The Necessity for Change and Doing for Doing's Sake

This article came up in the 'Voices' section of today's (4 July 2007) edition of the Today Paper, on page 18:

NECESSARY CHANGES OR JUST LESSONS IN FRIVOLITY? by Ho Kong Loon

I FAIL to appreciate why some school heads love to mark their tenure with issues that border on the mundane or selfserving.

  I am talking about their propensity for changing the school badge, the school uniform and even the school song.

Making changes to these items baffles me.  There are actually no educational, social, inter-personal or behavioural benefits accruing from such moves.

Spare a thought for the kids whose parents are already struggling to feed, clothe and house the family.

With a stroke of the pen, decisions are made that would unravel the extremely tight budgeting which characterises the poor.  Buying two sets of the new school uniform effectively renders the hand-me-downs useless.  This is needless expenditure. 

Redesigning a school badge using different artistic forms without any change in the ethos represented is only cosmetic:  It has no redeeming value, except to line the pockets of the suppliers.

A school song encapsulates the history, spirit, fine tradition and character of that institution.  Those who had pondered long and hard over lyrics and tune for the original song would be incensed if they know their sterling endeavours are being cast aside so whimsically.

Some schools also incorporate the use of a necktie as part of the school uniform.  It is a pendulous accessory, which can be dispensed with altogether. 

I know of one school head who justified the introduction of a new school song because the previous one (which, in my opinion, was very meaningful, stirring and catchy) had two words that the head had vigorously objected to — “slaves” and “conquer”.

She said there were no longer any “slaves” in our contemporary society and that “conquer” conjured images of violence and aggression.

If she had done some research, she would have discovered how multi-directional, universal and timeless both words are.  Indeed, the two words have not lost their currency, robustness and validity at all.

They have more impact and reach now.

It is such a pity because a blinkered interpretation of two words led to the discarding of a school song, which had inspired thousands of kids who passed through the school portals.

The modern homo sapiens are no less enslaved than their ancestors although they might want to profess otherwise.  They are slaves to fashion dictates, to doctrinaire beliefs, to conformity, to mindless entertainment.  The list goes on.

There is an American saying which states categorically:  “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

If there is going to be a change, there must be compelling reasons for so doing, and it must ulminate in improvements, distinct benefits and overall good.

The writer is a retired teacher.

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Reflecting upon the thoughts articulated by the writer, clearly a put-down to those in the administrative services in the education profession, I do agree to a large extent that it is a prevalent occurrence in contemporary culture, not exclusive to the school environment.  Whether in the corporate world, government, judiciary or even institutions of faith, it will be deserving to qualify that such phenomena reigns, no matter how innocuous the manifestations of such underlying currents of resource-draining and narcissistic conduct and behaviour.

It may appear that I am reading too much into, or way ahead into this.  Maybe because of my own personal observations that have stayed with me. 

One good example, possibly on aspects of aims of church and/or personal growth envisaged by church organisations in fostering unity amongst their members through participations in church-wide programmes or camp retreats, in which the tempo of activity is induced, revved up just to 'get into the groove', 'jump on the same bandwagon', 'ride the wave', so to speak of such manners of speech in this context.  Among the key objectives towards attracting members with such measure of passion is predominantly that of transforming the souls of participating members. 

Yet, with the progression and conclusion of such activities and programmes, the pre-existing issues and circumstances of those who participate remain relatively unchanged.  Even with all the hulla-balloo of preparations and running about to get such programmes going, people's lives have stayed as they were, in reality.

What remains clear from this, even as the dust settles after any particular activity, should be to grasp that ultimately, if a person has no desire to undergo change, or even the perseverance and diligence to follow through it, there is no validity towards subjecting oneself through needless activity.  All that has happened was a waste of time and energy.

This topic is certainly a deserving minder for a re-examination of one's values and priorities in life.