August school now means something different

Sep 28, 2008 Features / Columnists

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The Parrot recalls the most memorable old-time “advertising” ploy to get people to purchase newspapers. Simply, it was the vendor, often depicted by a boy in movies, shouting “Extra, extra. Read all about it”.

This phrase was invariably followed by the lead story on the front page being read aloud. I am too young, well age is a number, to recall if this method was as popular here as it was, and may still be, in the US of A.

Maybe Uncle Adam, who seems to have been around since forever, can provide some answers. Here, we are accustomed to hearing someone just shouting, “Papers, papers”.

Having heard the headlines, people would in return shout out to the “boy” signalling their intent to make a purchase; often out of curiosity. In many cases, having read the big headline and the small story that accompanied it, disappointment followed, for the reader that is. The “boy” was always happy; his “strategy” worked.

For sure, we have some of this here, not referring to a happy boy, but to “big headlines, tiny story”. The fact that a big headline is a main factor to large volumes in sale, shows that the gimmick…ooops, sorry, the ploy, works.

This, of course, is the way advertising operates; hook, reel them in, “nail” the deal and release. Who cares what happens after?

An EXamination of ads reveal that “EXtra” can be considered as the main “ingredient” in advertisements. The ad must be EXTRAordinary so that customers can EXodus their abodes and head for the EXquisite stores to spend EXTRAvagantly.

An EXcellent ad that is properly EXecuted will result in EXceedingly high increases in sales even if the item in question is EXpensive. Ads can take EXtensive hours to make and can incur EXtra EXpenses. Just ask an advertising EXecutive.

It’s all about the EX, not necessarily referring to marital woes. Everyone wants something extra; the wife, ah ha, not what you are thinking, wants extra money; the husband, again not what you are thinking, wants extra money so that he can give extra to the wife upon her request. There are so many things that can be written about extra needs.

I can read your thoughts, that this squawk would be rendered inadequate. Just to allude to one; you buy a pair of pants and it is extra long.

This causes extra frustration, requires extra time to reach an extra-hard-to-find tailor to bring it to the correct length. That’s a fairly logical sequence; can’t understand how something can be “extra short”. Get it? Extra meaning more, and short, in this context, meaning less. More less? Colloquial? Maybe.

Some, in wanting extra, would take extra chances. But that’s a different story. The story that’s currently attracting extra attention is extra lessons for school children.

The teachers, wanting extra money and under the guise of providing a service, offer the extra lessons; the children, having to be extra prepared for their exams, are in need of extra lessons.

This story has attracted much debate over the years; extra lessons is an industry; big. Is there a need? Yes and no; yes to those children who do not possess the same aptitude as their peers, and as result, would not be at the same level of assimilation. No, since the school syllabus can be completed in class.

A good teacher, having known his/her students, would be able to easily identify the category of students who “lag” behind.

Having done so, and in collaboration with the parent (s), would recommend that the child be exposed to additional classes of the subject area in an effort to ensure that he/she reaches the same level of achievement as the others.

This extra exposure vis-à-vis extra lessons is determined by the academic needs of the child and not by the financial needs of the teacher.

Each subject has a syllabus that has to be completed within the school year. Based on the syllabus, the hours required for the subject over the year are determined and is reflected in the timetable; the same for all subjects.

In my days at school, teachers worked hard to ensure that the syllabi were completed within the year and within the allotted hours on the timetable.

Even if some hours were missed due to illness to the teacher or for whatever reason, efforts were made to ensure that the same results were achieved.

Extra lessons in those days were like ET; extraterrestrial. In those days, going to school in August had a different connotation; it was a slang to describe someone who was academically challenged. Today, it’s a reality that provides the opportunity for extra earning by the teachers in question.

Of course, I am sure the students don’t mind not being at home for two months; they have an extra opportunity and excuse, in addition to what they are “afforded” in the evenings and weekends, to socialise. I can read your thoughts.

The sixty-four thousand dollar question (that hasn’t risen despite inflation) for me is, are the lessons really extra?

Is it additional to what is being offered in school? If it is, and all of the students of a particular class do not attend, then wouldn’t those who don’t be at a disadvantage whilst in class? My guess is yes.

If they are, then what is being done by the same teacher, who teaches the class and the lessons, to assist these students?

It is therefore easy to conclude that in some cases where extra lessons are being forced upon the children, that the syllabus which is intended to be completed within the given time frame and within the regular class time is deliberately not being taught the way it should be. I dare say that some teachers are not as committed as they should be.

Why must a student pay his/her class teacher to teach them extra at the same school? For those teachers who conduct the extra lessons at a different place, why must the student pay the same teacher who teaches him/her in a particular school to be taught the same thing elsewhere?

While teachers and other Public Servants across the Third World can justifiably argue for increased salaries, it is not a licence to exploit the situation and extort children under the guise of extra lessons. I agree with Uncle Shaik: salaries must not be used as an excuse for conducting extra lessons.

This may sound harsh to the teachers, but if you are so dissatisfied with the salary, then find something else. Ex-Teacher? Maybe advertising can lead to a happy “boy”.
Squawk! Squawk!

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