My Longkang

The topic for today is the school and society. The school has not disappointed society and society has not disappointed the schools in Sibu. Traditionally the public has always been been very supportive of the measures taken by schools.

There was an outburst initially at the beginning of this year when every student of a certain school was asked to make a compulsory donation of RM100 for development of computer facilities. One parent was heard saying that her whole month’s pay was gone as there were other school fees too and she had 4 children in that school. Based on my calculation she had to pay about RM800 in all not including school uniforms, shoes, school bus fares, exercise books and text books.

This week, Sibu parents are in a dilemma. The Sibu Division Education Officer, Charles Tiong has decreed that this Saturday, the14th of April, 2007 be declared Hari Permuafakatan Keluarga. The objectives are good i.e. to foster better relations between the schools and the parents.

Some headmasters and principals have taken it upon themselves to make this day a smashing success. They threaten to hold back the students’ report card if parents don’t turn up on that day to ‘force them’ to come.

This form of bullying from schools should not be condoned. To punish the students for their parents inability to get leave should not be encouraged too. Their parents’ jobs are their rice-bowls. Should society accept : I am headmaster/principal/Division Education officer. You have to follow what I say or else.

Using threats or holding back of a student’s property is not the best way to foster better relations. Are there not better ways to achieve this goal?

Do the schools have the moral and legal credibility to force parents to come to school for a few minutes and these few minutes will drag into hours as every one has to take a turn to meet the teachers while the principal delivers speeches blowing his own trumpet and other accompanying items thought up to enhance the occasion and recorded somewhere and which will be dredged up by the same officers when performance appraisal time comes.

Do all parents have to play the games dictated by these officers? Have we come to the stage where the education department is so bankrupt of ideas?

Enhance cooperation not confrontation. Spare a thought for the families of the students. Have Hari Permuafakatan Keluarga by all means but leave out the threats.