They're Only Children You Know?

Last week I searched and searched for a VCR at school that would actually play American videos. There are only what seems to be a total of three in the entire school and a total of two TV's, one at each campus. Shortly after finding one VCR that does actually work for me and being denied its usage (reason being that it belongs to the Language Department and though I teach English, I teach mostly at the second campus, which is still a part of the school. I did not understand and was so stressed), one of the English teachers said something to me, that I can only think about now after-the-fact.

In her strong Russian accent she said to me, "How do you find our students and our school?" Well... seeing as though you've just denied me a weeks worth of lessons in not allowing me to use the only working VCR in the school for no reason whatsoever... do you really want me to answer that right now? "The school is fine and I have been warmly welcomed," I said to her, trying desperately to not show my anger and bitterness at that moment. "And the students?" she said. On this I just had to be truthful... "I like my students as people, but I think they are the laziest students I have ever met, complaining about five minutes of homework for every week, not studying for a simple vocabulary exam, etc." "Ah, yes, yes, yes, they are lazy," she said. "But they are only children you know, and children can often be lazy."

Only children? These "children" are sometimes only one or two years younger than myself! These "children" are often expected to be married and have their own families by this age if they chose not to go to the university.

I don't know how many teachers actually have this perspective, but assuming a majority of them do, it is a clear testimony as to why all my students (and I would assume others as well) are the laziest students I have ever met! Many of them have never had an ounce of great responsibility. Most do not work until they are finished with university, due to the lack of computers, internet, and book availability, they have very little homework each week, most have not volunteered in anything where they take on responsibility, etc. So, yah, I suppose in some way, they are "just children."

All I can think though, is that these "children" in only a matter of one or two years will be out in the real world having to deal with true work and responsibility. Will their maturity and responsibility hold up? I am not confident.

But then again... looking at this society, they would probably fit right in and just keep the ball rolling.