They say kids are like sponges – their young age makes it easy for them to learn and absorb information, be it mathematics, languages, reading, writing, morals and ethics. Another thing kids can be very receptive to are beliefs.
A little school girl from an unidentified school in Malaysia though has shocked and opened netizens’ eyes to the fact that our education system might very well be instilling a very damaging belief into the younger generation. In a now viral Facebook posting by Zam Zanizah Yatim, an image of the little girl’s homework can be seen.
Zam captioned the post, saying:
“This doesn’t look right to my eyes. A little girl wrote this. Poor kid. From such a young age she’s already taught to be a slave, while the boys are the kings.
“The causes many guys/husbands to be lazy and useless in life, not knowing how to be helpful by assisting his wife with housework and child care. Alhamdulillah my husband is dedicated.
The homework required the girl to list down the roles of a son and a daughter in a family unit.
The little girl had listed down her answers as:
Son:
a) To play
b) To sleep
c) To eat
d) To drink
e) To ask for Milo
Daughter:
a) Wash the plates
b) Tidy the house
c) Tidy the kitchen
d) Dry the clothes
e) Wash the floors
The worst part? The teacher who graded the homework marked her answers with ticks, reinforcing the belief in the little girl that these reductive gender roles in the home environment are entirely correct and reasonable.
Netizens also took to the comments section to share their sorrow and disappointment over the incident.
Source: Facebook
This comment reads, “It should be equal for both sides.”
Source: Facebook
This one goes, “Kids learn from what they see at home.”
Some even pointed out the possibility of old school views still being implemented in the household, referring to traditional gender roles of men being the breadwinners of the family while the women cook and clean.
Source: Facebook
This comment goes, “The parents could be used to our ancestors’ teachings. So now that we know, we need to slowly change. Not let it be and blame the parents, grandparents, men in general just like that. Wives should also be smarter.”
We live in a day and age where men and women are becoming more and more equal, especially in the work force, so it’s only normal to also build an equally fair environment at home.
Zam’s posting has since been shared over 9,400 times. We all need to educate especially our young ones that every one is equal and not entirely bound to gender roles.
Also read: 33% of Women Go on Dates Just for FREE Food, Study Reveals
