Congratulations, Students!
We are on the bulletin: ViewPress School has finished its syllabus three weeks before the term ends, the principal announced during the morning assembly. “A remarkable day,” the blue banner proudly proclaimed: mission accomplished.
Alongside was a notice stating that the school does not allow students to ask questions of the faculty until the next term. The principal stood firmly on the stage and gave a briefing. “Everything is covered,” he said, “and we expect good results from every student. This school has completed its job by covering all topics and conducting all exams; I hope there will be no questions.” The staff room erupted in applause, and students did the same.
Threat to Time Management
A teacher was writing on the classroom board, advising students to take all notes before the break. He then erased what he had written just a few minutes later to write more so he could cover the syllabus quickly.
When a student said, “Sir, wait, I did not write,” he replied, “It’s not my concern; I did what I had to.”
Subsequently, the science teacher conducted three tests consecutively, exhausting the children badly in order to present a progress report to the head office.
The Question That Wasn’t Supposed to Happen
Suddenly, a ninth-grade student interrupted the principal’s speech. He spoke loudly so that his voice reached the principal, saying, “I do not know how the solar system actually works, even after memorising it hundreds of times.”
The staff gently reminded him that “why” questions are only allowed in the new term and that his question was not part of the syllabus, so he should save it for later.
“We love curious students,” stated the vice principal; unfortunately, it was a little too late for the student to ask that question.
The Library Incident
The administration has closed the school library — a haven for curiosity — with a sign on the door reading, “Closed for Focus.”
In a recent incident, staff caught a student reading a book about species and dismissed him. Additionally, the school librarian briefly reached through the locked door and commented, “I warned them that this section was dangerous. Nobody listened.”
When students argued that the library was essential, the administration replied that the decision was necessary because many students had shown interest in books that the syllabus did not list.
The administration reminded and encouraged students not to waste time on outside reading, but to memorise and review only the books included in their course.
A New Kind of Excellence
ViewPress School introduced a new reward system for mentors. One teacher received a certificate for completing lessons before the midterm exams.
The principal praised another teacher for teaching photosynthesis using only arrows and abbreviations so students would never have to truly understand it.
The Silence That Followed
By Friday afternoon, classrooms across ViewPress had grown quieter. Students no longer raised their hands between lessons — not because they were fully aware of everything the teachers taught, but because they knew when not to speak.
The ringing of the school bell reminded students again and again that it was less an invitation into class and more a signal to think less.
Now, one only sees students at ViewPress memorising their textbooks, and when an outsider questions them, they go blank.
Sadly, this school itself has become a bell that reminds the whole community to set curiosity aside and repeat the same lines from the textbook over and over again.