Paid To Go to School

I used to say to my students, "Try these questions. See whether you can answer all of them correctly."

One day, one student answered, "How much are you going to give me if I can answer all of the questions correctly." I got a shock when I heard this. Is this the motive for studying? I answered firmly, "Nothing."

I don't allow money to come into play as far as my English or Malay lessons in class are concerned.

I knew of one mother who used money to force his son to go to school. This boy had no aptitude for studies. He would be building castles in the air in the classroom. One day I caught him doing just that and asked him why he came to school but did not want to learn. He said in a now-only-you-know manner, "If not for the two ringgit that I get from my mum for attending school, I won't come at all." I was speechless. He was paid to go school just like a worker is paid to work or do something.