An article on today’s Straits Times caught my eye. It was on the front page, reporting about recent students’ blogs “flaming” the teachers in the cyber world. Five junior college students(all girls) were already being punished for posting offensive remarks about two teachers n a vice-principal online. They were all suspended for three days n their parents informed after being made to remove the remarks on their blogs. Of course, this is not an isolated case as the number of student bloggers surges. Seven secondary schools n two JCs have asked bloggers who criticized or insult their teachers online to remove the offending remarks. One such remark referred to a secondary school teacher as a “prude” for disciplining a student for wearing a too-short skirt. “Frustrated old spinster. Can’t stand to see attractive girls,” the blog read. Another teacher in Tanglin Secondary said: “I’ve had vulgarities hurled against me, my parents n my whole family in some students’ blogs.”

For one, I pity those teachers who were being “flamed”. As teachers, they have to do their job, n that is to pass down their knowledge n teach the correct moral values to their students. There are rules in school, n that teachers have to abide by them, let alone the students. Yes, u may say rules are meant to be broken, that’s what I always think too. But being in a learning institution, a student’s main objective is to learn, n not create trouble. Less rules broken, better life in school. I was a student for 13 years before entering the army, n I know how irritating the rules n some teachers can be. I’ve had the experience of “exchanging blows” with teachers in the past too, I had even commented one of my JC tutor’s inability to lecture efficiently in my JC’s forum(I was lucky not to have faced disciplinary actions). Been there n done that. But at the end of the day, I’ll still respect them as a teacher, therefore, no personal attacks. Looking back, I do have my regrets. However, I was too rebellious n hot-headed to think properly during my young teenage years. I guess when these bloggers grow older, they will think that they’re being silly to post those remarks online.

Be a responsible blogger, not a rash one. I rest my case on the two young men n a teen being charged with making seditious n inflammatory remarks about muslims on the Net. What’s illegal offline will never be legal online. Please, watch what u write online.