Forgetfulness - is that the real problem?

Last week was our mid-semester exam week. I was busy marking the answer scripts over the weekend, so that i can pass them back to my students this week, to be discussed and double checked during tutorial.
As i was heading to my first tutorial class this afternoon, with 20+ set of answer scripts with me, i bumped into two of my students who excitedly exclaimed: "Miss, no class today ah. You don't know meh? They all went to the parliament mah, so class cancelled lor. We are not Malaysian, so no need to go."

Hmm.....i vaguely remembered something about a parliament trip....i guess i must have been so overwhelmed by my "eagerness" in meeting my students this week concerning the exam answer scripts that it slipped my mind. Please note, i use the word "eagerness"....it spells "bad news"....

Anyway, i was grateful. Imagine walking into an empty class without a single clue of what is going on. That spells double portion of "bad news"......

"So miss, you must be very free lor, since got no class today."
Hmm....interesting remark.
"Well, since i am so free, would the two of you like to go through your answer scripts?" I offered.
"Ooh....yes, but so scary......"
So that was what we did.

I briefly went through their answers scripts, explaining where they have gone wrong, where they have lost their marks, and how they could have done much better....
Something intereseting came out of our discussion. One of the mistakes made one of the students was her failure in stating the date on which she "balanced-off the accounts".
I told them that such failure would render the entire entry wrong, and hence, zero mark.

"Wah...no mark....i forgot to put the date" was her remark.

Sensing that i would have done her injustice by just leaving the issue at that, i pursued further: "Do you know why i do not give you any mark although all the other workings are correct, and the only mistake you made is forgetting to put in the date?"

"Don't know." was the reply.

"That's because it's not your "forgetfulness" that i am looking at. It's beyond that. The question i have in mind is: Why do you forget? Your forgetfulness has nothing to do with the deficiencies in your brain cells nor your indiscipline in your studies. It reflects the extent of your appreciation and understanding, or the lack of it, of the importance of putting down the date. In another words, you basically do not understand and appreciate why you need to do so. To you, it is just one of the required steps in financial recording."

Hmmm.....such profound speech.....unfortunately, greeted by a confused and blank stare, as though telling me:"Huh? Understand? What is there to understand about putting down the date???"

Sensing such confusion, i added:" Do you know that when you understood something, you don't need to memorise it anymore? It will stick to you forever and it will become part of you. It's just like riding a bicycle. You must understand why you need to pedal, why you need to steer away, why you need to turn your body in certain way, and why you need to jam on the brake. Once you understood, you will be able to respond to all types of situations rightfully, without having to pull your hair out in trying to "remember" the right thing to do in a given situation. If you see a cow coming your way while riding a bicycle, i bet you will jam on your brake immedaitely, without having to "recall" what is the right thing to do in such situation, or whether your mother had actually taught you what you are supposed to do when a cow appears in front of you."

"Ha ha, i see what you mean miss.....i never look at my approach to studies that way....."

"Aren't you glad that you made such mistake in your exam? If not, we will never get to discuss about this issue isn't it? You may have obtained full marks because of your "good memory", but what is the use of that if you don't have understanding? Your academic achievement means nothing at all."

"Ummm..." agreed save for the part on being glad for making the mistakes.....

It was indeed a fruitful day. Who said there is no class today? I enjoyed mine with the two girls.

Such is the irony these days, the quest and pressure for high academic achievements (both by the students and the teachers) have often been so overwhelming that people tend to succumb or resort to all sorts of "funny" tactics and ways in obtaining it, at the expense of the pursuit of "understanding" which, to me, is one of the core fundamentals of what education is about.

All the best to my 2 girls.