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新加坡的教育制度在东南亚国家当中,应该算是相当健全的,而新加坡的学生在区域甚至在国际性的学术性比赛中往往也有不俗的表现,这也是有目共睹。 No doubt, our schools have trained professionals in various fields, but it takes a closer look to see whether our students -- or even their teachers -- have enough scope for developing their individual personalities. 没错,我们的学校能够培养出各方面的人才,对此我们无需怀疑;但是我们的学校是否让学生们甚至是老师们有足够发展个性的空间,则有待进一步的探讨。 People still remember, I believe, the heated discussion not long ago about the disciplinary problems of some girl students. While few would object to the inclusion of fighting, cutting classes and disrespect for teachers into the discussion, it is arguable that boys-like girls should be labelled as "problem students". 相信大家还记得几个月前讨论得如火如荼的关于女生纪律的话题吧。把打架、旷课、对师长不敬等行为列入纪律问题范围内,那是不会引来多大异议的,然而把男性化的女生贴上"问题学生"的标签,却令人难以理解。 I remember reading a book on educational psychology for children, which says that adults should not attempt to shapechildren according to their own stereotypes. Now, we are setting up models for good students and laying down rules ofdress and appearances for boy and girl students respectively. Doesn't that go against principles of education? 我记得在一本儿童教育心理学的课本里读到不要按照大人心目中的典型形象把孩子典型化的话。现在我们规定学生们应该是某个模式的才是好学生,什么样的装扮才是合格的男生、女生,这种做法是不是有违教育原理? Our society and schools are stigmatising the so-called tomboys with "improper gender behaviour", condemning them for their "misdemeanour", and trying to reform them accordingly. 现在社会、学校给那些所谓的男性化女生贴上"不适当性别行为"的标志,以"行为不端"的罪名判她们有罪,并且还要改造她们。 
这种做法在现在这个时代妥当吗?谁能告诉我,在我们现在的社会里有谁的个性最完美,心理最正常? The hero in A Madman's Diary, a well-known story by the late Chinese writer Lu Xun, was a lunatic in the eyes of other people, because he challenged and ignored the values and beliefs of his time. To all readers today, however, it is the madman that was sober-minded and psychologically normal. 这就好比鲁迅《狂人日记》里的主人公那样,在当时封建社会的人们眼里,他是个不懂得礼教条规的狂人,但在所有读者心里,大家都很清楚,狂人其实才是最正常的。 Things will turn into their opposites if pushed too far,as the saying goes. Adolescents, who are apt to rebel against authority, hate being ordered about. Apparently, they may observe the bans imposed on them, but that is no victory for their superiors because resentment may be brewing deep in their hearts. The pent-up discontent may grow to form abnormal psychology in them, which will be even more harmful. 而且物极必反,处在叛逆阶段的中学生不是笨得可以任人摆布的,你抑制他们的行为,他们表面上或许服从你,但这种服从不是校方的胜利,因为说不定他们在心底正郁积着不满情绪,而这种情绪久而久之就会发展为更可怕的变相性格。 Now we are promoting pro-creativity teaching and encouraging our teachers to work ingeniously so as to bring up a young generation full of original ideas. But what do we expect of our teachers? 我们现在不是在提倡创意教育,要老师们发挥创意以培养有创意的下一代吗?就说我们对老师的要求吧, We have a stereotyped idea of what a teacher should looklike. We expect male teachers to appear neat and refined, and female ones to wear skirts. Principals and parents would become suspicious if a teacher fails to fit into the model. 在印象中我们对老师的形象就已经有了一个固定的模式,认为老师应该是某个样子的,男老师要白白净净,斯斯文文的,女老师应该要穿裙子,应该要如何如何,一旦不符合这种模式的,家长和校长就会对他们印象打折扣。 
我经常怀疑,这些被限制的老师,有多少能力去开拓学生们的创意空间? Now, to help creativity grow, we must first make sure wecan tolerate ways and ideas different from our own. If we can't, but demand that everybody act and live as we ourselves do, then we are denying others' right to individuality. This is, in effect, depriving people of their right to be creative. 说到提倡创意,先问一问,我们首先有没有包容和尊重存在于自己身边的异?如果没有,而是要别人照着你的方式生活,你就是在限制别人,要求他们跟你有同样的思维方式,这正是在抹杀别人的个性。 A person deprived of his individuality can expect to produce nothing but copies of others' work. No amount of reference books or lessons on creativity given by doctorate-holders will help them. 抹杀了一个人的独特个性,你其实就是在剥夺他的创造的能力。没有了自己的个性,无论你为他买多少参考书,或给他报名多少堂某某博士开的创意课程,教他如何才能有创意,他所做出来的东西也不过是属于别人的。 What kind of a place are our schools now? Are they a paradise in which our pupils can learn happily to realise their potentials and fulfil their personality, or are they just a modern factory that turns out standardised products year after year, which bear different serial numbers but perform identical functions? 我们的学校是一个什么样的地方呢?是一个可以让学生们开开心心学习,能够发掘自己潜能,寻找并发挥自己个性的乐园,还是一个每年制造出一批批编号不同,但类型功能相同,没有任何独特性的产品的现代化工厂? | 
