February 27, 12:40pm

Just read the Ming Pao news about a student survey on teacher stress. It says, students are willing to submit their assignments "to reduce teacher stress."

What is the logic behind?

I was here in the office until 10pm last night. Sunday night. I was grading the 45 student papers all day then this morning, I accepted a late submission and was grading again.

How on earth assignment submission is related to teacher stress reduction? If they don't submit the assignment, they don't get any grade. If they don't pass the course, I suppose students should be in stress. I only have few assignments to grade.

To work on assignments and submit on time, to me, can only be for students own good. I have a paper due today and I got it printed out for proofreading yesterday. So, it's ready for submission in class today. And I'm already preparing for the second paper due March 27, 2006.

I have so many deadlines every now and then. I can pay money to register for a course. But I can only learn if I pay effort to study and work on the assignments. Grades are earned not given.

What is in the head of the students thinking about to do assignments for the teachers' (imaginary if unlikely) benefit?

I really want to look at the questionnaire. Is it a multiple choice question or free response question? Most likely this "do homework" thing is an option to choose or it's unlikely 69.4% (as reported) students would "prefer to do homework for teachers."

http://hk.news.yahoo.com/060226/12/1lk7t.html

Is doing homework a student's responsibility? Or is it a voluntary action "to show care for teachers?"

I still remember a girl in a TV interview, it's probably BBC or Channel Four, can't remember exactly. It's already more than three years ago when I was in London. She said, she would enjoy studying if doing homework is like eating icecream.

My landlady said, the girl has no brain.

Well, I wouldn't say she has no brain. That only takes a brain scan to prove or disapprove. Perhaps her brain is not fully developed. The question is how to enhance children's development in the ways desired. And to debate about what is desirable.

Another question is, what is education for? To realize people's potential? Or to manipulate people? Or for social control?