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There is a wide gaping ocean of difference when I compare his attitude with Lesley-Anne's when she was at this momentous juncture. Towards the end of p6, Lesley-Anne became all melancholic and sentimental. Even as she looked forward to a new chapter, she knew she would miss her primary school and her friends, whom she had become very fond of.
In contrast, when I asked Andre if he would miss his primary school, he responded in typical fashion, "No. The food sucks."
Not quite able to believe that Andre's impression of his six years in this school revolved around his stomach, I asked, "What about your friends? Won't you miss your friends?"
"Ok lah" came the nonchalant reply.
"What if you go to a school where none of your friends are going to?" (Yes, I can be very persistent).
"Never mind, I can make new friends."
"So which school do you want to go to?"
At this point, Andre was getting tired of the interrogation and answered, "Aiyah, anywhere lah!"
For someone like me who is wary of the unknown, I often marvel at Andre's live-for-the-moment attitude. It also gives me many moments of anxiety as he doesn't seem to think of or plan for his future. For example, we have been visiting many school open houses and it would exasperate me to no end when he inevitably asks, "Do we really have to listen to the Principal's talk?" Incidentally, I see lots of bored kids at these talks. They're usually dragged there by their parents.
Tip to secondary schools: If you wish to attract active kids like Andre, ditch that slideshow about your special humanities programme. Just showcase your sports facilities, food at the canteen and computer labs with iPads. Late school starting hours are a bonus. (Ok, I concede, maybe the schools already know this but students like Andre are not their target audience.)
However, if I were to look on the bright side, there are advantages to being spontaneous and embracing the unknown. Andre is pretty good at adapting to situations as they occur and hopefully this will help him in life. Meanwhile, I need to convince him that he shouldn't choose a secondary school just because it has air-conditioned classrooms.
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6 comments:
Your Andre is really very similar to my son who is just as spontaneous and easy going. Hopefully when we throw these boys anywhere , they will just survive ! three more days to the results day ;-)
Rita: Yes, results drawing nearer... dum dum dum!
I think most boys are that way. You will see a world of difference between the p6 students on their last day in an All-girls' School and that in an All-boys school. Really stark. The girls' school scene could well be funereal, but at the boys' school, it's just like "bye, see ya".
When it comes to changing classes at the end of Sec 2, if in a Co-Ed school, dear me, the girls would go all Emo while the boys would 'aiyah - whatever class also can wat, so sad for what?!".
Karmeleon: Hahaha, very true! Funnily enough though, Andre is a very emotional boy, yet he's so unsentimental in this respect.
Girls create bonds more easily while boys are more detached. Probably God's plan so mothers won't dump their kids at the first whimper :P
I guess in this age where it's easy to keep in touch via facebook and whatnot, children are less sentimental about going separate ways. One thing my son looks forward to sec sch is the "real food" served in the canteen. When he attended a workshop in a sec sch last year, he was so excited about the food and kept telling me that the chicken rice was similar to that sold in the hawker centre. Were you at Chung Cheng High last Sat where it was mentioned that it has air-con classrooms? Sounds attractive but I wonder if the air-con is switched on daily.
Mrs Cheng
Mrs Cheng: Hahaha, boys and their canteen food! Andre's looking forward to that too. No, we weren't at Chung Cheng High. I don't think Andre, with his level of Chinese, will survive a SAP school :P
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