For one teacher, the school day only came to an end at 7.50pm, when the last student finally left the school grounds.
But after her post drew attention online, she clarified that the late pickup wasn’t the parents’ fault. The van fetching the student had been held up by floods.
Last student left at 7.50pm
Taking to Threads, @asheqen24 shared a glimpse of her evening while waiting for a student to head home.
Alhamdulillah, the last student finally left the school grounds at 7.50pm today,” she wrote.
Accompanying the post was a photo of a student sitting on a plastic chair near the school entrance, with darkness already surrounding the area outside.
Urged netizens not to blame the parents
In a pinned clarification, the teacher explained that flooding had delayed the van that was supposed to pick the student up.
She urged readers to keep an open mind and avoid pointing fingers, especially at the student’s parents or guardians.
The student went home late because the van picking them up was stuck due to floods,” she explained.
She also made it clear that her post was never intended to shame the parents.
Instead, she wanted to highlight the care and sacrifices involved in teaching, including responsibilities that others may not always see.
I didn’t post this to find fault with the parents, but to show the care and duties of teachers, which people may think are easy but actually require us to sacrifice many things,” she wrote.
Netizens thanked her for staying with the student
The post drew appreciative responses from netizens, who thanked the teacher for looking after the student until they could leave.
“Thank you, teacher. May Allah shower you with blessings,” one commenter wrote.
Another extended their gratitude to other teachers who had also stayed back with students.
“Thank you to all the teachers who waited with the children at school today. Thank you.”
Others encouraged understanding, pointing out that unexpected situations could affect pickup arrangements.
One commenter noted that late pickups were not necessarily an everyday occurrence and suggested that parents might sometimes face emergencies. The teacher agreed in her reply.
One suggested overtime pay for teachers
The discussion also prompted one netizen to suggest additional compensation for teachers who have to remain at school into the night.
The commenter proposed that the Education Ministry or parent teacher association provide overtime pay of RM50 an hour, alongside a monthly critical allowance of RM500.
Responding to the suggestion, the teacher agreed that it would make the compensation feel worthwhile for the responsibilities given.
Her post offered a glimpse into a part of teaching that often goes unseen: staying with a child until they can safely leave, even when the wait stretches into the evening.
