Ignorance of Propriety...?

(Posted on Facebook, December 24, 2010)
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陈亢问于伯鱼曰：“子亦有异闻乎？”对曰：“未也。尝独立，鲤趋而过庭。曰：‘学诗乎？’对曰：‘未也’。‘不学诗，无以言。’鲤退而学诗。 他日又独立，鲤趋而过庭。曰：‘学礼乎？’对曰：‘未也’。‘不学礼，无以立。’鲤退而学礼。闻斯二者。”陈亢退而喜曰：“问一得三。闻诗，闻礼，又闻君 子之远其子也。”
"If you do not learn the rules of Propriety, your character cannot be established."
- Analects of Confucius, 16.13

"It doesn't matter whether you are at home, in school, or have entered the society -- you must remember your manners! Especially towards your elders! Do you hear, my Dear Daughter (Dear Daughter- Derived from the pet name “宝贝女儿” that my parents usually call me)? If you do not learn the rules of Propriety, your character cannot be established!" Dad was driving, and at the same time he was lecturing me, who was in the backseat of the car. Fortunately, however, the reason behind Dad's anger wasn't me.

In order to find out the reason behind Dad's anger, we must flashback to the events that happened a few hours before...

(December 22, 2010 Approximately 10.45 a.m Our Living Room)

"Dear Daughter, I think it's time we go to your school to collect your Leaving Certificate and your SPM Trial results." Dad said.
"Yup," I nodded. Today is the Winter Solstice and, apparently, also the day that I would be officially leaving my school. Could this be considered as a cause for a double celebration?
Hence, Mum, Dad and I got into the car, and Dad drove us down to Confucian Private Secondary School.

(December 22, 2010 Approximately 11 a.m Lorong Hang Jebat)

"Ahh, Dear Daughter, you will not need to set your eyes upon this entrance everyday anymore." Mum said.
"Yup," I nodded. Mum and Dad were in jolly good moods today, and so was I. Today ought to be a very good day, right? Or so I thought.
So, Mum, Dad and I walked into the schoolyard of Confucian, and took the lift up to the Academic Department on the 3rd floor.

(December 22, 2010 Approximately 11.05 a.m Academic Department, Confucian Private Secondary School)

We opened the door and strolled in. There sat two male teachers, one sitting at his desk, the other standing beside him. They seemed to be busying themselves over some paperwork. As we walked into the room, I suddenly had a strong sense of doubt as to whether or not I truly existed, as nobody in the room seemed to notice the three of us who had just walked in.
This doubt was crushed after a few minutes, though, as someone finally acknowledged our existence.
"What?" The teacher who was standing raised his head and directed his question towards us.
Maybe it was my imagination, but I thought I saw a little frown form on Dad's forehead. Just maybe.
"I would like to collect my daughter's School Leaving Certificate and her SPM Trial Results." Dad answered.
The teacher turned his back on us without a word and started searching through some papers on a desk.
I guess that was the last straw for Dad.
"Young man, you don't seem to have any manners, do you? You never say 'Good Morning' or any other greeting when you see a parent of a student in this office? I see that what my daughter has told me is true -- Many students seem to think that the staff of the Academic Department are very rude!"
Dad started to raise his voice as he spoke, and other parents and their children, both inside and outside the Academic Department, turned their heads to stare at us in surprise. A child of about four or five years old stared at us with big, round eyes, his expression mingled with curiosity and a tad bit of fear.
The teacher raised his head again, eyes as big as the child aforementioned, but I thought his emotions at the time mostly consisted of fear. But that's just what I thought.
Dad continued, "So this is how Confucian trains its staff! If this is the case, the Academic Department really does need a reform, no?"
The teacher lowered his head and continued to search for the missing Certificate and results slip. Not long after that, he told us that the staff who was in charge of the documents was on leave, and he would call her right now.
Dad continued, "Didn't the school call us last week and inform us that the documents were ready to be picked up? But now they can't be found! Seems to me that this department lacks efficiency. And manners! I certainly have no idea how you handle things..."
While Dad was still talking, the teacher finished making the phone call and rifled through another folder. He retrieved a few pieces of paper from within and handed them to us.
"This is your School Leaving Certificate, and you SPM Trial Results. Sign your name on both the Leaving Certificates, and I'll take the one printed on yellow-colored paper, you can keep the white one." The teacher said to me.
Just as I reached for a pen, Dad glanced at the School Leaving Certificates.
"Why is this printed like that...?"
I took a closer look at the certificates where Dad's finger was pointing at, and I was thankful that I had not yet signed my name. Under "Class of Admission", the Chinese characters for "Junior Middle One"（“初中一”） were not printed clearly, with only a dot where the "One"（“一”） was supposed to be. Under "Form at time of Leaving" and "Highest Form Passed", "Two"（“二”） of "Senior Middle Two" was missing a horizontal character stroke, making it appear as "Senior Middle One".
Dad was "motivated" again.
"How is it that Leaving Certificates are printed in this manner?! Take a look yourself, what do you see at the detail, "Class of Admission"? And my daughter has studied in your school until Senior Middle Two!"
"This is a...printing problem...I--"
"I don't care what problem it is, what if my daughter uses this certificate to apply for something and gets rejected because the words aren't printed clearly? Who is supposed to be responsible for that? Do you usually issue documents like this and ask the other party to accept them?"
"We...If the parents are willing to accept it--"
"How do you expect me to accept this certificate?! This is something to do with my daughter's future!"
"I...If you are asking us to redo the certificate--"
"Of course I'm asking you to redo the certificate!"
The teacher didn't say another word, and he gathered up the papers and left to sort out the "printing problem". The three of us went out of the room to wait. In the meantime, we chatted with another parent, and we found out that that parent had also reprimanded the teacher in the past for his lack of manners. We also talked with the new Principal of the school, with the Senior One Jungle Camp（高一野外营） being the main topic of discussion. Thus, the three of us waited...and waited...

(December 22, 2010 Approximately 12.45 p.m In the vicinity of the Academic Department)

After watching a few of the school staff going in and out of the Academic Department, with documents that looked very much like my School Leaving Certificate in their hands, I was finally called into the Academic Department to sign my name on the certificates. Just to be safe, I brought Mum and Dad in along with me to examine and approve the certificates before I signed them. At last, with my School Leaving Certificate and SPM Trial Results in my hand, I left Confucian Private Secondary School with my (still seething with anger) Dad and my (worried as to whether or not Dad would have high blood pressure) Mum.

(December 22, 2010 Approximately 1 p.m In the Car)

"I thought it would be a quick affair, getting your School Leaving Certificate and SPM Trial Results..." Dad said with a sigh. "Who knew that it would take this long! And that young man with no manners! It just spoilt my mood. My Dear Daughter, you must always remember your manners! I'm baffled as to why Confucian has such staff! Ahh, I remember the days in 1968 when I graduated from this school! We were the ones who truly graduated from a school who practiced 'Education for everyone, irrespective of background'（有教无类）! Look at Confucian now, so many students, but how many of them have produced excellent results from this school? My Dear Daughter...I've constantly reminded you about manners since you were young, you must keep this in mind! Never be like some other people, who actually dare to tell a parent that 'your child is not fit for this school'! A school that upholds 'Education for everyone', would take in any type of student, and would nurture each and every student well. How, then, would any child be 'not fit for this school'? Also, never be like some other people, who dare to call someone a“华教败家子”! It doesn't matter whether you are at home, in school, or have entered the society -- you must remember your manners! Especially towards your elders! Do you hear, my Dear Daughter? If you do not learn the rules of Propriety, your character cannot be established!" Dad was driving, and at the same time he was lecturing me, who was in the backseat of the car. Fortunately, however, the reason behind Dad's anger wasn't me.