EQUITY

Last Tuesday, I was attending a tutorial; in which we were discussing what exactly does it mean by 'equal educational opportunities'. As a conclusion to wrap up the whole tutorial discussion, Prof. threw to us this perspective.

"Let's say you give back their papers. One student got a B, and the other got an A.

And you know that Student B has a rather hard life - holding down a part-time job or helping out at home, and can only gets an average of 4 or 5 hours of free time per day to complete her schoolwork and to rest. In the meanwhile, Student A is born into a comfortable family. She has no cares or worries, but is comfortably cared for. Eat, sleep, eat, and sleep. She does her school work in an air-conditioned room, and don't have to worry about home or money or whatnots. Her duty is her homework. Her job description is to only study.

And you, with a capacity as their teacher, know that both of them have the same capacity; the same standard. But yet, because Student B has more to shoulder and to juggle, her grades thus suffers as a result. Is this, then, equality?

So then, if we remove all the burdens Student B shoulders, would things be fairer? By the same standard, then, we have to remove all the privileges that Student A enjoys. Are things now, then, fair? Can we do that?

Remember, equality does not always mean equity. In this line, we ought to remember that everybody comes from all different walks of life. Some of them with a silver spoon, while some, fate has thrown them a tough lot.

The most common mistake that people in our line makes, is to assume that everyone starts off from the same footing. Pri 1, Pri 2, Pri 6, then to Sec 1. But the matter of the fact is, no; there's no equal footing. That's life. This is life.

What, then, is your stand? Think about it. As a BT, what would you do? Close one eye and assume that everyone is on the same footing? Or would you fill up the hole first and ensure that everyone is of the same level?

There is no right or wrong here. We can't solve everything. How far would you go? What are your limits? What are the values and principles you hold to? How much, is too much? Where would you draw the line?

As a BT, it is crucial to have your own set of values and principles. It is important to know where you stand, and what you would tolerate; as well as the reasons behind it.

Equality does not always mean equity."



I gulpped. This is so true. Nobody said that life is fair. But one thing we do have: a just and merciful God.



I guess Tharman (2007) couldn't put it better:
"... It is your ability and effort that determines success, not who your mother and father are or where you start off from".



Just to prove that I got do my readings hor! *beams*