Teachers face numerous challenges in the classroom, and one of them is handling students with varying attitudes and perspectives.
Recently, an incident went viral where a teacher was criticised by one of his students for conducting his Math lessons in English.
The student allegedly said, “I’m a Malay, sir, not a coloniser.”
“I’m a Malay, Not a Coloniser”
A recent online Mathematics lesson, shared by TikTok user @damie.s, has gone viral, amassing 1.5 million views and sparking heated discussions across social media.
The video shows a teacher conducting a virtual lesson. However, the calm lesson took a sharp turn when a student made a controversial comment that left many netizens enraged.
In the middle of the lesson, one of the students posted a comment that read, “I’m a Malay, sir, not a coloniser.”
The remark appeared to criticise the teacher for using English during the lesson, implying that the language was a symbol of colonialism.
The teacher, clearly taken aback by the comment, addressed the student directly and questioned his reasoning.
He then asked the student, “What made you write such a thing? Do you feel proud for saying something like that? Does this make you more ‘Malay’ or superior?”
The Teacher’s Gentle but Firm Response
Decoding the teacher’s response, he highlighted that his lessons are conducted in both English and Bahasa Melayu for the students’ benefit.
He stressed that his goal was not to limit the students’ knowledge to a local or narrow context but to prepare them for success beyond their own communities.
Netizens Shared their Thoughts About This
Following the viral video, many Malaysians took to social media to voice their opinions, with most expressing disappointment in the student’s rude behaviour.
“How dare that kid speak to the teacher like that??”
“Believe me, once you continue your studies, English will become normal because most subjects are taught in English.”
“When you get into uni, you’ll realise how important English is. Back then, I accepted both English and BM when sir taught, and now it really makes things easier for me at uni.”
What do you think of this situation? Share your thoughts in the comments section.
Here is the full video:
READ ALSO:
