Serious Marine Parade PAP MP Says Gahmen Has Insulted Teachers! PAP Better Opposition Than Oppies!

[JohnTan]

SINGAPORE — The use of the clean wage argument to justify imposing parking charges at all schools is “laughable and an insult” to teachers, said Marine Parade GRC Member of Parliament Seah Kian Peng, as he called for a rethink on the role of “economic reasoning” in policymaking here.

“For too long, we have made decisions based more on an economic compass, as if the use of one dollar has the moral equivalence of the loss of another,” he said during the final day of the debate on the President’s Address on Friday (May 18).

While there is a need to regulate the responsible use of funds, fiscal prudence and good procurement, “equally, we ought to be having a conversation about reciprocity, trust and relationships”, he argued.

In March, the Ministry of Education (MOE) announced that teachers at all national schools and junior colleges will have to pay for parking at school premises from August 1.

The announcement triggered a spirited public discussion, and MOE also said in response to media queries that it has “become increasingly clear that the current treatment of allowing school staff to park for free constitutes a taxable benefit”.

MOE explained that the “vast majority of school car parks are located near chargeable car parks and the car parks are intended for the use of staff and authorised visitors, with no access given to the general public”. “As such, in line with (the Public Service Division’s) clean wage policy, an appropriate season parking charge in schools will be imposed,” it added.

On Friday, Mr Seah said the issue “sits uncomfortably” with him.

It was a “mistake” for MOE to see the issue from a “pure economic lens”, he argued.

“Using a clean wage argument implies that all the years of free parking had tarred teachers with a ‘unclean’ wage,” said Mr Seah, adding that teachers are known to give things to their students that “cost them no small amount of money and yet (the value of which) transcends price”.

Pointing out that MOE does not pay for Children’s Day treats or “thumbs-up” stickers stuck on worksheets to encourage children, for example, Mr Seah said the Government’s insistence on a “strict calculus of benefits” — in withdrawing free parking for teachers — results in the loss of “a reciprocity and a give and take”.

He added: “Teachers who have bought their own red pens to mark the test papers of all our children. They do not think: ‘The MOE does not pay for red pens. Let me use instead the whiteboard markers which they do pay for.’ They do not think: ‘I should means test the kids, and give treats only to those who cannot afford it.’”

On the broader front, Mr Seah urged the Ministry of Finance to lead a “reform”, and bring about “an explicit recognition (in the Government) of the limits of price, cost and expenditure as a proxy for value, and to allow for greater use of discretion by public officers in recognising moral reasoning as a legitimate form of argumentation”.

Mr Seah stressed that his call was “not an appeal to populism”. “Rather, it is an appeal to the ideas of justice and community that have informed Singapore policy making at the start of our journey 53 years ago,” Mr Seah said.

Instead of taking the “cheap, efficient and quick” approach, Singapore has to look at what is “fair, just and right” in order to truly tackle inequality and other national issues, he argued.

“We must… make (the) language of morality our vernacular in policy matters,” Mr Seah said.

He added: “It is time we recognise that money is merely a proxy for value, and at times, a very bad one.”

https://www.todayonline.com/singapo...ees-schools-insult-teachers-mp-seah-kian-peng

 

[Charlie99]

"Instead of taking the “cheap, efficient and quick” approach, Singapore has to look at what is “fair, just and right” in order to truly tackle inequality and other national issues, he argued."

It is not merely "fair, just and right"
but the government must ensure that what it practises and does, must be seen and is fair, just and right.

 

[JohnTan]

If the oppies can make such kind of speeches to challenge public policy, they will gain more credibility before the rakyat. Instead, they constantly shoot themselves in the feet by coming up with proven dumb ideas like plundering the reserves to dish out free money.

 

[virus]

so which minister gg to whip his arse in public for insulting the pink aristocrat?

 

[batman1]

John Tan better call ISD to interrogate Seah Gian Png ,how dare he question the MOE policies ?

 

[JohnTan]

John Tan better call ISD to interrogate Seah Gian Png ,how dare he question the MOE policies ?

Seah Gian Peng spoke logically. And the 4G Singapore leaders already said that they listen to feedback humbly and respectfully. So there is no need to interrogate him. The oppies have ample opportunity to make excellent speeches to disagree with the PAP, but they always squander it on stupid populist ideas.

 

[KuanTi01]

John Tan better call ISD to interrogate Seah Gian Png ,how dare he question the MOE policies ?

I second that or at least John Tan should clamp and twist Seah Kian Peng's nipples! How dare he sings a different tune. Biting the hands that feed him.

 

[bic_cherry]

[School Parking]: Seah Kian Peng talks rubbish in parliament.

1. Gahmen is promoting car lite but teachers (by Mr Seah's reasoning) are advised not to set the correct example.

2. Many parents like to fetch kids to school and home but many schools do not have proper driveways because mostly are just designed with big car parks. This causes a traffic jam along surrounding streets because cars are not allowed to enter school compound... thus teachers have inadvertently caused problems for the surrounding neighborhood by sacrificing proper traffic flow for the benefit of free parking lots. Many teachers may use private hire car/taxi services yet these teachers may have to disembark OUTSIDE the school gates because outside cars are not allowed into the school compound.

3. Teachers are advised to to maintain a healthy lifestyle, thus some might cycle to work and might not have space to park their bicycles if cars fully occupy all available road space.

4. Some road space can also be re-designated as study spaces, kindergarten spaces (new MOE kindergarten within primary school) vz building extensions or container buildings. Collecting parking fees would be a fairer way to ration limited land space for car park lots. Much of the road space provision inside school compounds needs also to be reserved for school buses and excursion buses which may occupy the entire road width.

5. Due to land scarcity and the need to share parking resources with neighbouring organisations/ residents, some teachers at newly built schools with few designated lots may have to bid for season parking at nearby HDB estate multi-storey car parks (which will have available empty lots because HDB residents vacate their parking spaces during office (school) hours etc): thus charging all teachers for parking is the fairer option overall.

6. Provision of car parking spaces is a very expensive utility and the govt is working hard to wean the dependence of Singaporeans on private motorcars. Failure to charge teachers parking fees will create an entitlement mentality which will be transferred passively to the students. This is antithetical to promoting a car lite society in Singapore.

For these reasons, I think that Mr Seah Kian Ping is just an empty vessle making too much noise.
===========
Justification for imposing parking fees at schools ‘an insult’ to teachers: MP Seah Kian Peng
By WONG PEI TING
Marine Parade GRC MP Seah Kian Peng argued that, instead of taking the “cheap, efficient and quick” approach, Singapore has to look at what is “fair, just and right” in order to truly tackle inequality and other national issues.
TODAY file photo
Marine Parade GRC MP Seah Kian Peng argued that, instead of taking the “cheap, efficient and quick” approach, Singapore has to look at what is “fair, just and right” in order to truly tackle inequality and other national issues.
Published18 MAY, 2018
UPDATED 18 MAY, 2018
http://sgfuck.org/mybb/webservice/threadimage/607032.jpeg
SINGAPORE — The use of the clean wage argument to justify imposing parking charges at all schools is “laughable and an insult” to teachers, said Marine Parade GRC Member of Parliament Seah Kian Peng, as he called for a rethink on the role of “economic reasoning” in policymaking here.

“For too long, we have made decisions based more on an economic compass, as if the use of one dollar has the moral equivalence of the loss of another,” he said during the final day of the debate on the President’s Address on Friday (May 18).

While there is a need to regulate the responsible use of funds, fiscal prudence and good procurement, “equally, we ought to be having a conversation about reciprocity, trust and relationships”, he argued.

In March, the Ministry of Education (MOE) announced that teachers at all national schools and junior colleges will have to pay for parking at school premises from August 1.

The announcement triggered a spirited public discussion, and MOE also said in response to media queries that it has “become increasingly clear that the current treatment of allowing school staff to park for free constitutes a taxable benefit”.

MOE explained that the “vast majority of school car parks are located near chargeable car parks and the car parks are intended for the use of staff and authorised visitors, with no access given to the general public”. “As such, in line with (the Public Service Division’s) clean wage policy, an appropriate season parking charge in schools will be imposed,” it added.

On Friday, Mr Seah said the issue “sits uncomfortably” with him.

It was a “mistake” for MOE to see the issue from a “pure economic lens”, he argued.

“Using a clean wage argument implies that all the years of free parking had tarred teachers with an ‘unclean’ wage,” said Mr Seah, adding that teachers are known to give things to their students that “cost them no small amount of money and yet (the value of which) transcends price”.

Pointing out that MOE does not pay for Children’s Day treats or “thumbs-up” stickers stuck on worksheets to encourage children, for example, Mr Seah said the Government’s insistence on a “strict calculus of benefits” — in withdrawing free parking for teachers — results in the loss of “a reciprocity and a give and take”.

He added: “Teachers who have bought their own red pens to mark the test papers of all our children. They do not think: ‘The MOE does not pay for red pens. Let me use instead the whiteboard markers which they do pay for.’ They do not think: ‘I should means test the kids, and give treats only to those who cannot afford it.’”

On the broader front, Mr Seah urged the Ministry of Finance to lead a “reform”, and bring about “an explicit recognition (in the Government) of the limits of price, cost and expenditure as a proxy for value, and to allow for greater use of discretion by public officers in recognising moral reasoning as a legitimate form of argumentation”.

Mr Seah stressed that his call was “not an appeal to populism”. “Rather, it is an appeal to the ideas of justice and community that have informed Singapore policy making at the start of our journey 53 years ago,” he said.

Instead of taking the “cheap, efficient and quick” approach, Singapore has to look at what is “fair, just and right” in order to truly tackle inequality and other national issues, he argued.

“We must… make (the) language of morality our vernacular in policy matters,” Mr Seah said.

He added: “It is time we recognise that money is merely a proxy for value, and at times, a very bad one.”

https://www.todayonline.com/singapo...ees-schools-insult-teachers-mp-seah-kian-peng

 

[mojito]

Putting words into their mouths eh? Have they consulted the AG? Sue the fake new oppo MP!

 

[halsey02]

Teachers must stop giving out free things to the kids...they must measure the monetary costs & audit their own finances, as the Accountant- General audited theirs & found them to be the bane of costs centers, providing them with free parking.

Soon, they will take away the privilege of TEACHERS TOILETS, they have to pee with the kids & must pay for the desk they use at the Teacher's room, ( like the remisier of old, pay $100 for the desk), charge them for use of the wifi, school phones, stationeries...photocopying costs, emails etc..

After all, they are costs centers..

 

[virus]

Students should also stop bribing them on teachers day, I suggest open flogging for such misconduct plus pay gst also for all bribes. If teachers under table n gahmen duh benefit no good for state

 

[AhMeng]

Smlj ... Kpkb over car park charges? How much is it a month niah? Cannot afford, don't drive. Wanna drive, mai comprain..

 

[Truth_Hurts]

If the oppies can make such kind of speeches to challenge public policy, they will gain more credibility before the rakyat. Instead, they constantly shoot themselves in the feet by coming up with proven dumb ideas like plundering the reserves to dish out free money.

Make speech no use. If they vote independently according to the constituents wishes and not according to the party lines. Than I say he good. If not all talk and no action than it's pointless

 

[Seee3]

Teachers must stop giving out free things to the kids...they must measure the monetary costs & audit their own finances, as the Accountant- General audited theirs & found them to be the bane of costs centers, providing them with free parking.

Soon, they will take away the privilege of TEACHERS TOILETS, they have to pee with the kids & must pay for the desk they use at the Teacher's room, ( like the remisier of old, pay $100 for the desk), charge them for use of the wifi, school phones, stationeries...photocopying costs, emails etc..

After all, they are costs centers..

YA ya ya I support the toilet put. As a student then I was always questioning why teachers have empty toilets to their own while I have to que during peak hours.

 

[halsey02]

YA ya ya I support the toilet put. As a student then I was always questioning why teachers have empty toilets to their own while I have to que during peak hours.

You should have followed the ang moh lady...pee into the plastic bag & throw at your teachers... ha ha ha ha...you have to squat to pee?

 

[KNNBPCB]

You should have followed the ang moh lady...pee into the plastic bag & throw at your teachers... ha ha ha ha...you have to squat to pee?

He has to squat to pee and poo at the same time. :p

 

[JohnTan]

Make speech no use. If they vote independently according to the constituents wishes and not according to the party lines. Than I say he good. If not all talk and no action than it's pointless

When PAP cadres talk, there will be action. Action is the Party's middle name.

Oppies are different. Their names bear no significance to their deeds. Workers' Party has little contact with any of our trade unions here. Dunno what the fuck the oppies are doing in their free time despite claiming their party is for the workers.

 

[ginfreely]

Paying parking is an insult to teachers? Then what about charity staff paying parking? And that change was made more than a decade ago. To think this issue is debatable is then laughable. And whatever red pens the teachers need to use, they should get from office stationery. Maybe the real issue is there is office bully around that made it difficult for teachers to ask for red pens or made it sound like the teachers are wasteful to use red pens.

 

[ginfreely]

Paying parking is an insult to teachers? Then what about charity staff paying parking? And that change was made more than a decade ago. To think this issue is debatable is then laughable. And whatever red pens the teachers need to use, they should get from office stationery. Maybe the real issue is there is office bully around that made it difficult for teachers to ask for red pens or made it sound like the teachers are wasteful to use red pens.

Seriously if you all have met such office bully before you will know this is highliy plausible theory in this culture of cost cutting whereby such office bully use such tactics to bully their peers that they do not like while winning brownie points at the same time of how many pennies they helped the company to save.

 

[frenchbriefs]

Whatever moral decisions the teachers make is their problem not ours.whatever relationship they enjoy with the children is between them and does not concern us,we do not partake in it,some teachers even enjoy sexual Congress and other privileges with the students.what concerns the taxpayers is our coffers,and depriving us of our rightful taxes for the mere sake of giving teachers free parking is ludicrous.if I choose to butter up my boss and colleagues by buying them boxes of Godiva chocolate,does that mean I deserve free parking?