I was watching this programme that was showing this 3 siblings whose parents were so poor that they were unable to go to school until a volunteer group found them a school, helped them to pay for their school fees and gave them free tuition.
The poor kids were all over-aged in their respective classes. It was really a blessing that the volunteers gave them much help or they risk remaining illiterate for the rest of their lives. I was horrified at the irresponsibility of their parents. To add to my horror, the mother who had no money to let her 3 kids go to school, just gave birth to yet another baby! I am just appalled.
Sometimes I wonder whether it is real ignorance or feigned ignorance about birth control. How can there exist such irresponsible parents? If they could not afford money for the existing 3 kids, why do they give birth to yet another one? Are they expecting the society to feed their kids for them? Are they expecting the volunteer group to finance and educate yet their fourth child? And are they going to keep popping like nobody's business and keep asking the society for help?
Just one word to conclude: ridiculous.
2 comments:
I would feel that the crux of the issue depends on how the parents themselves were being brought up and their growing up environmt.
Say for example (for illustration purposes only and not indicative of all groups of people under similar circumstances):
1) They were brought up to think that having many offsprings will allow them to safeguard against old age. If one is unfillial, there must surely be another one who is fillial. After all, not all eggs in a basket are bad right?
This concept also ties in closely with the Chinese culture whereby in the early days b4 industralization of economies and the subsequent globalisation of world economies, people make a living from agriculural farming. More hands means more work done!
2) I would also feel that it could be due to ignorance abt family planning that led to the cycle in hardship. People who live from hand to mouth may not think as much abt other matters other than bread and butter issues such as whether my family is well fed or not. It may not occur to them tt Education is the only key out of hardship. Education teaches us to think critically abt life and other issues.
Therefore, I would like to end by saying that "If you think education is expensive, what abt ignorance?" Everybody must study hard and cherish the educational opportunities given in their lifetime so that they can be better parents and also be able to contribute back to society.
In this case, it is a sad episode of the parents being unable to make better decisions for their offsprings probably due to lesser educational opportunities?
ronald: I like the phrase you wrote "If you think education is expensive, what abt ignorance?". I guess that sums it all.
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