During the application process for these two days, I encountered a young man who missed an appointment without any explanation. However, he continued to submit the same resume, claiming that his friend had a car accident in the morning. Since I didn’t have my phone with me at the hospital, I couldn’t contact him.
Before that incident, I met a woman of my age who was looking for a second job. On the scheduled work day, I received a text message early in the morning stating that my mother was temporarily hospitalized, and I lost contact. These are just two examples, but there are many more similar incidents.
I also recall my son’s first babysitter, V. She is a Taiwanese girl who grew up in Germany and returned to Taiwan during her summer vacation after high school to learn Chinese. In the beginning, due to my lack of experience, I simply followed Marcus around without knowing what to do.
Gradually, I started giving instructions to V, telling her what to do, what games to play, and how to guide my son. After two to three months of getting accustomed to each other, things improved. Once, before leaving, V asked me if she could take a leave of absence for a certain month because of something at her school. I agreed without any pressure since it was just for fun and not a critical situation.
To my surprise, V immediately took out her notepad and started discussing alternative dates or time slots. I was struck with astonishment. Did a simple leave of absence turn into a formal negotiation? It made me realize the importance of #responsibleeducation.
I desire the same level of responsibility from my children, where they are accountable to themselves and others, earning respect in return. In the past, I might have complained about the irresponsibility of many young people in Taiwan. However, I now realize that this issue is not limited to “young people” alone (although I have encountered many such instances). Irresponsibility can be found across all age groups. Ultimately, I question whether our education system or some aspect of our society is to blame.
Children are often told, “What do you know? Just listen to me (parents, elders)!” Students are expected to focus solely on their studies without pondering too much. Achieving a score of 98 with two errors is considered unacceptable.
Over time, individuals who are younger in age tend to adopt this mindset. They say, “Ah, I’m just a student. How would I know?” I recently read an article emphasizing the significance of primary education. It stated that elementary school is a crucial stage for nurturing the initial formation of a child’s personality. Neglecting the cultivation of their personality prototypes during these years may lead to complications in their adulthood. Primary education should not solely focus on knowledge acquisition; it should equally prioritize shaping children’s attitudes towards themselves and others.
Although no education system is perfect, I believe German education has an advantage in this aspect. It encourages children to develop a sense of responsibility from an early age, rather than merely focusing on academic achievements or carrying school bags.
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