A lighthearted moment in an online class at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) has sparked a heated debate on boundaries between educators and students. During a lecture, lecturer Lee Yuet Lai asked whether it was appropriate for a student to request a consultation during the late hours of a weekend. Her question was meant to highlight the issue of late-night inquiries, but it quickly gained traction after a 30-second video of the interaction was posted on TikTok.
In the video, Lee asked, “Student who asks for consultation [during] wee hours at night on a weekend. Is it right or not?” The comment appeared to reference a student, identified as David Lee, who had made such a request. In response, David humorously replied, “No lah, I thought like you will love us cause you call us your kids mah, prof. Then you say you don’t want to give us your weekend ah,” before jokingly asking if he could “call her mummy already or not.”
While some found David’s response playful, others did not appreciate his casual tone. Many netizens expressed their disapproval, arguing that there should be clear boundaries between educators and students. One TikTok user commented, “Disrespectful as f***,” while others pointed out that lecturers, like anyone else, deserve personal time away from work.
The issue also echoes a broader discussion about work-life balance, especially for educators. Last November, Minister for Education Chan Chun Sing addressed concerns about the increased workload of teachers, which has more than doubled due to the Covid-19 pandemic. He emphasized the importance of minimizing communication between school staff and parents outside of working hours and advocated for breaks to allow teachers to recharge.
This incident serves as a reminder to students about respecting the personal time of educators. While it’s important to reach out when necessary, it’s equally crucial to be mindful of the timing and the boundaries that should exist between work and personal life.
AsiaOne has reached out to NTU for further comments on the incident.