COUNSELLING CORNER
“Prey and Predator”
Azlin (not her real name) is an average, innnocent, harmless and bright girl. Very trusting when it comes to friendship. One day, she was called by the discipline teacher which made her regretted so much of what had transpired. She has caused herself to be accused of something that she could never have done.
Her friend, Tasha has put someone’s purse in her bag. The purse was later found belonging to Zalias’ after the latter complained about the loss.
Ultimately, Tasha was 'released' and the 'trial' has favoured Tasha, another student with also excellent results in the examination. (another word, Tasha was Azlin's competitor) She has escaped! Reason being - Tasha is a good student and a top scorer too - which made her smart enough not to frame anyone especially another young girl known as Azlin.
Azlin mourned every day and night. For nearly half a semester she has kept this secret from everyone especially her parents. For unknown reasons, the school choose not to discuss the issue with Azlin's parent. As a result, Azlin becomes a very quiet, timid and shy person. She is also becoming inferior and showing lack of confidence in anything she is doing.
From the top scorer in the class, she performed badly in her subsequent exams and finally ended up in the 40th position. Finally, she couldn’t hide the secret anymore. This time, Tasha had once again acted as a predator. She had warned Azlin not to reveal her 'activities'.
Tasha is smart but twisted. She has been stealing/pilfering things from her friends and put them in Azlin's bag - at the end of the day, Tasha will take away the goods safely. Thus, in case the stolen goods found to be in Azlin's bag before Tasha could even taken them, then Azlin shall be framed! Azlin has always being told by Tasha that she's putting 'her' things in Azlin's bag under the pretext for 'safety reasons' and Azlin not knowing what her friend was planning, simply agreed with pure sympathy.
Finally, Azlin couldn't stand it much longer. Her father's instinct one day detected something was wrong with his usually cheerful daughter. The father found out that Tasha tried to strangle Azlin in the toilet due to Azlin's resistance to 'cooperate' in her 'scheme'.
Furious, the father has asked the mother to try settling the matter with the school. The problem with Azlin's father that he is easily angered with possible illogical explanations (attributed to his career as an auditor)
For unknown reasons again, Tasha’s parents couldn’t be contacted by the school administration. The case remains unsettled. The school has advised Azlin's mum to 'keep quiet' on this 'small childish matter'. Tasha remains a 'free innocent girl' and still scoring highly in her examination.
Azlin instead becomes phobiatic. Her parents are now confused - who to turn to? who to talk to? who would believe?
In the so-called modern era, old habits never die and it's happening in the very own school which is a place supposed to be trusted by the parents and Azlin herself. Some schools are still adopting the 'fire fighting' attitude - awaiting something BIG to happen first and then action shall be taken. At present, it is obvious and irony to know that 'the strong' will always survive against 'the weak' ones. No matter who and what they are, good or bad, they will always be on the 'top and popular list'.
Azlin's case is only a tip of an iceberg. There are so many students that have undergone the painful experience and they are surprisingly still being taught and raised with the conventional 'good manners' but are being systematically 'abandoned' by the teachers or school or students like Tasha because of their 'weaknesses'.
Thus, what then would be the 'appropriate' way for the parents to educate a good girl in this modern era?
Ask her to bully another girl? and be proud of what the girl has done?
and
What would be the real benchmark to assess a mischievious smart girl in this modern era? Her excellent results?
This is a true story that proves "Truth do not always prevails"
The intentions of publishing this article are - not an attempt to question the said school administration or seek justice from the authorities or to generalize that all schools adopted similar systems.
