I was watching the show just now, and it was about a kid who had to quit school to work so he can support his family. He is only 14 years old, for god's sake. He makes Rm20 a day, to support his 3 younger sibling. He said that his siblings need Rm2 a day for bus and food, so he quit school to make that money. I didn't catch what his mother does for a living, but she looks quite able.
The thing I don't understand is how the school could let him leave just because he didn't have money to pay his school fees. I'm not sure what the school fees are these days, but i believe our school fees is not the most expensive in the world. Why can't they just let him attend school for free? Isn't this part of the local ADUN's responsibility, to identify problems like this? I don't think problems like being too poor to go to school should exist, but i probably live in la-la land.
We watch tv and we see ministers talking about increasing the nation's level of education, yet we see kids still unschooled because they are too poor. There should be a channel where unfortunate people could ask for financial assistance, at least to pay for their education. Better yet, make education more accessible and free. It should be so cheap and accessible that every child could at least complete their education until Secondary 5. Or use some of the many ringgits we pay for tax to help these people.
Some say that we would create a 'masyarakat subsidi', but i say the government needs to do whatever they can to ensure the education of our children, subsidy or not. Get that poor boy back in school!
Writing about something other than meself, for a change. Heh.
