Teaching Ethics and Religious Education can be hazardous to physical health. Perhaps it is my fault or my personality flaw, I take things too seriously. May be my teaching career has moulded me into what I now am --- a deadly serious old man, taking trivial petty matters too meticulously. The following incident took place before the examination invigilation. My blood sugar level remained high during the day because of the emotional turmoil.
Before examination began, we said the morning prayer through the PA system. It is a school regulation that students carry their prayer books in all school days, including examination time. Though most of our students do not profess Christianity, prayer provides them with an opportunity to learn to respect and to concentrate within a very short span of time. As a rule, those who are not able to produce their prayer books, sort of a Shung Tak passport, should stand in front of the whole school (during morning assembly in the playground) or of the classroom. Some complied obediently. However, three students cheated. They borrowed the covers of the prayer book from their friends to evade the consequences of failing to bring the prayer book. I discovered two before the prayer started and sent them out to the front to join those who had no prayer books. During the recitation of prayer, I identified the third one. I taught them humanistic moral principles, humanistic, i.e. without appealing to the authority of God, since as mentioned above, most students do not believe in God. After sending the students back to their seats, I confronted the third cheater with the moral principles that were violated, viz. fidelity (for not bringing the prayer book); honesty (for cheating with a book cover) and lastly justice (for being unfair to those who were standing in front of the classroom). I asked what compensation should be done. The student said, "My prayer book was lost and I shall buy a new one." Then the student "remembered" that the prayer book was out of stock. Then the student said, "I would apologize." I asked if the student wanted to apologize openly or went to them individually. The student said individually. But even I could not remember who those students were! I was upset about the insincerity of the student. I did not want to disturb the proceeding of examination. I had to let the student go but my blood boiled. I noticed that I had been shaking during the whole conversation.
To relieve myself during invigilation, I fantasized several scenarios in my head how I would have the situation handled in a better manner, because the student might not buy my insistence on the moral principles. The student might think that forgetting to bring the school prayer book was such a petty thing. Nobody got hurt. No big deal at all.
One of the moral principles I taught them is autonomy. I practise what I preach. Therefore, I respect their freedom in my lessons. Some make use of the lesson to do their homework. I tolerate them as long as they do not disturb the others. Some fall asleep and I always tell the remaining awaking students to let the sleeping dog lie. Let them sleep because sleep is a basic physiological need and sleep deprivation is a well-known torture to extract information from prisoners, a violation of basic human rights (UDHR article#5).
On the other hand, as a teacher, I have my teaching responsibilities to discharge. I also have the principle of fidelity to follow. Therefore, there are ground rules to insist. Though they may not learn at this moment, they will learn. Though they make mistakes at school, it is safer to make mistakes here and now than when they go out into the society. Moreover, God has entrusted them into my hand. I am accountable for their souls in front of my God. That makes me a deadly serious annoying teacher. Popularity is not my major concern. These are my beliefs.
When the time to collect the answer scripts came, I made it clear that examination was a time for them to learn to follow instructions in order to prepare themselves for public examination, in particular, the time of script collection. They should not be too smart to do things I had not instructed them to do. There were four items to collect: the question paper and three different answer books. We were a couple of minutes behind schedule. To save time, I instructed the last student of each column to pass up the answer books of question#3 to the front. Each student should put his on top and pass on to the front etc. While collecting the answer books from the first student of each column, I noticed that some students started passing up the remaining items without waiting for my instructions. My blood started to boil again. I stopped collecting the answer books and yelled at them: UNDO WHAT YOU HAVE DONE! Only one column out of seven had not passed up the answer books. I was mad because anyone of the students in-between could have stopped the unauthorized passing up. Unwittingly and without thinking, they perpetrated a breach of rules.
As a part of ERE assessment, students choose any current affairs, social issues or topics and apply what moral principles and fallacies they have learned to analyze them. They presented their analysis in front of the class. The Korean ferry accident was the most popular topic. Nearly one quarter of all students had discussed the topic, some very thoroughly while others superficially. All of them were able to point out that the captain of the Korean ferry had violated the principles of justice, fidelity, honesty and the worst of all, non-maleficence. When it comes to finger pointing, it is easy for everybody. But did my student, who cheated to avoid punishment, realize that both the captain and this student of mine have violated, though to a different extent, all the moral principles mentioned above?
Then I turned to think about the friends of these coward liars. I have to tell them that the role of a teacher is different from the role of a friend. A teacher tells you what the right thing to do is while a friend tells you the wrong thing to avoid. When your neighbour asks you to assist his "crime" and you comply, you become an accomplice. The day will come, when your "friend" comes desperately to you to borrow money so that his girl-friend might go to Shenzhen to undergo abortion. If you lend him money, you become an accomplice of murder. The blood of the innocent fetus will be in your hand.
Of course, the utilitarians would blame me for making a fuss out of such a petty incident. I beg to disagree. The school is a training ground. The damages, which my students are capable of making, are limited and thus petty. Remember, the devil is in the details. When they are not even able to handle these small matters, what would happen to them when really big things come up? Would they be able to stand the moral ground? Would they be overwhelmed and regret for the rest of their life? You may accuse me of committing the fallacy of "Slippery Slope". Truly the future is not totally controlled by us. It is not for us to predict. But I see it my duty to tell my students what the right thing to do is. The rest, I leave it to God and I respect the autonomy of my students.
Dear Holy Spirit, strengthen me so that I may be able to let go. Amen.
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