Here at Pasxcel, we are educators.
More than just guiding them to getting A’s on their papers, we also have this ludicrous idea that they should come out of this, educated. We take this task very seriously, and though we do not doubt the fact that the traditional subjects of Mathematics, Chemistry or Business Studies would suffice as passable education, we adamantly believe that our students should be better educated. That they should come out with an appreciation for the world and its history, its languages and cultures, human achievements and all its applications, is the primary reason we are passionate about our duties as educators.
We have made it a point to introduce to them our diverse selection of Comprehensive Subjects, such as Computer Programming, World History, Literature, Financial Literacy and the list keeps on expanding. We require our students to take 2 Comprehensive Subjects per term, and though it may be a requirement, we hope they see it as a want, as opposed to just part of the stale administrative requirements in joining our school.
The aim is to widen their horizons, to broaden their view of the world, and to offer them skills that would be valuable to their development as humans who are part of this world. What use is there in going to school, if the result is a piece of paper that only mentions the fact of their attendance, that their only proof of education were memories of suffering through dreary classes and handing in assignments on time? We want to ignite their passions, and for those still unsure of what they may be passionate about, our comprehensive subjects allow them to explore all that our history as humans has to offer. There is an entire world of new ideas and creations that they can trek through.
Our students know that learning is an ongoing process, one that “doesn’t stop when you’ve left school”, to quote a former student. This curiosity to learn, this joy in finding things out, this passion for exploration, are all the traits we hope to instil in them via our comprehensive subjects.
Our Literature class gives them a view into the world of languages, how words can be a powerful tool, how the beauty in a sentence can bring us together and connect with people we may at first assume to be different. There is a whole avenue of unexplored terrain when they are introduced to new authors, new writing styles, and new prose. The programming class equips them with a skill that is almost indispensable in our day and age; as being literate was a long time ago. They learn how to think analytically and ethically in our Philosophy class, they train to think critically in our World History class, and they study how to make excellent decisions in our Financial Literacy class.
Yes, in the beginning, the students would dread these classes, as we all would, but then, a most wondrous thing happens, they get interested. At first, just a little, and then, a little more, and finally, they are engrossed. They get excited; they challenge themselves, and they take pride in proving their mettle. They show off their findings and their thoughts. One of our students came up with their own solution to the trolley problem, another wrote a poem to describe the world as they saw it, and one even convinced me, in a purely rhetorical exercise, that they were wise. And through this, they learn to create; instead of being pure consumers of knowledge, they produce.
The result of our education, we hope, is that our students learn to think, to not accept anything at face value, to make moral judgements about their actions, to burn and brighten this world with their passion, to have kindness and compassion, to want to learn, to find interest in everything, to live, and, to have fun. And in the end, they learn to be human.
Written by Pasxcel’s Master Teacher, Mr Rasyad.
Maths, Add. Maths, Physics, Python Coding & World History
Masters in Theoretical Physics
Teacher Rasyad studied Theoretical Physics and for a while he was working as a theoretical physicist. His area of research was Theoretical Nuclear Astrophysics and Particle Physics. His passion for teaching Mathematics and Physics led him to become a teacher with Pasxcel where he aims to instil in his students the joy of finding things out. His classes are usually very broad ranging and engaging. And rather than just explaining the concepts, he ties it in with the students’ experiences, the mundane then becomes the beautiful. His classes tend to have a habit of going into far off regions where he takes his students on a tour of the universe, from the very big to the very small, stretching the limits of their imaginations.
