On a teacher's suicide: three things we need to talk about

Last night, I found out about a teacher in Singapore who was apparently under so much stress that she slit her wrists and jumped from the 13th floor, killing herself. Suicide and psychological distress continue to be problems in Singapore, with the Samaritans of Singapore (SOS) reporting 422 suicides in 2013, with young people below the age of 30 making up about a hundred cases (24%).

If you hate reading long articles and don’t want to continue reading to the end, just take away one thought from this article: All of us suffer. Some of us are anxious, depressed, and even suicidal. Let’s be kind to one another.

While mental health issues have already filled numerous bookshelves, it really doesn’t get much more complicated than that. Human suffering is a constant, and we all have the seeds of compassion within us to help those who suffer. If any of us sees a child on the verge of drowning, very few of us would hesitate to help.

1. Psychological distress

Let us all admit it now: all of us suffer. Sometimes it may not seem that way, given all the shiny, happy people we see on Instagram and Facebook. But of course, we’re all very eager the positive highlights of our lives, and few of us actually reveal the depths of our psychological distress online.

When it comes to teachers in Singapore, at least we have hard numbers to go by, to see how much some of our teachers may be suffering (from the TALIS survey, see also the Mothership summary):

Teachers here work about 56 hours a week — that’s 10 hours per day from Monday to Friday, with 6 hours to split between Saturdays and Sundays.

Moreover, 46% of our teachers wonder if it would have been better to choose another job — almost one out of two teachers teaching our children wonder if they screwed up when they signed that teaching contract.

With such long working hours and the widespread feeling of regret (“this might be the wrong job for me“), it really would not be surprising to find out that some of our teachers suffer from depression and anxiety disorders, which are common ailments in Singapore anyway. Our education system doesn’t only result in students that are stressed out, even our teachers are suffering.

More at On a teacher's suicide: three things we need to talk about (suicide solution: psychological distress, mental illness stigma, and inequality)

knn, students were made to stand on the chairs if they cannot read one paragraph from a page of Chinese lesson book. The next turn to read and still cannot read made to stand outside classroom and the end of the lesson.

PAP lumber 1 education system. Where teacher got stress?

If they think I am communist how can I be if I cannot read Chinese?



More at On a teacher's suicide: three things we need to talk about (suicide solution: psychological distress, mental illness stigma, and inequality)[/QUOTE]

My secondary school days, I saved the teacher, and the class this problem. When Chinese classes began and the teacher entered the room, I walked out and wandered around the school till the session was over. I was hopeless at Mandarin, and expected to flunk, which I did. I didn't even turn up for my O level exam.

Oh yes, my parents were very concerned (like most other parents, very kiasu), so my father engaged a tuition teacher for me. After a month, the tutor told my father better not to waste his money, so I stopped tuition. Cannot tahan the tuition teacher, he had very strong B.O. Lucky.

Cheers!

tanwahtiu said:

knn, students were made to stand on the chairs if they cannot read one paragraph from a page of Chinese lesson book. The next turn to read and still cannot read made to stand outside classroom and the end of the lesson.

PAP lumber 1 education system. Where teacher got stress?

If they think I am communist how can I be if I cannot read Chinese?



More at On a teacher's suicide: three things we need to talk about (suicide solution: psychological distress, mental illness stigma, and inequality)

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No. It is because we did not do enough to integrate foreign teachers into our society. We need for foreigners so they can all feel at home.

you also kenna same from PAP fixed Chinese communities with bad Chinese lesson. I am lucky my girlfriend teach me Chinese.

Agoraphobic said:

My secondary school days, I saved the teacher, and the class this problem. When Chinese classes began and the teacher entered the room, I walked out and wandered around the school till the session was over. I was hopeless at Mandarin, and expected to flunk, which I did. I didn't even turn up for my O level exam.

Oh yes, my parents were very concerned (like most other parents, very kiasu), so my father engaged a tuition teacher for me. After a month, the tutor told my father better not to waste his money, so I stopped tuition. Cannot tahan the tuition teacher, he had very strong B.O. Lucky.

Cheers!

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She can just quit and teach tuition.. she will earned even more..and enjoy life more.

repot said she got stress oni woh! ... never said stress due 2 wok or wateva woh! ...

Now Ang Mohs and Ah Nehs replace Mandarin speaking Sinkies on their jobs.

micromachine said:

Teachers here work about 56 hours a week [/B]— that’s 10 hours per day from Monday to Friday, with 6 hours to split between Saturdays and Sundays.

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Is working 56 hrs too much per week?
Taxi drivers could be working 10-12 hrs every day.

tanwahtiu said:

you also kenna same from PAP fixed Chinese communities with bad Chinese lesson. I am lucky my girlfriend teach me Chinese.

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[/QUOTE]
U got girlfriend??

Always tot u a old gay here.

Teachers here work about 56 hours a week — that’s 10 hours per day from Monday to Friday, with 6 hours to split between Saturdays and Sundays.

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Would not have happened if there's a proper teachers' union ensuring that no teacher works more than 40 hours per week, with at most 3 more hours per week spent on CCA activities. And school holidays are untouched.

I once witnessed some poor guy who was a teacher... he brought his students' homework/papers into army camp to mark them. That's really disgusting by the MOE.

Once again... who did you vote for?

the labourers and workers have NTUC, and look what happened.

RIP.

I used to complain about my son and daughter's school hours. They leave home everyday by 630am and often reach home around 7pm. It's basically 12 hours work day, just like many adults. It then dawned upon me that if the students are spending so many hours in school, then so are the teachers. My kids still have homework and revision to do after they reach home in the evening. So, they are kept occupied daily from 630am till about 11pm or later each school day. I guess it should be the same for the teachers, who need to mark homework in the evening. My son at RJC tells me that he sees some of his tutors and school teachers leave RJC campus after 7pm, and they still have to bring home homework to mark.

Not easy being a Singapore school teacher.

spare the rod and spoil the child.

Give teachers the right to smack these brats from young and you'll see the society change within a generation.

Agoraphobic said:

I stopped tuition. Cannot tahan the tuition teacher, he had very strong B.O. Lucky.

Cheers!

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you got Ah Neh tutor for Mandarin?

Cheers!

It might be good for stressful teachers who are sick of their jobs to make a public youtube video insulting Lee Kuan Yew. Free food and lodging at Changi Resort to idle away your time. To hell with those fucking students and mercenary principals!

zookeeper said:

Is working 56 hrs too much per week?
Taxi drivers could be working 10-12 hrs every day.

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That's nothing. Our MIW work 24/7/365. Even when asleep, they are thinking of helping S'poreans.

kryonlight said:

It might be good for stressful teachers who are sick of their jobs to make a public youtube video insulting Lee Kuan Yew. Free food and lodging at Changi Resort to idle away your time. To hell with those fucking students and mercenary principals!

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Wow it is a crime to insult a dead person? And is it really an insult if it is the truth?

GoldenDragon said:

That's nothing. Our MIW work 24/7/365. Even when asleep, they are thinking of helping S'poreans.

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The most intensive policy planning sessions are when they are taking a shit in the toilet. Depending on the colour, texture and shape of the excrement, they adjust their policies accordingly.

laksaboy said:

The most intensive policy planning sessions are when they are taking a shit in the toilet. Depending on the colour, texture and shape of the excrement, they adjust their policies accordingly.

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my best inspirations cum at those moments of silence, serenity, sanctuary and self-introspection of shit stirring in the shithole.