No. Well, it does. No not only, where the adults (teachers) fight with each other to be the apple of the principal's eye but more major in the lives of the young ones, the students.
Politics in Malaysia is always hot. Every now and then there will be a scandal, then there will be some "jumping" around, then some chair throwing or even rioting. Politics is never clean, everyone has some skeletons in his\her closet. Envy, jealousy, hatred, rebels, loyalty, respect and honesty all run through the blood of every politicians.
So what does this have to do with school students?
Ok, let me tell you this, it has quite a number of things to do with it. The influence may be not that great, but everything has its starts. Of course, there is no banners, and great propagandic speeches, no promises of lowering taxes but there is the campaigns, the propaganda, the vicious ambition and the building of trusts.
School as we know it is a foundation to build the inner personality and constructing of self-balance; but when school children are exposed to the many situation where children have to take up responsibility and gain the power, there is where it starts. I am not saying being the president of a club or even the platoon commander is bad, but rather when people start getting envious and jealous, there politics is involved.
The most where politics dwell in the lives of the high-schoolers, is during one's journey to rise to the top. Let's set a placing. The prefect board of a school. I chose this example, because I think that this is a great setting, too many times I heard stories of major politics in school is when the prefects of school are involved.
What are school prefects?
School prefects are students who, where a different uniform from the rest. There are the teacher's ever-loyal students, obeying every given instruction without opposition, and willing to do anything that the teachers tell. They are without pay, but have full respect form the teachers, some of them are respected from the other students and there are some that are informants for the students. Usually prefects are the symbol of the school's strength, people overlook them and sometimes ignore or even despise the blue shirt students (only in Malaysian public schools).
The problem persists when in the prefect board. The happenings behind shut doors. Politics boil up in the hearts of everyone. The strive for power, and the changing of loyalty and the foundation of trusts. You see, everyone wants to be in power whether they can do it or not. Everyone wants to be in control, be the alpha. But not many have the ability to do so. The case remains whether the head boy can remain in power or not. He will remain in power until the teachers hold him to it, but whether the others like him is another matter.
Next is being in power, any kinda of power, either in charge of the canteen or disciplinary. One wants to be in power. When this happens, everyone races to be in the top. Campaigns will start, the propaganda of telling the teacher of that other guy, is no good, he is not able to do so, and so forth. The teacher will investigate and look into it, and then ask other's opinion, the teacher will gain other teacher's opinion, and then after weeks of researching, the result will be made. There will be one loser and one winner. The act of campaigns is over. One shall hold on to power and the other still the 'underneath' or the one gets to hold power and the other loses out. Either way, that is politics.
There is the resigning of power. The anger towards the superiors and the superiors against the inferiors. It is not easy holding to power, and at the same time gaining the hearts of many. Just like a politician in Parliament. There will be the people who supports him and there will be the people who wants to throw him off. Similarly, in school. Let's take again the Head Boy matter. He must be strict with the students and at the same time be their friends. That is the balance he must create. But what if he can't do that? What if, his power is too great, till he abuses it or misuses it? He can either be too strict or too friendly. If he is to strict the friends won't like him, there will mock him, disgrace his name, if he is too friendly, he will be envied by the other prefects because how can a man like him hold on to power, he himself has no discipline.
It will just be going on and on. So, finally there will be all kinds of feelings in all kinds of people. The strive for power and the hunt for leadership. All in all. There are a lot of similarities, with politics and high-school, or for my example, a school's prefect board. I am not pointing fingers but just highlighting on the people who play with the Constitution have a very great influence on those bound to academic books. Probably not many have taught of it, but hey it's real and happening now.
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