What I cannot stand, however, are despicably RUDE parents who think that they own the entire school and that teachers (like me) are at their mercy, just because their children are under our care.

That's just fucking bullshit.

The reason for my grousing is due to an incident at the end of the day, when I had led the kids out through the main school gate. Bear in mind, these are primary 1 kids, all 6/7-year-olds who are quite blur-in-the-head and are therefore either sent home by schoolbus or fetched by their parents.

Recalling the previous day's dismissal, where it was truly chaotic due to stiffling, impatient and crowding parents, I made it my business to make sure that each child was safely received in the arms of the parents, eyeing each child as they left my care. Of course, there would be parents who were too far away or "hidden", in which case I personally brought the child over. For those children whose parents had not yet arrived, I instructed the former to stand at a designated spot and by no means move an inch from the place, until I could find their parents.

While I was busy dismissing the kids, I noticed a gruffy-looking Indian man standing amongst the crowd. After a few minutes, he appeared to be gesturing to someone behind me. I thought he was waving to his child thus I absorbed myself further in dismissing the little ones. Finally, all but one kid had left with their parents.

I held the little boy's hand and asked him who was picking him up and whether he'd spotted them at all. He only stared at me blankly (duh). I repeated my questions, after which he replied that his father was coming to fetch him. So I brought him out from the crowding parents into the open, where there was more space and a higher chance of visibly seeing his dad. No success there.

It was then I remembered the gruffy-looking Indian man, so I pushed my way through the crowd of parents, still holding the boy's hand. The second he saw that man, the little boy smiled and rushed towards the latter. I thought that was the end of my busy yet happy day. I had no idea at all of the next few sentences that shot out from the man's mouth. Went something like this (in a mixture of English and Malay but I've translated it all to English):

"I was searching for my son and I was looking at you but you ignored me! You only cared for the Chinese and Malay..so racist of you! And here I am standing like a stupid fool, calling out to you! I've got a good mind to write a letter to your principal!"

He was practically barking at me.

I was so tired and so flabbergasted at his words that all I could think of was to let him know that I didn't know he was gesturing to me, for which I was truly sorry. It was only when I'd entered the staff room, packing my bag, did the full force of his words hit me. He called me a racist, the bloody fuck. Right in front of all the parents and children. I mean, okay, if he was so pissed that I didn't acknowledge him, why didn't HE come up and collect the kid right from my hands? He only stood at his spot and didn't move a single muscle to hold his kid's hand. And what gives HIM the right to call me names just because I babysit his kid along with 29 other kids for 6 hours a day, 5 times a week?!

He really spoilt my day, the fuckhead.