THE school principal was telling parents one day that positive motivation is the key to success for their children.

The next day, a teacher from the school was apparently calling her pupils 'stupid' and 'bodoh' (Malay for stupid).

That contradiction riled one parent enough to contact The New Paper.

Mrs Tan claimed that her 12-year-old daughter, Tara (not their real names), was in a class whose students were being called those names almost every English lesson.

She had initially dismissed her daughter's complaints, but became increasingly concerned for the morale of the students after several incidents.

At a meet-the-parents session on 1 Feb, Mrs Tan had heard the principal tell a popular anecdote.

In the anecdote, a teacher was told that he would teach the 'best' class in a school. That class eventually emerged top, and only then was it revealed to him that the class was merely average initially.

The point of the anecdote was that it was solely the teacher's confidence in the student's abilities that enabled them to succeed.

Looking back, Mrs Tan felt this was an irony, because Tara's English language teacher did not seem to have such similar confidence in her pupils.

Last month, the teacher had told the class that they would not be able to do a pre-test she had given out - before they had even begun to attempt it.

Tara recalled: 'She said, 'You will not be able to do this because 6D could not.

'And 6D is smarter than you.'

The teacher teaches both 6D and 6F. Both classes have EM2 students, but 6D is one of just two classes in the school which also has EM1 students.

The New Paper talked to three other pupils from 6F - Kim, Amy and Mary (not their real names).

Amy agreed that her classmates were angry at the teacher for 'judging us so fast, without even giving us a chance'.

Kim said: 'I didn't feel like trying the worksheet anymore.

'If she had not said it, maybe I would try harder and I could have done it.'

The girls interviewed said they did not think their class was particularly stupid nor naughty.

The girls claimed even 6D pupils were not spared from being called similar names.

Tara said: 'I don't know if the teacher intends it to be a wake-up call or because she just hates us.'

But there are those who support the teacher. Mary, who has never been personally scolded by the teacher, thinks that the method works.

The teacher often shouts to the class, 'If you don't work harder, you are all going to fail flat'.

Mary said: 'Though some people say she hurts them deeply and hate her, I feel worried and work harder.'

For Amy, she feels embarrassed when girls from other classes, who can hear the teacher shouting, repeat those demeaning words to her.

It gets even more embarrassing when the teacher reprimands girls individually.

On 15 Feb, the teacher told Kim off in front of the whole class, before hitting her on the arm, Tara claimed.

Kim recalled that she tried to hold on to her tears, but started to cry after a while.

The teacher did not say anything.

The alleged incident happened just before school ended. Amy and a few other friends stayed behind to comfort Kim while she cried in class for 20 minutes.

Amy said: 'Kim does not cry easily. She is strong... but she gets scared in front of (the teacher).'

Kim is house captain and does not fare badly in other subjects besides English.

DISCOURAGED

Kim said: 'No matter what, she should not beat us. Reteach us the chapter or give us more practice. By beating me, all she did was to discourage me.'

Mrs Tan agreed: 'Times have changed. Last time, teachers even threw books across the room.

'I was so embarrassed for my classmate. Imagine, I can still remember that after so many years.'

She had thought of approaching the school. But she was worried about revealing her identity as she feared there would be repercussions on Tara.

Mrs Tan felt that her hands were tied, and the school would diplomatically protect its reputation and the teacher 'like a parent protects her child'.

But she wanted to make the incidents public, hoping that the teacher would reflect on her actions.

She finally decided to come forward after reading The New Paper's report on a trainee teacher who mocked her students' English on her blog.

Mrs Tan said: 'Kids are kids, they make mistakes. Even as a parent, I get irritated sometimes and scold her (Tara). But here is a trained professional. She should know better.'

Tara's teacher has more than 30 years' experience in various schools.

She stepped down as head of department of English last year in preparation for retirement.

When contacted, the school said that calling students names goes against its values of creating 'an atmosphere where students feel safe, valued and respected'.

'Words can be damaging and hurting,' the principal said.

'Teachers are only human, sometimes they cannot manage their anger. They are counselled on the school's values.'

However, the principal claimed that the teacher had not called the students 'stupid', but had been referring to their 'silly' actions. The teacher also denied ever hitting Kim.

Mary defends her teacher's actions: 'What she says is reasonable, because D class is second best in the school. It is true that D class is better.'

Swan Tan, newsroom intern

This article was first published in The New Paper on Mar 24, 2008.