Dear training director,
I urge you to take this email very seriously. With all due respect and good intent, I want to make known my grievances. I am a student under lecturer Jxxxx Xxxn for the F5C classes and am highly dissatisfied with various issues.
1) Bad dates
I question the lecturer's level of devotion to this sacred occupation of teaching. I understand that he is undergoing further studies to achieve his doctorate. And basically, when I first enrolled for the course, the dates were neat and ideal. But after signing the contract with SAA-GE, we were abruptly informed of his new schedule. I also understand that we were given the options of transfer but they were obviously found to be less ideal. That is the reason we enrolled with lecturer Jxxxx Xxxn in the first place. And needless to say, the new schedule as put forward to us by him were ridiculously arranged and very irregular, leaving gaps with no classes every once in a while. This makes learning much less effective on the whole. Classes are held almost every weekend, and public holidays too - National day and Hari Raya. I am very inquisitive as to whether he knew before hand about his study plans and how they would gravely interfere with the original schedule he put forward to the public. How can an extensive programme such as doctoral studies be impromptu like in this way? This is deemed undisputedly unprofessional and irresponsible. We have since come to terms with the change but that leads me to the next point.
2) Lecture conduct
Lecturer Jxxxx Xxxn has an appalling stance towards curriculum timings. Breaks are very poorly arranged. If classes would start at 6.45 and due to end at 9.45, he allows the break at 9pm. The break lasts only 5 minutes or no more than 10. Does he not know that people hurriedly come to school straight from work and sometimes without dinner as well? All these to show we are ernest in observing his rules but yet he holds our welfare in total disregard. Has he considered people with gastric issues at all? His classes would without fail, end at 10.30 or worse - 10.45, as opposed to 9.45. Speaking about this issue in class, he clearly showed that he was adamant about observing the clock.
"When I want to do something, I am very determined. And if I want to finish a question, I will finish it. So if you all still give non response to my questions, be prepared to go home at 11. You can ask my previous batch of students. They go home at 11 or even later."
He seemed proud about his wayward antics and I beseech the school and the relevant people in power to straighten out such atrocities. We all have our personal life to live. But the event of not having the last train to catch is most agonising. Who then will pay for the taxi fares? Him?
I also want to draw his attention as to why he, unlike every other lecturer, finds himself unable to really be thorough and yet still accomplish on time. He continually digresses off the topic. He is easily distracted with his past experiences and emotions as well. I cannot tell you how many times I and many others turned blue in the face listening to him tell tales of far ends when the clock is ticking towards 10.40. After which he quickly scans through the most important parts of the topic. Absolutely a very distracted teacher that I will never recommend to my friends. It is ironical how he stresses the importance of turning up on time for classes but yet neglects the cessation of it to no end.
3) Teaching and teaching materials
His method of teaching includes the perfect use of the 'visualiser'. Every session, he comes to class with pre-written templates of the answers to be explained to us. I emphasize the use of the word template because the sheets of 'answers' he would flash on the screen is incomplete. He unveils the template line by line, we are required to calculate the answers that would then properly furnish the stipulated workings to be performed. Teaching on his part would be to point at his nearly blank sheet of paper; is this how he saves the time of actually preparing and the meticulously coarse calculation that he would then have to do on the white board? And does he conveniently reuse the same materials in this fashion that for every batch of student? The work he does is obnoxiously slipshod and unacceptable. We are after all still students and not of an MBA level.
In addition, I notice Jxxxx Xxxn to be a very temperamental person. He is very short fused and I am completely convinced that he does not possess qualities of love and care a genuine teacher has. When he shoots questions in all solemness, the class is stunned and occasionally, we are unable to respond to his questions. He then flies into a rage, blaming us for disinterest in studying - how is that fair? While there are some degree holders in our batch, we cannot expect everybody to be as bright as he is. He has done it not once, not twice but countless times. Our inability to answer his questions then indubitably leads him to drag the classes for an even longer duration until something is conjured.
Note also that he would call us by appearance and wrong answers are critically rebuked. I sincerely hope you understand what it is to sit through that kind of a class. The learning environment is almost absent. This is practically very disruptive and detrimental to us students. I doubt such a harsh bearing on pupils of any age will work to produce good results.
But here is the most acute and ailing problem of all. I want you to see that we have paid for this course and along with it, rightfully comes every single sheet of printed matter there is. I am positively sure that you would agree wholly with me. While his call for us to attempt the questions before viewing the answers is not entirely unappreciated, I strongly censure his act of withholding our solution booklet. Is that not akin to robbery? I try hard not to think of what other use he might have with our materials. The printed solutions are of dire importance. It helps a great deal in self study but he keeps the printed matter away many lectures past the allotted time. Only after persistent but polite pesters did he finally distribute the first set of printed solutions to the questions issued. Second and subsequent sets are still not given. It is already September and we are feeling desperate. There is no way we can single handedly solve the questions and present it to him and then only obtain the solution booklet like he dictates. This is highly illogical as it clearly defeats the purpose of the solution booklet. He should have the basic courtesy to respect us as adults and leave the studying to us. We have after all paid for school fees which do not come cheap and therefore have every incentive to pass.
4) People to people.
Before the break today, we were doing past year examination questions. He flashed the solution to this particular THEORY question. It was a whole chunk so long and verbose. Using speed reading and summarisation techniques like I was taught, I quickly jotted down all the important content in point form as he walked around the class. On a side note, I have a perpetual habit of pen fiddling. I would twirl my pen around my fingers in a undisruptive but fanciful fashion when in deep thought.
At my table, lecturer Jxxxx Xxxn chided me for not copying the whole paragraph of answer he presented to us and he typically cited reasons of disinterest in his lectures. Later at his desk, he disdainfully remarked that he disliked the pen twirling habit of mine and that I would have to stop or it "change class". I was totally stubbed. I was lost for words. I think that this tyrannical behavior so brazen, has no place in our acclaimed 1st world society. Will it suffice to mean that I should not wear a pair of green jeans or do anything personal that is to his displeasure?
Coupled to the fact of attack on personal will, he blatantly told us that we should not be spotted at places of leisure such as Orchard Road, or the National Day parade on National Day and that being spotted by him will result in consequences.
Today, I have come to his lesson, for the last time. My purpose was to inform him about my predicament. Situation has it that I have not passed my CAT by a sad margin and so I will have to revert back to CAT classes. Fees for Jxxxx Xxxn's regular classes have been refunded BUT fees for his tutorial lessons are not available for refund. I therefore have been attending those tutorial lessons. Shortly into break time and before commencement I sorted his advice as to whether I should continue to sit through his lessons (though unofficial) because of my ongoing tutorial classes. I was eager to learn and I hope for a better head start next year when I resume ACCA classes. If that was not possible I suggested that that would be then be the last lesson for me. But his lack of gracefulness led him to demand I leave the class right then; so I left, in front of everybody. I highly doubt the possibility of spot checks on his students neither do I believe that I was causing a disturbance to the class. Many lecturers actually offer external unpaid help even outside official curriculum times, those I truly respect. But James is a stark contrast.
I am saddened by the fact that his hefty stash of qualifications did not make him any better at social relations and civil etiquette. He was the one who set out that nobody should ever pick their bags and leave the room before he was done teaching, no matter how late it was. But as I gingerly packed my things like I was told, he unabashedly waved his hands high and beckoned, hastening me to leave the room. What professionalism do we speak about here? Many of us have already been through national service and are already working class adults. I only ask that he treats us as human beings and not in a manner of running nursery. While we are students, I should like to say that this tertiary education is comparable that of a service industry. I have just taken a student survey and, is the level of approachability and helpfulness of a lecturer not on the criteria?
Who is he to rule that nobody should leave his room before he finishes up on his poorly timely blabber when parents/spouses are waiting by the roadside to fetch us home?
Many students live in fear and dissatisfaction and they do not voice out for fear of trouble or a soured relationship.
"He treats us like criminals"
-anonymous
If the recipient of this message is unable to properly and cleanly deal with this situation, please direct it to somebody of greater authority. I definitely WILL pursue this to a higher level if need be.
Regards
Xxxxxxx Xxx
9xxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxx88@hotmail.com
I urge you to take this email very seriously. With all due respect and good intent, I want to make known my grievances. I am a student under lecturer Jxxxx Xxxn for the F5C classes and am highly dissatisfied with various issues.
1) Bad dates
I question the lecturer's level of devotion to this sacred occupation of teaching. I understand that he is undergoing further studies to achieve his doctorate. And basically, when I first enrolled for the course, the dates were neat and ideal. But after signing the contract with SAA-GE, we were abruptly informed of his new schedule. I also understand that we were given the options of transfer but they were obviously found to be less ideal. That is the reason we enrolled with lecturer Jxxxx Xxxn in the first place. And needless to say, the new schedule as put forward to us by him were ridiculously arranged and very irregular, leaving gaps with no classes every once in a while. This makes learning much less effective on the whole. Classes are held almost every weekend, and public holidays too - National day and Hari Raya. I am very inquisitive as to whether he knew before hand about his study plans and how they would gravely interfere with the original schedule he put forward to the public. How can an extensive programme such as doctoral studies be impromptu like in this way? This is deemed undisputedly unprofessional and irresponsible. We have since come to terms with the change but that leads me to the next point.
2) Lecture conduct
Lecturer Jxxxx Xxxn has an appalling stance towards curriculum timings. Breaks are very poorly arranged. If classes would start at 6.45 and due to end at 9.45, he allows the break at 9pm. The break lasts only 5 minutes or no more than 10. Does he not know that people hurriedly come to school straight from work and sometimes without dinner as well? All these to show we are ernest in observing his rules but yet he holds our welfare in total disregard. Has he considered people with gastric issues at all? His classes would without fail, end at 10.30 or worse - 10.45, as opposed to 9.45. Speaking about this issue in class, he clearly showed that he was adamant about observing the clock.
"When I want to do something, I am very determined. And if I want to finish a question, I will finish it. So if you all still give non response to my questions, be prepared to go home at 11. You can ask my previous batch of students. They go home at 11 or even later."
He seemed proud about his wayward antics and I beseech the school and the relevant people in power to straighten out such atrocities. We all have our personal life to live. But the event of not having the last train to catch is most agonising. Who then will pay for the taxi fares? Him?
I also want to draw his attention as to why he, unlike every other lecturer, finds himself unable to really be thorough and yet still accomplish on time. He continually digresses off the topic. He is easily distracted with his past experiences and emotions as well. I cannot tell you how many times I and many others turned blue in the face listening to him tell tales of far ends when the clock is ticking towards 10.40. After which he quickly scans through the most important parts of the topic. Absolutely a very distracted teacher that I will never recommend to my friends. It is ironical how he stresses the importance of turning up on time for classes but yet neglects the cessation of it to no end.
3) Teaching and teaching materials
His method of teaching includes the perfect use of the 'visualiser'. Every session, he comes to class with pre-written templates of the answers to be explained to us. I emphasize the use of the word template because the sheets of 'answers' he would flash on the screen is incomplete. He unveils the template line by line, we are required to calculate the answers that would then properly furnish the stipulated workings to be performed. Teaching on his part would be to point at his nearly blank sheet of paper; is this how he saves the time of actually preparing and the meticulously coarse calculation that he would then have to do on the white board? And does he conveniently reuse the same materials in this fashion that for every batch of student? The work he does is obnoxiously slipshod and unacceptable. We are after all still students and not of an MBA level.
In addition, I notice Jxxxx Xxxn to be a very temperamental person. He is very short fused and I am completely convinced that he does not possess qualities of love and care a genuine teacher has. When he shoots questions in all solemness, the class is stunned and occasionally, we are unable to respond to his questions. He then flies into a rage, blaming us for disinterest in studying - how is that fair? While there are some degree holders in our batch, we cannot expect everybody to be as bright as he is. He has done it not once, not twice but countless times. Our inability to answer his questions then indubitably leads him to drag the classes for an even longer duration until something is conjured.
Note also that he would call us by appearance and wrong answers are critically rebuked. I sincerely hope you understand what it is to sit through that kind of a class. The learning environment is almost absent. This is practically very disruptive and detrimental to us students. I doubt such a harsh bearing on pupils of any age will work to produce good results.
But here is the most acute and ailing problem of all. I want you to see that we have paid for this course and along with it, rightfully comes every single sheet of printed matter there is. I am positively sure that you would agree wholly with me. While his call for us to attempt the questions before viewing the answers is not entirely unappreciated, I strongly censure his act of withholding our solution booklet. Is that not akin to robbery? I try hard not to think of what other use he might have with our materials. The printed solutions are of dire importance. It helps a great deal in self study but he keeps the printed matter away many lectures past the allotted time. Only after persistent but polite pesters did he finally distribute the first set of printed solutions to the questions issued. Second and subsequent sets are still not given. It is already September and we are feeling desperate. There is no way we can single handedly solve the questions and present it to him and then only obtain the solution booklet like he dictates. This is highly illogical as it clearly defeats the purpose of the solution booklet. He should have the basic courtesy to respect us as adults and leave the studying to us. We have after all paid for school fees which do not come cheap and therefore have every incentive to pass.
4) People to people.
Before the break today, we were doing past year examination questions. He flashed the solution to this particular THEORY question. It was a whole chunk so long and verbose. Using speed reading and summarisation techniques like I was taught, I quickly jotted down all the important content in point form as he walked around the class. On a side note, I have a perpetual habit of pen fiddling. I would twirl my pen around my fingers in a undisruptive but fanciful fashion when in deep thought.
At my table, lecturer Jxxxx Xxxn chided me for not copying the whole paragraph of answer he presented to us and he typically cited reasons of disinterest in his lectures. Later at his desk, he disdainfully remarked that he disliked the pen twirling habit of mine and that I would have to stop or it "change class". I was totally stubbed. I was lost for words. I think that this tyrannical behavior so brazen, has no place in our acclaimed 1st world society. Will it suffice to mean that I should not wear a pair of green jeans or do anything personal that is to his displeasure?
Coupled to the fact of attack on personal will, he blatantly told us that we should not be spotted at places of leisure such as Orchard Road, or the National Day parade on National Day and that being spotted by him will result in consequences.
Today, I have come to his lesson, for the last time. My purpose was to inform him about my predicament. Situation has it that I have not passed my CAT by a sad margin and so I will have to revert back to CAT classes. Fees for Jxxxx Xxxn's regular classes have been refunded BUT fees for his tutorial lessons are not available for refund. I therefore have been attending those tutorial lessons. Shortly into break time and before commencement I sorted his advice as to whether I should continue to sit through his lessons (though unofficial) because of my ongoing tutorial classes. I was eager to learn and I hope for a better head start next year when I resume ACCA classes. If that was not possible I suggested that that would be then be the last lesson for me. But his lack of gracefulness led him to demand I leave the class right then; so I left, in front of everybody. I highly doubt the possibility of spot checks on his students neither do I believe that I was causing a disturbance to the class. Many lecturers actually offer external unpaid help even outside official curriculum times, those I truly respect. But James is a stark contrast.
I am saddened by the fact that his hefty stash of qualifications did not make him any better at social relations and civil etiquette. He was the one who set out that nobody should ever pick their bags and leave the room before he was done teaching, no matter how late it was. But as I gingerly packed my things like I was told, he unabashedly waved his hands high and beckoned, hastening me to leave the room. What professionalism do we speak about here? Many of us have already been through national service and are already working class adults. I only ask that he treats us as human beings and not in a manner of running nursery. While we are students, I should like to say that this tertiary education is comparable that of a service industry. I have just taken a student survey and, is the level of approachability and helpfulness of a lecturer not on the criteria?
Who is he to rule that nobody should leave his room before he finishes up on his poorly timely blabber when parents/spouses are waiting by the roadside to fetch us home?
Many students live in fear and dissatisfaction and they do not voice out for fear of trouble or a soured relationship.
"He treats us like criminals"
-anonymous
If the recipient of this message is unable to properly and cleanly deal with this situation, please direct it to somebody of greater authority. I definitely WILL pursue this to a higher level if need be.
Regards
Xxxxxxx Xxx
9xxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxx88@hotmail.com
Last edited:

.. most thought he was too focused and demanding that they dare not sign up for his lectures.
this you also want to complain??
.. the real slipshod ones already "game over" liao.