총 40페이지

31
Review
impeccable in providing the best for
andultimatelygiveuponthemselves.
one group to grow, but at the same
Success breeds success. Encouraged
time, can be negligent towards others.
by their initial accomplishments, it
Friends from weaker classes recount
is of no surprise that students from
how they often had to put up with
the stronger classes continue to seek
accusations of theft and degrading
opportunities and excel. Meanwhile,
comments by teachers. There is no
the weaker students are happy to
level playing field for weaker students
maintain their status quo. They do
toprogress.
not see a point in doing well, since
Furthermore, while Singaporeans
theyarenotexpectedtodowell.This
encourage students with academic
reinforces even further the image of
strengthtodeveloptheirnon-academic
infallibility that streaming has gained
talents, they can be myopic to the
by accurately predicting the fate of
talents of those who are academically
students. However, this is purely an
weaker. In the movie, while Kok Pin
illusion? An illusion that exists only
may be a talented artist, his teachers
because we believe in it. In doing so,
and parents dismiss his sketches as a
we empower one group of fortunate
TragicSelf-fulfillingProphecy:
signoflaziness.
students, while we effectively
PygmalionEffect
A talent that should be celebrated
Undeniably, labeling academically
extinguish the sparks inherent in
becomes ammunition to feed the
weaker students as inferior and lazy,
students who fare worse in their
false image of academically weaker
couldshattertheirconfidence.Besides
examinationsforwhateverreasons.
students as failures. Every child
denying them the courage to grow, I
should be encouraged to explore and
feelthemostimportantdamageisthat
Children’sRight:Equal
develop his or her strength. It is a
theacademicallyweakerstudentswill
Education
form of irrational discrimination to
internalize the low expectations of
I believe that besides being entitled
provide only one group of students
themselvesandoftenfailaccordingly.
to receive an education, children
withtheopportunitiestodiscovertheir
PresentedasthePygmalionEffectby
shouldbeentitledtoreceiveonewhere
holisticworthaswellastobuildtheir
former Harvard Professor Rosenthal
there is no prejudice toward their
confidence.
in 1968, students will perform the
abilities. They should be nurtured
Even in Korea, academically
way you expect them to perform.
with the genuine belief that they are
weaker students face such pressures
Considering this, most students from
able to blossom. At the end of the
constantly. When asked, my friends
the academically stronger class will
show, encouraged by Miss Lee’s
in the Korean educational system
proceed to better schools when they
consistenteffort,bothTerryandBoon
sheepishly admitted to being bullies
pass their final year examinations.
Hock manage to excel in their final
of their academically weaker peers.
However, weaker students are more
examinationsandenterbetterschools.
It is not because they derive pleasure
likely to labor their way into poorer
Meanwhile, Kok Pin is willing to
from bullying the academically
and less popular courses and schools.
draw again owing to Miss Lee’s
weaker, but because by their criteria,
I believe that this is due less to
belief in his talent. Likewise, students
the academically weaker are stupid
academic superiority and more to a
who are unfairly labeled as failures
and lower human beings compared
self-fulfillingprophecy.Studentsfrom
by segregation in education should
to them. Some friends of mine, who
the stronger class can be empowered
receive a similar quality of care and
wereunfortunateenoughtobelabeled
by their teachers and parents’ belief
support from their educators. If not,
as academically inferior, also recount
in them. They are driven to do well.
the attempt to give the best to one
horrible experiences of being looked
However,studentsintheweakerclass,
group will simultaneously neglect the
downonbybothteachersandparents.
by a twisted impulse to realize the
needsofothers.
To them, studying was meaningless
expectations of them, have no will to
because no one ever believed that
prove others wrong. They basically
they would ever amount to anything
fulfilltheprophecyotherssetforthem,
significant.
to be inferior compared to the others
Yeongeunlee@hufs.ac.kr
2010
MARCH

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