I SYMPATHISE with Sue Thomas’ daughter and others like her who are sitting the Moral paper (”This is no way to produce good citizens” — NST, Oct 1).

Similar complaints have been aired over the years but nothing has been done. So when it was my daughter’s turn to take the paper two years ago, I asked her to memorise the moral values by using them as lyrics set to her favourite tunes.

She was reluctant at first, but after facing frustration trying to memorise the values and with time running short, she took my advice.

It didn’t take her long to do this and she found, to her surprise, that it was a great help. She would sing her “songs” and, in no time at all, knew all the words by heart.

She was able to reproduce these words in her trial exam (and later in the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia exam) by singing in her head while doing the exams. For the first time, she scored an A in the subject when she had previously managed only passing grades! Since then she has used this technique to memorise other things such as the primary pollutants of photochemical smog.

I agree that the present system of learning and testing is no way to inculcate moral values but if you can’t beat the system, find a solution to it.

Source: NST – October 7, 2008