Term 2 Week 5 (Weekend Assignment)

Term 2 Week 5 (Weekend Assignment)

Write a short essay of about 300 words on the following question:

'Students should be given more freedom in deciding school rules.' What are your views?

Freedom. Everyone wants it nowadays. We often see employees demanding more flexibility in working hours, but have you ever seen students arguing for more freedom in deciding school rules? Apparently, it is not an uncommon sight to see more students speaking out their views on the school rule system. Thus, schools are now facing a dilemma: To allow or not to allow? The answer really depends on how you define the word ‘rule’. For some, ‘rule’ means a ‘regulation, law, or guideline’ while for others it means ‘a faint line between “right” and “wrong”’ and it is meant as “a faint guide”. I actually support the students having more freedom to a certain extent, and I stress on the word ‘certain’ as after all, “rules” are still “rules”, they are meant to be more or less adhered to.

There are certain advantages of giving students more freedom in deciding school rules. Firstly, when student break a “rule” they modified or created, they will actually feel a sense of remorse and regret for their actions. They will think, “Hey, that rule was created by me, now that I have broken it, I have to face the consequences. I was not forced to adhere to this rule. I modified it myself.” Secondly, more students would be able to voice out their opinions easier, and this may help in long-term student-staff communications. Students feel they actually have a ‘say’ for being part of a school, and they would be encouraged to think of new initiatives to implement and this can only improve their managerial and critical thinking skills. Lastly, students would finally be able to understand how hard it is for the teachers to enforce the school rules on students. Defiant students would be able to learn how hard it is to run a school in accordance to its rules. They would also find out why certain rules are implemented by the school; for the common good, obviously.

However, when there are advantages to something, inevitably, there will be its disadvantages too. Firstly, if we let students exert too much power and control over the school rule, we may end up with a dystopia where students form ridiculous rules which would totally change the meaning and purpose of ‘school’ itself. Some examples are “Friday is Computer-Lesson Day”, “Ankle socks and colourful shoes are allowed”, and “Students are allowed to communicate and debate with teachers on an equal basis and stand”. As you can see, the student-rule system is very much flawed as students only think of their individual wants and goods, rather than broadening their scope to the general whole student body. Secondly, if students have too much freedom, then it is the case where students get bolder and starts to challenge the teachers’ authority. They would think, “Who are you to order and scold us? We have a say in the rules too!” The students would show disrespect for the teachers, and this would totally defect from the Chinese saying “zhun shi zhong dao” which means to respect one’s teachers and moral values. Arguably, we can see that with too much freedom comes disorder.

Some examples of more freedom given to students would be the implementation of the Student-Led Council, or the Student Council, which is found in many independent schools which are trying to raise leaders in students. One example is the Hwa Chong Institution’s Student Council. The Student Council would be called upon to organise events such as the CNY party and Teacher’s Day Party. This provides leadership opportunities for the students, and improves their teamwork and collaborative skills too. With this extra responsibility, students would learn how to act and decide responsibly and be able to give opinions about the school rules more sensibly. The HCI staff also actively encourages students to make themselves heard and make active contributions to the school. Both sides, the students and the school staff, reach an agreeable consensus whereby students, instead of being given more freedom in deciding school rules, are called upon to contribute actively to the school administrative matters and improve them. The student would have more ‘say’ over selected areas of the school system and this consensus can only be good for everyone.

In retrospect, I think that the utilitarian method is the best way to tackle the issue. That is, to foresee the consequences of actions and carry out the plan which would benefit the most people in the end. Instead of allowing a few defiant students to ruin a utopian system where a controlled student-staff rule can co-exist with preserving the purpose of ‘school’, I think it is best to allow the students more freedom by welcoming their views instead of shunning them as ‘absurd and useless’. It is time for a new era where the students’ views are as respected as the teachers’. Let us embrace it with a few words; Freedom must be controlled.

Term 2 Lesson 2 (Online Lesson)

The lone soldier awakens. He lifts his helmet, and looks around him. He is stunned. The destruction. The loneliness. The silence. No one. He tries to sit upright, and grimaces when he realises that his left leg is still fractured. He crawls towards camp, painfully. He wonders if he can make it. He finds it hard to breathe; the fumes are engulfing the air. “Help me!” He looks to his right. A fellow comrade reaches out with his hand. Searching for hope. Searching for warmth. Seeing that he was beyond help, the soldier decides to do his comrade one last favour. He struggles to lift his bayonet, and plunges it down. The man smiles. His pain is over.

After a long and excruciatingly painful crawl, the soldier finally reaches camp. A medic sees him and passes him an IV. The soldier makes himself comfortable among his fellow injured comrade, and inserts the IV drip. He winces as he tries to find a vein. He should have done better at medic school. He winces again as rust seeps into his bloodstream. Due to lack of supplies, that IV catheter had probably been used over 50 times. He drifts into a painful sleep.

A series of bombshells being fired wakes him abruptly. Men around him are standing up, readying their weapons. He pulls out the catheter, and struggles to stand up. Grabbing his rifle, he heads outside of camp. He puts on his helmet and looks to the distant horizon. Blasted Germans.

Term 2 Week 4 (Weekend Assignment)

Does nuclear energy still have a part to play in the world?

Nuclear power is the use of sustained Nuclear Fission to generate heat and do useful work. Nuclear power provides about 6% of the world's energy and 13–14% of the world's electricity, with the U.S., France and Japan together accounting for about 50% of nuclear generated electricity. However, thias source of energy has been controversial since it began and there is still an ongoing debate about its use. The World Nuclear Association and IAEA claim that it is a "sustainable energy sourve that reduces carbon emissions", while Greenspace International and NIRS believe that it poses many threats to people and the environment. From recent news we can see how nuclear accidents have affected the people of Japan. Similarly, in 1986, the Chernobyl disaster has also affected many directly and indirectly.

In my opinion, I think that the pros outweigh the cons, and that humans would continue to use nuclear methods to gain energy. Firstly, like the World Nuclear Association has said, it is an alternative for other unenvironmently-friendly means of energy. In the Chernobyl disaster, even though the reactor was out of control, the Russians could afford to shut it down as it needed energy to keep the town running. As you can see, some parts of the world cannot do without nuclear energy. Also, if you compare the number of people who perished because of nuclear accidents to the number of people who benefitted due to the energy produced, you will find that actually, nuclear energy has more pros than cons. What people can do now is firstly, to enhance security measures to help minimize the impact of an accident, and secondly, to build nuclear plants far away from dense city areas, so in case of an accident, not as much people would be killed.

Assignment: Letter from Japan

123 Poke Street, Honshu, Japan

Japan 467 980

Hi Cousin Xavier,

How are you? I’m sure you have heard of the unfortunate series of disasters in my country. What you see on the news is probably only a tenth of what we are experiencing now. You cannot imagine the situation here. After being hit by a tsunami and an earthquake, we still have to endure radiation from the nuclear plants.

As you know, I live on the coast of Honshu, and the tsunami has left my house in ruins. On the day itself, I was fortunate enough to have avoided the tsunami, and as such, am able to recount to you the horrific destruction I have witnessed. I had cycled to the city to buy some groceries when I heard the newscaster on the radio reporting that the coast of Miyagi had been hit by a monster tsunami. I panicked, and immediately telephoned my sister, who was still sleeping in the house. “SIS! Help! The tsunami’s gonna hit our house! HELP ME!!”my sister shrieked, and I could hear the giant waves breaking the fragile neighbourhood. With that, the phone line was cut off. I had just heard my sister’s last words. I dropped to the ground in grief, and noticed that others were doing the same. “... other areas of the country are also reporting tremors which have caused massive destruction. Aftershocks are also expected. The cooling system in nuclear plants is also failing, according to scientists working there, and this might cause the plants to overheat, posing a radiation threat to the rest of the country.” As the newscaster summarized his report, I was desperately trying to think how to explain the loss of my sister to my parents, who were working overseas. All was lost.

Now, as I am writing this letter, I have been transferred to a nearby refuge centre. Your uncle and aunt have sent money over to help my brother and I with our daily lives. Now, we have to collect rice grains from community storages, and we receive only half a bowl for a full day. Life is harsh, but I maintain a positive attitude that one day, Japan will recover from this series of unfortunate events.

With Love,

Benedict Lee