Isn't it funny how we all go through primary school and have fun together, but when streaming comes along, the judging begins? And as we move on to secondary school, we would hear of cases whereby express classes look down on the normal academic/technical classes. I've always been in express classes all four years of my secondary school life and honestly, even when I was in the top express class, there were lots of politics going on. The top students would look down on the weaker students. Everyone was so competitive and I didn't have a good time. That's the very same reason why I did not blog much about my life in secondary one. I've been looked down upon, and I know how horrible it feels.

I am not afraid to say that I was from a tail end express class for the last two years of my secondary school education, I was a horrible student who skipped lessons, dyed my hair, quarreled with teachers, didn't hand in my homework, got suspended, etc. But that was what made my secondary school experience special. I hung out with many different people from different walks of life, and honestly, the iLive lessons on empathy in school did not teach me as much as what I've learned from them. 

What actually prompted me to type out this post is this screenshot of comments made by a boy, Austin Tan, on Facebook:

 

Why is it that we're always judged based on our studies? Just because one's weak in studying doesn't mean that s/he is not meant for great things in life. I see people stereotyping ITE students all the time, condemning them. I have friends in ITE who are more intelligent emotionally as compared to some of my friends in top schools. I was encouraged by my mother and my vice-principal to opt for ITE if I did not qualify for my desired course in polytechnic. So why are people still stereotyping ITE?

You can top us in every subject possible. You can be a walking textbook or dictionary, get all As, go to a top JC. But if you don't have respect for others, you will never succeed in life.