Daily Lessons from Life 17 February 2011 -

"Thu, Feb 17, 2011 AsiaOne - Former lecturer divulged exam questions for money

A FORMER lecturer was fined by the Subordinate Courts on Thursday for divulging examination questions to students in exchange for money.

The 38-year-old lecturer, Isabelle Krishnan, was a level head for the upper intermediate level at Management Development Institute of Singapore (MDIS) when the offences took place between September and October 2009.

Krishnan, then an English lecturer, approached two of her students, Mr Hoang Truong Tien, 30 and Ms Zhang Tingting, 23, and offered them last-minute English language tuition to help them pass their upcoming examination.

She charged them $450 each in exchange for questions for an upcoming English Language examinations, reported The Straits Times.

Krishnan would reveal the questions during private tuition sessions with them.

She could have been fined up to $100,000 and jailed up to five years for each charge."

A tragic story that dragged the good name of professional educators to the sewage hole! She is the EXCEPTION I am sure rather than the rules. Though there were reportedly teachers from the Ministry of Education schools giving tuition after school, hopefully NOT to their own students as in this case!

Lessons for me are:

1. be clear why you want to be an educator! To make a living or to help others learn and develop to a better human being and gain competence to be able to do their jobs or to make extra money?;

2. I do not know why she did what she had done. Could it be greed or other hidden motives? e.g. in need of cash to help someone pay for surgery or just to buy another branded bags or clothes or whatever? I hope it was the former as I can take pity on that;

3. as a professional, there are certain rules that you SIMPLY cannot compromised. Code of ethics dictate: no appearance of conflict of interest let alone really having clear conflict of interest as in this case. On top of that, asking for money to divulge examination questions is clearly UNETHICAL and a no-go zone!! What was she thinking??!!

May she repent sincerely and turned over a new leaf now that this unfortunate episode has come to a close. May the good name of Professional Educators be cleared as MOST are honest, ethical, and earnest in wanting to help students improve, learn and develop into useful and decent human being!