Of "Doa" reciting and Malaysian schools

Its funny how everytime I read or hear about some controversy in Malaysian schools, my mind would moved into "rewind" mode. And what a long rewinding it would be - back a generation ago to when I was a school boy. Then I would make comparisons between "nowadays" and "those days"and end up lamenting the state of our schools presently. This time around it was the Doa reciting problem in a Penang school (read Jeff Ooi's Screenshots for blogs on this issue).

Nowadays - Doa reciting in schools before classes. Islamic in substance. Racial understones. Controversy. Politicians jumped in to lead parents protest. The establishment explained the need for all these prayer sessions. They also pass the buck on the somewhat insensitive way their very own policy was implemented to some headmasters.

Those Days - Singing the School song before classes. Lyrics were neutral as to ethnicity and religion. They extoll mainly the universal values of hard work, respect and the like. Also emphasised the school's "esprit de corp", so useful as a stepping stone leading to unity. NO controversy. Period.

Who says that there are no lessons to learn form the past?