Singapore schools forced to pay for YOG tickets
August 23rd, 2010 | Author: Your Correspondent
Singapore schools are forced by the Ministry of Education (MOE) to “buy” tickets for the inaugual Youth Olympic Games (YOG) at discounted rates, but have to “refund” the full sum if their students did not turn up for the events.
Since we published a series of articles last week on Singapore students being coerced by their schools to attend the YOG games, we received a flurry of letters from teachers claiming that they have no choice but to do so.
It was reported a few weeks ago that MOE “bought” some 87,000 YOG tickets out of 100,000 tickets on sale in the open market using taxpayers’ monies.
The tickets which are priced between $15 – $30 were then “allocated” to primary and secondary schools in Singapore which in turn sell them to their students at a low price, with some schools charging only $2.
Attendance is taken for every event and the school will have to pay the full price of the ticket to MOE should the student fail to turn up.
As such, the schools have to make it compulsory for the students to attend the YOG games with one primary school levying a $5 “deposit” to ensure they go.
One irate school teacher posted a comment on Facebook:
“I”m just not happy that not only were schools forced to go, 1.we were forced to pay 40% 2. if we didn’t turn up, we had to pay the full price 3. didn’t have the decency to even let us know during budgeting period so we could budget for it. I’m waiting for the secretariat to invite their feedback before I let all hell break loose,” Nur Hafizah Ismail wrote.
Another teacher said she has to pay for her own ticket when accompanying students to the games:
“I spent more than $50 dollars on two games this week and the school will not refund me though I am watching the games as part of my work.”
Some students said they usually turn up just to sign the attendance sheet and will usually leave before half-time, leaving plenty of empty seats at the venues while genuine fans are unable to obtain a ticket as they are all technically “sold out”.
There are no immediate comments from the Ministry of Education or its minister Dr Ng Eng Hen on this embarrassing fiasco so far.
[Please sign the petition demanding a public apology from Dr Vivian Balakrishnan for mismanaging the YOG here.]
August 23rd, 2010 | Author: Your Correspondent
Singapore schools are forced by the Ministry of Education (MOE) to “buy” tickets for the inaugual Youth Olympic Games (YOG) at discounted rates, but have to “refund” the full sum if their students did not turn up for the events.
Since we published a series of articles last week on Singapore students being coerced by their schools to attend the YOG games, we received a flurry of letters from teachers claiming that they have no choice but to do so.
It was reported a few weeks ago that MOE “bought” some 87,000 YOG tickets out of 100,000 tickets on sale in the open market using taxpayers’ monies.
The tickets which are priced between $15 – $30 were then “allocated” to primary and secondary schools in Singapore which in turn sell them to their students at a low price, with some schools charging only $2.
Attendance is taken for every event and the school will have to pay the full price of the ticket to MOE should the student fail to turn up.
As such, the schools have to make it compulsory for the students to attend the YOG games with one primary school levying a $5 “deposit” to ensure they go.
One irate school teacher posted a comment on Facebook:
“I”m just not happy that not only were schools forced to go, 1.we were forced to pay 40% 2. if we didn’t turn up, we had to pay the full price 3. didn’t have the decency to even let us know during budgeting period so we could budget for it. I’m waiting for the secretariat to invite their feedback before I let all hell break loose,” Nur Hafizah Ismail wrote.
Another teacher said she has to pay for her own ticket when accompanying students to the games:
“I spent more than $50 dollars on two games this week and the school will not refund me though I am watching the games as part of my work.”
Some students said they usually turn up just to sign the attendance sheet and will usually leave before half-time, leaving plenty of empty seats at the venues while genuine fans are unable to obtain a ticket as they are all technically “sold out”.
There are no immediate comments from the Ministry of Education or its minister Dr Ng Eng Hen on this embarrassing fiasco so far.
[Please sign the petition demanding a public apology from Dr Vivian Balakrishnan for mismanaging the YOG here.]
