Freedom Writers

I was watching a movie at HBO channel in Astro today that I came across by luck - in other words, I was just browsing the channels when I found the movie. The title of the movie was called Freedom Writers based on a true story. The movie was about a dedicated teacher that went against all odds to teach her students something beyond the text books could teach - day to day life! It's rare to have a dedicated teacher like Erin Gruwell. I would say I have personally come across very few teachers like her.

Somehow she reminded me of my former Biology teacher, the late Mrs. Cheah Chin Beng (we called Puan Cheah). I was one of the weakest student in my class those days. Although it was a top class, my motivation to continue studying was very low because I could not compete in the class. I felt like an alien in the class because of my examination results and I hated almost all the subjects besides English, Geography and Malay. My request to be transferred to another class (both the second class and art stream) was rejected by the headmaster. Although Mrs. Cheah was not the form teacher, she noticed it the way other teachers failed to do so. One teacher even insulted me by asking me not to attend her class for failing Chemistry all the time. Mrs. Cheah called me up one day after school to discussed about it and she asked the top student in my class (now a doctor) to teach me. Due to her effort, indirectly she gave me the encouragement to struggle and passed my SPM (government exam) with grade one unexpectedly. She was a unique teacher graduated from Australia. She was a very opened minded person that could joke about it when the Biology lesson touched the topic of sex (other teachers might skip the subject). I still remember that she warned us that the topic was not meant for practical at our teenage years and it drew laughter in the class. I am also aware that she helped a student who didn't have sufficient to buy books. She was the most caring and helpful teacher that I came across. Unfortunately, she didn't live long enough to see most of us graduated. She passed away falling from the stairs when I was in the college. Good people does not live long sometimes.....

The movie also indirectly touched the topic of freedom in writing the way bloggers like us do. In the movie they used diary but we use internet. Sometimes the authority would find ways to block us from writing something straight from our hearts. It's not fair to prevent people from being sincere even if it's a criticism. That's the reason I loath Internal Security Act being used against bloggers in Malaysia. It's undemocratic and against freedom of speech. If the people are well educated and have the appropriate brains, they should be able to think whether the stuff written by bloogers make sense or not. It's unnecessary to lock the bloggers up in jail.

The following is the link to Freedom Writers Foundation:

Frredom Writers Foundation