being brave towards money sucker n domineering fellow

Dear friends,
Most of u know what is my occupation besides being a student, right? ya, i am working as a piano teacher.... n i think most of you know most of the time i am teaching in P******c music centre, right?

OK, let me start with what was happening since the last few months, our music centre is trying to switch some of the lower grade students to another examination board syllabus----ANCZA (an Australlian syllabus), the school is trying to persuade all teacher to switch to this syllabus but did not get a good feedback from the teachers. Becos its quite new in Msia, so maybe it takes a longer time 4 ppl to accept the new examination baords. But u know what approach tat the school took to "encourage" the teachers to teach that syllabus?

They wanted to make compulsory 4 all teachers to attend courses on this syllabus, which probably takes 9 month time to complete, fees - each teacher must pay about rm200+ every month!!! Reasonable??? Shudn't the school subsidise?? to upgrade the staff? Teachers must pay RM200 every month 4 the course??? So of course most of the teacher disagree la... somemore many of us r part time teachers there, so the schedule can't fit ours.... The argument went on 4 bout 1-2 months.... so finally, no 1 attented.

N today, something special! The clerk passed me a set of photocopied ANCZA Aural book n a receipt, telling me that its compulsory 4 all teachers to buy this. 40 pages, n it costs RM15!!!! My 1st reaction was : Y is it compulsory 4 me to buy this? 2nd was: huh? u thought i dunno how much does photocopying cost? 40 cents a page? The clerk saw my facial expression, continued n said: the other teachers hav bought it, so u got to buy it too. Not to put the clerk in trouble, i said nth n promised to pay her.

Then i asked a few teachers bout this, they did buy it!! I was like: huh, u guys just bought this without any argument? without requesting 4 a reasonable purpose? U din feel that u r being cheated? Come on, be a smart employee!!! Is it really 4 the education purpose? to upgrade the teachers? to upgrade the musicianship among students? or to find another chance to make profit??? even from the EMPLOYEES?

The other teachers told me that they dare not voice out or disobey to her instruction. Ok, i understand that, cos most of them r quite new here, i am consider as the most senior 1 besides the 3 senior teachers (boss herself, her sis in law, n another teacher). So, fine. I would talk to her!

"Miss *********, i would like to talk u about this book. I think that its not reasonable that the school make it compulsory for all teachers to buy this book"

Boss: Y do u say so?

"1st, its necessary 4 us to get this? our students who r sitting 4 this exam hav a copy of this book, so v can use their book n test them on Aural, y do i need to hav another copy? Since v r starting the syllabus from a lower grade, i dun think the teachers need to have a copy themselves learning how to clap the rhythm or singing the melody for the gr 1 level.
( the school compiled all the sight reading, scales n aural of each grade into a book. becos the original 1 consist different section from gr1-8, so 4 a student who is sitting 4 gr1 exam, would need to buy all the 4 books which is meant 4 4 gr1-8 in order to cover all the different sections, n all the books r very expensive. So the school photocopied each section n compiled all the gr1 stuff into a book n sell it to the students at RN30 for about 40pages as well.)

Boss: Do all ur students hav the book? Its not only 4 students who r taking the ANCZA exam. Its 4 u to use in ur daily teaching. Its a very good teaching material!

"I think to improve on aural n listening skills, its not barely base on the few examples in the books. Its through the approach when teaching piano pieces or other repertoires. V can always clap the rhythm of the song, singing the melodic line, analyse the piece, look 4 cadence point n listen to the chords, modulations etc be4 playing a piece. I think its a more practical way."

Boss: With the book, u will hav a better idea of the approach of applying the aural n listening skills in ur teaching. C, u all young teachers always think that u guys know everythg, u guys r not prepared to learn more. R u sure that u know everythg in this book? Do u think that this is book is not good enuf? Let me test u wat is the difference between beginner n gr1 syllabus.

"Music learning is not about beginner students must learn till here, n Gr 1 student must learn till ter. It really depends on how the students progress n of course at the same time maintain the certain standard of each level."
"N v all know that the photocopied set will definitely not more than RM4, but now u r selling this to ur employees at RM15. So besides 4 upgrading purpose, y r u making profit from the teachers?"

Boss: Oh, u shud not say so. U think v r trying to make profit by doin that? If V were, V would make each of u to but the original book, and also force u guys to get the technique (syllabus 4 scales) as well. I think u r too calculative to say so! At 1st v thought of selling this at the price of RM30. The original book cost RM60 u know? N the school bought it n make photocopy 4 u guys. V r trying to cut down the cost 4 u guys! (.... yah right...u think i dunno maths or accountings ya...)

"Actually its not bout the RM15, i hav paid it eventhough i know that it exceeds the cost. The point that i wanna argue here is, y make it compulsory 4 all the teachers to buy the books 4 RM15 but it onli cost RM4 or less?"

Boss: U r not even willing to spend RM15 4 ur teaching tools, do u know that tis is ur teaching tool?

"Alright. U can make it compulsory 4 us to gain the knowledge, of to get the teaching tool, but its our freedom on how v get it. V can always buy 1 n photocopy among ourselves, v can share the cost!!"

Boss: thats wat i dun 1! I dun 1 that 1 r 2 teachers bought the book, then others wanna borrow n photocopy. Its unfair 4 the 1-2 teachers who bought it. N i dun wanna messy stuff happening in my school. Thats y i make it compulsory 4 all teachers to buy from the schools. So there is not unfair thg happening here. (......oh ya...unfair 4 the other teachers??? v rather share the cost instead of being cheated like tat!!!)

"I knew the other teachers paid 4 it, thats y i paid. cos i wanna be fair to the others as well. But i am just trying to let u know wat the teachers r thinking here. I was just trying to voice out our opinion. I want u to know our feedback, n hopefully v can get a favourable feedback too. I really dun think its gonna to help teaching by forcing us to buy the book."

Boss: No, v r going to hav seminar to guide u guys how to apply knowledge in the book in ur daily teaching. V din mean that u just buy the book n just use it to test ur students, its the application!

"Alright, if there is a better purpose in using the book, n there s useful seminar conducted, then v may feel worthly. Hopefully v can really gain more from the BOOK." (was just trying to end the argument, knowing that the argument will bring to no where.) (But normally those seminar conducted was onli promoting the ANCZA syllabus, i had been 4 3 times, all 3 times were talking on how good the syllabus is, how great the speaker is, bla bla bla....)

ITS NOT ABOUT THE RM15!!! ITS ABOUT WHETHER ITS ETHICAL TO EARN $ FROM UR EMPLOYEES OR NOT!!! N THE APPROACH OF MAKING BOOKS COMPULSORY TO TEACHERS!!!