Serious Good School Backtracks On Threat To Withhold Result Slips From Prom Dinner Defaulters!

[JohnTan]

SINGAPORE - A group of students who were told that they would not get their O-level result slips as they had not paid a penalty for missing a school event will get their results after all.

The Whitley Secondary School students had missed their school's formal dinner night last November and were later asked to pay a $60 penalty for non-attendance, affected students told The Straits Times.

When they did not pay up, the school in Bishan threatened to withhold their result slips when results are released on Friday (Jan 12), they added.

But the school's principal Tay Yang Fern said on Thursday (Jan 11) the result slips of students who did not attend the event "will not be withheld when the results are released".

She also clarified that the dinner at Holiday Inn Singapore Orchard City Centre - which students saw as a prom - was actually a formal dinner for students to practise newly acquired skills.

It was part of a development programme for the graduating students, which comprised a course on grooming and etiquette skills for the Secondary 4 cohort and interview and etiquette skills for the Secondary 5 students.



"The school acknowledged that some of the Secondary 5 students perceived that they had not been given the option of not attending the dinner, even though others had opted out in advance and hence did not have to pay for the dinner," Mrs Tay said.

"The school will engage these students and their parents for an amicable arrangement and necessary assistance will be extended in cases of financial hardship."

The Straits Times understands that more than 10 Secondary 5 students were not intending to pay the fee for missing the school event.

The sister of an affected Secondary 5 student told online forum Reddit on Monday that those who attended the formal dinner had to pay only $50 while those who did not show up had to pay $110, or $60 more. Students paid the $50 via their Edusave accounts, after a consent form was issued last August.

The sister told the forum that earlier on Monday, a Secondary 5 form teacher told her class through a WhatsApp group chat to "clear their debts" or they will not get their results. The teacher told them not to "put yourself in an unfavourable position" on results day.

When asked, Mrs Tay said students who were absent from school-subsidised programmes without valid reason must pay the full cost of the programme.

"This was communicated in writing to students' parents and guardians prior to the commencement of these programmes," she added.

But the 20-year-old sister of the student told The Straits Times: "I was baffled and outraged when my sister told me about what she is experiencing... Our family is not exactly well-to-do."

Most of the affected Secondary 5 students indicated early last year that they would not be attending the year-end event, as they had already been to a similar one in 2016 when in Secondary 4. They paid about $80 to attend that event.

They said they should not have to pay a penalty for an event they did not attend.

"Isn't the objective of prom to provide an avenue for students to have a once-in-a-lifetime experience with their schoolmates?" said one student. "We have experienced it before. I don't see why we should be cornered to attend the repeated programme."

The Ministry of Education said schools may withhold the exam certificates of students who have yet to pay outstanding school fees after repeated reminders. It added that there are financial assistance schemes available to Singaporeans in need of such support.

http://www.straitstimes.com/singapo...e-not-paid-up-for-missing-prom-will-still-get

 

[halsey02]

Whom did the parents & siblings of these student voted for? PAP! of course. After this incident, in the future, these affected students,who will they vote for PAP!...PAP IS THE BEST PARTY IN THE WORLD...vote for PAP!...everyone they fix...oops! I mean, look after, nobody is left behind, we do good, do together!.

 

[JohnTan]

The school should have torn their result slips to shreds for not paying up. People who do not pay their bills are simply ruining the system for those who are responsible enough to pay up.

Tear up their result slips, cut off their electricity and water. They need to be taught a lesson.

 

[scroobal]

This is now a common occurrence. The moment it hits the press, the Principal folds and it does not matter if the original decision was right or wrong. There is also a sign of near panic helplessness followed by defensive statements or confused explanations.

It’s symptomatic of the entire public service and GLCs.

They unfortunately cannot have Shanmugam at the beck and call or else he will spin White to black and vice versa.

 

[eatshitndie]

why copy u.s. public schools in organizing and orgyizing prom nights? prom is the single most unproductive and expensive tradition and event in u.s. pubic schools other than encouraging students to rent rooms in motels and hotels after dinner and dance and fuck the shit out of one another.

 

[Guerriero]

What is happening ? Falling to attend a school event does not gives the school the right to delay in presenting the results to the students who did not attend and refuses to pay. I also cannot understand why the school needs to charge a penalty for not attending. Obviously, the students are not attending as they might have legitimate reasons for doing so.

 

[johnny333]

I remember when that school was originally located in Bukit Timah. The school was kicked out of their premises which was taken over by Spore Chinese Girls School.

Obviously the school is for "lesser mortals". So I am surprise the school expect all the students to be able to afford the $$$.

I was from a branded school & back then attendance at prom night was voluntary. People who chose not to attend was not penalised.

Makes one wonder about what the current crop of bureaucrates. They have really lost touch with the ground.

 

[eatshitndie]

I remember when that school was originally located in Bukit Timah. The school was kicked out of their premises which was taken over by Spore Chinese Girls School.

Obviously the school is for "lesser mortals". So I am surprise the school expect all the students to be able to afford the $$$.

I was from a branded school & back then attendance at prom night was voluntary. People who chose not to attend was not penalised.

Makes one wonder about what the current crop of bureaucrates. They have really lost touch with the ground.

$69 per head for 69 no-shows can add up to a yuge number for these bean counters. they must have over-ordered a luxurious sumptuous gourmet meal per head with lobster lemak, wagyu beef satay, crab and scallop flied hokkien mee, mee siam with hum, and durian poop cake for dessert.

 

[halsey02]

I remember when that school was originally located in Bukit Timah. The school was kicked out of their premises which was taken over by Spore Chinese Girls School.

Obviously the school is for "lesser mortals". So I am surprise the school expect all the students to be able to afford the $$$.

I was from a branded school & back then attendance at prom night was voluntary. People who chose not to attend was not penalised.

Makes one wonder about what the current crop of bureaucrates. They have really lost touch with the ground.

They are doing exactly what their masters are doing & conditioning the next generation to learn or experience the reality of voting for a party that behaves that way. They have not lost touch with the ground, they are stomping the grounds like elephants killing the 'ants'.
Whom did their parents vote for?

 

[johnny333]

$69 per head for 69 no-shows can add up to a yuge number for these bean counters. they must have over-ordered a luxurious sumptuous gourmet meal per head with lobster lemak, wagyu beef satay, crab and scallop flied hokkien mee, mee siam with hum, and durian poop cake for dessert.

The bureaucratese have lost the plot. What is the purpose of a prom night?

Is it to groom & teach students etiquette or for students to enjoy & remember their last days at the school?

I'm sure they could have reduced the costs by catering & choosing a cheaper location.

 

[johnny333]

They are doing exactly what their masters are doing & conditioning the next generation to learn or experience the reality of voting for a party that behaves that way. They have not lost touch with the ground, they are stomping the grounds like elephants killing the 'ants'.
Whom did their parents vote for?

Been a while since I went to school in Spore. The impression that I get is that the PAP disease has spread to our schools.

So even if the the PAP is thrown out of power. Their ideology will still remain.

 

[eatshitndie]

The bureaucratese have lost the plot. What is the purpose of a prom night?

Is it to groom & teach students etiquette or for students to enjoy & remember their last days at the school?

I'm sure they could have reduced the costs by catering & choosing a cheaper location.

hollywood has its reach. ah neh also getting into spirit of the prom night. but they play bollywood music.

 

[micromachine]

Those who don't pay up, just kick them to whitley detention centre next door lah easy peasy

 

[zhihau]

The school should have torn their result slips to shreds for not paying up.

What ever happened to their Edusave accounts? What happened to these kids' parents' GIRO accounts?

Even when the kids exhausted their Edusave account and their parents' GIRO transfers are unsuccessful, there's CPF right?

These nincompoo need me to teach them how to collect more money?

 

[zhihau]

It’s symptomatic of the entire public service and GLCs

This happens when MOE panders to the crowd. If this isn't a teachable moment, I don't know what is.

 

[zhihau]

What is the purpose of a prom night?

It's for fuck's sake.

 

[johnny333]

It's for fuck's sake.

Even after all these years I still remember my prom prom night. Not the details but that it was fun

It was held at Equatorial Hotel at the junction of Stevens Rd & Bukit Timah Rd. The site has been redevoloped into a condo.

 

[Narong Wongwan]

I remember when that school was originally located in Bukit Timah. The school was kicked out of their premises which was taken over by Spore Chinese Girls School.

Obviously the school is for "lesser mortals". So I am surprise the school expect all the students to be able to afford the $$$.

I was from a branded school & back then attendance at prom night was voluntary. People who chose not to attend was not penalised.

Makes one wonder about what the current crop of bureaucrates. They have really lost touch with the ground.

Back then prom nights weren’t even encouraged. We had to beg Teachers and bluff parents to be able to organise a semi official one.
Now likely the school has a hand in it to milk money from the kids. Imagine now even army pass out and OCS dinner got to fork out from own pockets. All following vile pap model of milking money and making profit at all cost.

 

[McDonaldsKid]

Dont understand why results cannot be just posted online.

 

[Narong Wongwan]

Dont understand why results cannot be just posted online.

Yes I wondered why too.
They can just assign a personal code to each student. Back then in Uni our results were pasted publicly on the notice board. Now they can just do it online.