There is a common belief: comics promote violence and bad attitudes. I don't know where it originated from. My guess is that many years ago, some Hong Kong martial arts comics were popular amongst gangsters? Maybe some of the more outlandish Japanese comic books gave people the belief that comics are bad for kids.
Some people ban comics from schools altogether! Of course, I think people need to see the very good stuff comics are and not just the bad stuff.
Comics are simply drawings that tell stories. Some stories can be great, and some not so good for us. To ban comics from schools totally is like . . . banning cars because some drivers drive badly!
These few weeks, I have been busy and fortunate to visit
Canberra Primary School (in Yishun),
Kuo Chuan Presbyterian (in Bishan) and
Ngee Ann Polytechnic (in Bukit Timah). These schools see the potential of comics to make study more interesting and memorable for students.
Comics are actually very important - if used correctly. Use comics to inspire imagination - and when the students grow up, their imaginations can become great realities.
How can we make our world a better place if we lack imagination?
Singaporeans are ambitious. We want to make a difference in the world. My mission is not very different from the educators I met in Kuo Chuan, Canberra and Ngee Ann: use the correct images to inspire our kids.
My medium just happen to be comic books!
