Yushui Village in Lijiang, Yunnan, with snow mountain backdrop and cascading waterfalls.
5/19/2006
when 55 is half a goner
When 55 is old.
The case of the NTU professor who at 55 is considered old, reduced to half pay is a case of doing and saying different things. If 55 is considered old, then the govt must quickly come up with a plan to terminate everyone reaching 60. After 60, one is no longer worthy to contribute to society regardless of the profession that one is in.
And in the academia, 55 is only the beginning when all the information pumped into the little brain has just been simmered to perfection to be dished out to the students and society.
I would strongly suggest that if this is what our society think of people at 55, then make it a national policy. Everyone on reaching 55 must have his or her pay halfed. And this policy should start with NTU with no exception.
Only exception is in parliament where old is gold
It is the prerogative of the Senate of NTU to set the retirement age for its staff. We can't interfere.
ReplyDeleteI am lucky that I don't have to grapple with the issue of retirement. However, only last month when I put on notice that I wanted to call it a day, the boss just laughed it off and remarked that I will rot in double quick time. So I am back to square-one earning some extra pocket money.
You are a bit cruel to make me ponder over the exception that in Parliament old is gold. For that matter, let me cite the following instances for some of your words of wisdom:
a) The late Sir Winston Churchill was forced to resign as Prime Minister of Great Britain in 1955 ostensibly owing to his poor health in frustration, and it did not cause any ripple in the country; and
b) No sooner had the late Chairman Mao Zedong launched his Cultural Revolution in 1966 to remove his enemies, than it spun out of control. It lasted for ten years and caused great catastrophe to China.
You will note that they have accomplished great missions and achieved greatness; and their spirits for new missions were willing, but their flesh was weak when age caught up with them. Perhaps old may not necessarily be gold.
we used to laugh at the octogenarians in the chinese leadership. but they have learnt from what we told them and keep their leadership very youthful.
ReplyDeletebut they keep away from having children in their people's congress.
i still think that in the academic world, 55 is too young to call it a day. many are just flowering at this age.
ReplyDelete