A GIFT OR BRIBE
With a school going child in the house, the issue of giving something to the teachers always bothers me. It will not cross my mind in a million years that such a need arise, but with the wife it is a different kettle of fish all together. The beginning of each school year starts with the giving of diary and calendar, follows by oranges and cakes for CNY, pens and flowers on Teacher’s Day, moon cake for the Mid Autumn Festival, etc. etc. And teacher is not confined to the Form Teacher but includes the tuition teacher, the piano teacher, the day care centre teacher, the transporter, etc. etc.
The very act of giving to teachers - is it a gift or bribe? Webster online dictionary defines GIFT as something voluntarily transferred by one person to another without compensation and BRIBE as something that serves to induce or influence. The definitions and distinction between the 2 acts is very clear. Bearing gifts to relatives, close friends, colleagues or neighbors on special occasions is a laudable cultural practice. Bribing junior authorities (kopi money) to get troublesome petty things done or undone is a corrupt act, morally wrong but somewhat acceptable as a pragmatic, Malaysian way of life.
Giving things to teachers is somewhere in the grey area as here the thin line between gift and bribery is very fuzzy. The issue has pickled me enough to blog about it, but to broach the sensitive subject with the wife might not bring the desired result and hence not very advisable.
In the days gone by when little Johnny gave an apple (picked from his garden) to his appreciative village teacher it sounded all so cute and heart warming. Taking the anecdote a step further, if little Johnny was to supply his teacher daily with cakes, apples, etc. and hence became the teacher ‘s pet, it is no longer a spontaneous innocent act.
The same gesture transposed into the 21st Century will be branded politically incorrect. By this very act we are attempting to influence and induce somebody in the position of trust to return a certain favor. As the saying goes there is no such thing as a free lunch. The pressure to return the favor or gesture in whatever kind or form is then created. Parents with deep pockets can offer expensive gifts to the teachers and make huge contributions to the school fund. Poor students and their parents will be made to feel inadequate, miserable, small and resentful. Favoritism and jealousy will become an issue. Kids and parents who bring expensive presents to the class for the teachers will be called a show off and accused of attempting to curry favors. Aren’t we indirectly are reinforcing within the class room the division between the rich and poor kids and their respective parents? What kind of moral values and culture are we teaching our children? That it is alright to bear gifts and to bribe in order to be somebody’s good book?
It is difficult to assess repercussion and multiplying effects brought about by these kiasu parents and their freebies.
Don’t get me wrong. I am not making a sweeping statement to say that it is morally and ethically wrong to present a small gift as token of appreciation for the deserving teachers. Accountability and transparency is the key. If the majority of students in a class felt that their dedicated teacher deserved a gift on Teacher’s Day, then a voluntary collection from the students can be made to purchase a gift
and given as a present from the whole class. Similarly if a student wish to thank his/ her teacher with a gift from the heart, then it should done at the end of school year when the issue of influence and inducement is no longer relevant.
13 September 2007.
p.s. The above ramblings and expressed opinions is not related to my wife in any
way as she is by nature an extremely generous person.
The very act of giving to teachers - is it a gift or bribe? Webster online dictionary defines GIFT as something voluntarily transferred by one person to another without compensation and BRIBE as something that serves to induce or influence. The definitions and distinction between the 2 acts is very clear. Bearing gifts to relatives, close friends, colleagues or neighbors on special occasions is a laudable cultural practice. Bribing junior authorities (kopi money) to get troublesome petty things done or undone is a corrupt act, morally wrong but somewhat acceptable as a pragmatic, Malaysian way of life.
Giving things to teachers is somewhere in the grey area as here the thin line between gift and bribery is very fuzzy. The issue has pickled me enough to blog about it, but to broach the sensitive subject with the wife might not bring the desired result and hence not very advisable.
In the days gone by when little Johnny gave an apple (picked from his garden) to his appreciative village teacher it sounded all so cute and heart warming. Taking the anecdote a step further, if little Johnny was to supply his teacher daily with cakes, apples, etc. and hence became the teacher ‘s pet, it is no longer a spontaneous innocent act.
The same gesture transposed into the 21st Century will be branded politically incorrect. By this very act we are attempting to influence and induce somebody in the position of trust to return a certain favor. As the saying goes there is no such thing as a free lunch. The pressure to return the favor or gesture in whatever kind or form is then created. Parents with deep pockets can offer expensive gifts to the teachers and make huge contributions to the school fund. Poor students and their parents will be made to feel inadequate, miserable, small and resentful. Favoritism and jealousy will become an issue. Kids and parents who bring expensive presents to the class for the teachers will be called a show off and accused of attempting to curry favors. Aren’t we indirectly are reinforcing within the class room the division between the rich and poor kids and their respective parents? What kind of moral values and culture are we teaching our children? That it is alright to bear gifts and to bribe in order to be somebody’s good book?
It is difficult to assess repercussion and multiplying effects brought about by these kiasu parents and their freebies.
Don’t get me wrong. I am not making a sweeping statement to say that it is morally and ethically wrong to present a small gift as token of appreciation for the deserving teachers. Accountability and transparency is the key. If the majority of students in a class felt that their dedicated teacher deserved a gift on Teacher’s Day, then a voluntary collection from the students can be made to purchase a gift
and given as a present from the whole class. Similarly if a student wish to thank his/ her teacher with a gift from the heart, then it should done at the end of school year when the issue of influence and inducement is no longer relevant.
13 September 2007.
p.s. The above ramblings and expressed opinions is not related to my wife in any
way as she is by nature an extremely generous person.
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