. My hope is that schools and teachers continue to plant the vision of an ideal world, so that children grow up to be adults that inch us all closer to that reality.

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