'Students should be given more freedom in deciding school rules.' What are your views?

For a long time, school rules have made school seem like a totalitarian regime. School rules generally define the barriers of how far the manifestations of a student's mischief can go. It is therefore of utmost importance that school rules are implemented in a proper manner such that the universal standards of quality educational institution can be achieved. However, if only the school administration takes charge of reviewing school rules, then it can only result in school rules being manipulated in one monotonous mentality without the opinion of students who are the main party at which school rules are directed at. Thus, it would definitely be a better choice to allow students to gain more freedom in school rules but at the same time, ensure that the school administration still has a part in revising the rules when they think that certain rules are inclined towards the students’ self interests.

One of the advantages of having students to play a role in school rules is that they have a different perspective of school life from the school administration. As students, we are exposed to the different rules which are directed at restricting our mischief. Different individuals have varying perspectives about rules and how they can be improved or whether the rule itself makes any difference in ensuring a student’s discipline. Rather than gathering feedback from teachers when reviewing the rules which have been implemented, it would be more rational for students to offer their opinions on the school system through their daily observation of their schoolmates’ behaviour and whether certain rules have been effective in restricting one’s transgression because it could be different from what their teachers perceive – a one-sided view of the situation. Thus, it would benefit the school in identifying the lack of utility of certain rules in enforcing discipline in students.

Additionally, there should be a compromise between students and the school administration on the matter of setting school rules. If the student body were to be involved in the establishment of school rules, the school administration could enforce the rule system by offering the necessary guidance in the implementation of school rules. This would accommodate both parties’ interests where both student and teacher can play a crucial role in the creation of rules with the latter being the facilitator who would review the opinions of the student body before taking into consideration certain comments regarding the establishment of school rules which would ultimately lead to the well-being of the school.

However, some people might argue that students lack the maturity and moral responsibility which enables them to enforce sensible decorum which are critical to moral development. This is a widespread concern because it could potentially lead to the incorrect set of ideologies being imparted to students due to improper guidelines being established if a cohort of incapable students were to lead the school in the establishment of school rule. However, there is a solution. Conversely,a school could delegate a group of enlightened and intellectual students having good moral judgment to represent the student population. As such, there should be few discrepancies in the guidelines established by the school in accordance to the feedback from this group of students. Thus, the worry of having irresponsible students contributing to the implementation of school rules can be eliminated.

Since students possess a different viewpoint from teachers on whether school rules have been effective in curbing mischief while teachers, as adults, are able to uphold the right moral values and have sound judgment, both can complement each other in their weaknesses. Therefore, there should be a stipulated level of involvement of students in the decision of school rules but to a certain extent, which is where the school administration has to take charge of reviewing the different rules which constitutes the school’s system so that they can identify whether the students have been using their power to further their self interests. In a compromise like this can both parties truly arrive at a win-win situation which would definitely benefit the students’ moral and academic development.

The Trauma

The soldier slashed his bayonet wildly, his battered shins moving vigorously. In the thick and humid jungles behind beckoned his fallen comrades. The ferocious explosions reverberated throughout the thick and deadly vines which seemed to cast out the only source of illumination, the glorious Sun. The soldier’s sweat permeated into his thick coat. His gruff voice reflected upon the massive development from a young boy, his unshaven moustache stuck out prominently from his sharp chin. Then, a stinging bullet buried itself beneath his skin. The soldier collapsed like a falling log but not a grimace nor cry was heard. Soon, he drifted into a dream, his fellow soldiers stumbling over branches to help him.

He burst into life on a bed layered by a thin and grisly bed cloth. Then, he stood up and trudged outside. The morning sun illuminated the skies like mines which were activated; swallows swooped through the air like bullets and villagers walked around indifferently, carrying out their daily chores. Then, he took his seat by the steps of a hut. The hut had been standing in the heart of the village for the past few years. People were usually carried out with a bloodstained ivory cloth stretched over their face. This man was lucky, but he was polluted with the guilt that stained his heart. He recalled the deathly grimace that were expelled from his comrades’ throat when they succumbed to their injuries, the blatant explosions and how the ground shook as if they were about to be split open. For an hour, the soldier sat by the steps, his thousand-yard stare gaining the curiosity of villagers…

Does nuclear energy still have a part to play in the world?

Nuclear energy is an alternative to other non-renewable sources, such as coal, oil or natural gas. The demand for energy has been rising steadily over the past few years, along with advances in technology, more electricity is being consumed for various applications. Inevitably, non-renewable sources are being depleted rapidly and scientists have estimated that they will run out within the next 50 years. Thus, scientists have adopted nuclear energy as an effort to meet the demands of a growing global population. Nuclear energy does have part to play in this world but at the possibility of destruction.

Nuclear energy is essential to meet the demands of energy, financially and quantitatively. Clean energy sources such as hydro-electricity and wind energy are not sufficient to meet the growing needs of the global population. Hydro-electricity and wind energy require huge funding in order to be executed. Dams have to be constructed, in the case of hydro-electricity, while wind energy involves the purchase of high-technology mechanisms. Both alternatives are certainly not cost effective. At the same time, the building of dams has been found to damage ecosystems. Thus, the only alternative which can provide us with efficient and cost effective energy after fossil fuels have run out is nuclear energy.

However, there is a danger of devastating nuclear accidents which could be detrimental to humans. Despite the cost of setting up nuclear plants, it provides us with a long term source of efficient and cheap energy, but at the possibility of mass destruction and adverse effects to a country’s population. As displayed by the Fukushima I Nuclear Plant incident, the cataclysmic 9.0 earthquake resulted in the failure of the nuclear reactor, causing damage to the nuclear plant and the release of radioactive materials to the atmosphere. Although there were no reported deaths, Japan is sure to suffer in the long run. Back in 1986, Ukraine was struck by the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. People living in the proximity have either succumbed to radioactivity or their children have physical defects, causing mass destruction in the area. Certainly, safety has to be ensured before constructing a nuclear plant. Scientists have been working on improving the integrity of nuclear reactors to ensure the safety of a nuclear plant. In a few years’ time, we should anticipate safer nuclear energy.

Nuclear energy is becoming more essential in providing energy for the world. Despite the probability of destruction and damage, we cannot deny the fact that it offers a cheaper and more efficient source of energy. In the view of the depletion of non-renewable energy sources, nuclear energy is the only rational alternative we have besides coal. However, scientists have to find a solution to reduce the occurrence of such terrible nuclear disasters again. What could they do to maintain the safety of nuclear plants so that nuclear energy can undoubtedly replace fossil fuels when they run out?

Term 2 Online Lesson 1: Crisis in Japan

Japan
Daiichi High School
123-4567
Osaka, Some Town
123 Random Rd

4 April 2011

Dear Jean,

I am writing this letter to you to inform you of my safety and to share my experience when the tsunami struck Japan. As you know, I am currently in Japan for an attachment at a Japanese high school. Japan was devastated by a monster earthquake and a tsunami and I was lucky to survive when the tsunami crashed against the inn I was living in. Dawn is crashing its rays upon us and as I survey the devastation around the school, tears fell off my cheeks. As I peered over the horizon, I could spot a few bodies scattered among the silent pieces of debris. I couldn’t comprehend the mesmerising brute force of nature.

A few weeks ago, I was busy with a little surprise for my students before I left for Singapore. Then, an instantaneous silence swept across the village. A sudden uneasiness clogged my parched throat. I stepped out in my curiosity, the deadly silence continued. Then, the ground began rumbling, as if a gargantuan worm was wriggling underneath. Gradually, it picked up velocity, its wrath reverberated throughout the town. Grandma Kimoko’s roof collapsed, her house’s elegance was extinguished. She was instrumental in making my stay in Iwake enjoyable and I could do nothing. Her cries were mercilessly muffled by the huge load of debris. Out of nowhere, men and women started screaming in Japanese. It was a rallying cry for us to run. There was an impending tsunami. Seconds after, onyx waves stretched across the rice fields, the stench of death and decay ever present. Everybody dashed for their lives, picking up neighbours who had fallen along the way. I stared behind and caught the last glimpse of an ancient prefecture. The waves had died down by the time it had devoured half of the town and I was lucky not to have perished along with the others. I made it in time to a higher ground, at the top of a hill.

At nightfall, aid started pouring in. We were offered sleeping bags, toothbrushes and basic necessities. As I scanned the hall for familiar faces, I could see none. I wondered what had happened to the people I knew. An overwhelming sadness enveloped me. However, I was surprised by the few eminent smiles on the Japanese people; they spurred the others on in their quest to rebuild their homeland. A sense of warmth was evidently present in the sleeping hall with the last of the refugees turning in for the night. I could hear a few sobs until quietus settled over the hall. I was indeed lucky to have cheated Death.

Yours sincerely,
Clement