Parents Complained Against RI for Corruption

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[TD="width: 100%"]Posted: Thu Sep 08, 2011 11:00 pm Post subject: Parents complainted being exploited by a top local school[/TD]
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[TD="colspan: 2"]A group of parents are complaining about being exploited by a top local school.

Lianhe Wanbao recently received a letter from a group of anonymous parents complaining about a Teacher's Day lunch held by Raffles Institution (RI) on 1 September.

In the letter, the parents allege that the parents' support group often calls for donations from parents, yet spend on "grandiose" projects, like the recent Teacher's Day lunch.

The letter goes on to criticise the sumptuous feast at this year's Teacher Day celebration, which consisted of door gifts, expensive gifts and chocolates.

The parents behind the letter feel that the arrangement was too extravagant and corrupts the spirit and ideals of teachers. The letter also insists that such "grandiose" projects must stop.

Reporters spoke to Mdm Huang Rui Hong (age 50), the head of the RI parents' support group, about the letter. She firmly refuted allegations that parents were exploited and "squeezed" for money.

She clarified that some of the food for the banquet were in fact prepared by volunteer parents. Some of the gifts were also donated by parents. The remaining food were provided or sponsored by the caterer.

"Our regular caterer charges us only half price, so although the lunch was sumptuous, it is actually more economical than arranging an outside lunch with the teachers," she said.

According to Mdm Huang, the school treats the teachers to lunch outside every year for Teacher's Day. This is the first time the parents' support group is organising this for them. It is done as a gesture of appreciation for their work.

Mdm Huang also added that this is the first time the group had asked for donations from parents.

She said, "One parent donated $1,000, the rest donated $20 or $30, up to a couple hundred dollars. The lucky draw prizes donated by parents are mostly items with practical uses, like a rice cooker, a mini printer, a thermal flask and a yoga mat."

"As for the door gifts, they consisted of cookies baked by parents and sponsored chocolates."

Source: Lianhe Wanbao, 8 September 2011[/TD]
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[scroobal]

Seriously disappointed. The School Head is another idiot to allow this to happen. The parents should have donated these things to the poor and the needy. I am sure the parent who donated $1K did not remain anonymous.

Donating to a school building fund or to a scholarship for needy student or for school funfair is the traditional approach to show gratitude to the school. Door gifts, lucky draw, special lunch etc. What next?

 

[halsey02]

Seriously disappointed. The School Head is another idiot to allow this to happen. The parents should have donated these things to the poor and the needy. I am sure the parent who donated $1K did not remain anonymous.

Donating to a school building fund or to a scholarship for needy student or for school funfair is the traditional approach to show gratitude to the school. Door gifts, lucky draw, special lunch etc. What next?

The world had changed, it used to be, just sandwiches, tea or coffee, or maybe some 'finger food', but the people had allowed values to change, as a result, display of oppulence is the norm these days.

 

[da dick]

The parents behind the letter feel that the arrangement was too extravagant and corrupts the spirit and ideals of teachers. The letter also insists that such "grandiose" projects must stop.

if the stuck up parents really believe in that , then they should have sent their childer to a shitty government school where the teachers get paid shit and get treated like slaves by the parents too. were they not seriously attracted by RI's prestige(sp?) and pomp?

 

[Kid278]

The world had changed, it used to be, just sandwiches, tea or coffee, or maybe some 'finger food', but the people had allowed values to change, as a result, display of oppulence is the norm these days.

Things certainly had changed, for better or for worst. For a noble profession the word 'noble' had taken another meaning. It's no wonder a sumptuous lunch from donations can be a justification for a gesture of appreciation.

 

[Forvendet]

Why am I not surprised? It produced LKY, GCT, TT Durai and Kong Hee inter alia.

 

[KuanTi01]

Seriously disappointed. The School Head is another idiot to allow this to happen. The parents should have donated these things to the poor and the needy. I am sure the parent who donated $1K did not remain anonymous.

Donating to a school building fund or to a scholarship for needy student or for school funfair is the traditional approach to show gratitude to the school. Door gifts, lucky draw, special lunch etc. What next?

As much as it is a form of corruption plain and simple, what is more insidious is that it also corrupts the minds of our teachers! Where do we draw the line or what next? Overseas pow-wows; best-dressed teacher contests?

 

[Forvendet]

Why am I not surprised? It produced LKY, GCT, TT Durai and Kong Hee inter alia.

To add, that Renci monk, what's his name?

As much as it is a form of corruption plain and simple, what is more insidious is that it also corrupts the minds of our teachers! Where do we draw the line or what next? Overseas pow-wows; best-dressed teacher contests?

Not only corruption, but also extortion, as such solicitation for donation always comes with pressure on the student.

 

[aangsc]

What do you expect from SG top elite school ? Home draw 'Thank you' card ? The day you enrol your child there, you must be prepare for such thing to happen.Make sure your child can take the peer pressure as there are many children from atas family.All schools in SG should banned such nonsense activities where branded and expensive gifts are use as soft bribe for favoritism. Our society is always using such occasion to promote their commercial wares, just look at advertisement for mother day, father day, grandparents' day, valentine day, secretary day, teacher day, etc.

 

[kingrant]

Are the parents not jumping to their own conclusions that their donations have gone on to pay for the "sumptuous" lunch on Teacher's Day? Nowhere was this proven or evidenced.

Just because the lunch looked sumptuous made some parents assumed that their donations have gone into it. What the school shld have done was to produce a statement of accounts showing the integrity of those donations as separated from the moneys that went into the lunch.

 

[BuiKia]

Noble? This word probably doesn't exist anymore in Singapore. It started from the very top. Our political leaders.

It is all about the money.

Things certainly had changed, for better or for worst. For a noble profession the word 'noble' had taken another meaning. It's no wonder a sumptuous lunch from donations can be a justification for a gesture of appreciation.

 

[Kid278]

Noble? This word probably doesn't exist anymore in Singapore. It started from the very top. Our political leaders.

It is all about the money.

That word does exist, as in nobility. The other meaning of the word, like you said started from the top.:p

 

[High Command]

Are the parents not jumping to their own conclusions that their donations have gone on to pay for the "sumptuous" lunch on Teacher's Day? Nowhere was this proven or evidenced.

Just because the lunch looked sumptuous made some parents assumed that their donations have gone into it. What the school shld have done was to produce a statement of accounts showing the integrity of those donations as separated from the moneys that went into the lunch.

Actually the lunch was just an example.

 

[red amoeba]

contrast this to parents offering to make donations just to get their kids into prestigious schools...isn't that another form of corruption?

 

[bryanlim1972]

contrast this to parents offering to make donations just to get their kids into prestigious schools...isn't that another form of corruption?

its only corrupt when no legal loopholes exist for one to hide in.

 

[mako65]

Those sour grapes are just stirring a storm in a tea-cup! Dun see anything wrong with a tea party or lunch given to the teaching stuff! It's indeed a small issue....

 

[Papsmearer]

Its straight bribery mah, u better believe the parent who donated $1000 wants the teachers to know who he is, when exam marking time comes along.

 

[Cruxx]

上 樑 不 正 下 樑 歪

 

[Fook Seng]

Who the target of the criticism here? The school or the parents who organized the lunch?

 

[Porfirio Rubirosa]

philip liau probably turning in his grave now!!...recall philip liau telling the richie parents to take out their cheque books for the swimming pool fund...hohohohohoho...

Donating to a school building fund or to a scholarship for needy student or for school funfair is the traditional approach to show gratitude to the school. Door gifts, lucky draw, special lunch etc. What next?