PSLE students left waiting in the rain before oral exam

[metalslug]

http://edvantage.com.sg/edvantage/s...ng_in_the_rain_for_oral_examinations.html#p_3

PSLE students left waiting in the rain before oral exam

Furious parent questions if this is how the school 'prepares' students for exams.

A group of Primary Six students were left waiting in the rain just before their PSLE oral examinations on Aug 20, leaving at least one parent fuming.

They were locked out of school and according to a contributor to STOMP, the security guard refused to let them in even though it was raining heavily.

The contributor, Teow, described the incident in an email:

"My daughter is a pupil of Boon Lay Garden Primary School, who is sitting for her PSLE oral examination this morning.

"She was told to report to the school before 9.30am to sit for her exam. As my wife and I had to go to work, I arranged for my brother-in-law to send her to school this morning.

"Since my daughter told us that they had to wait outside the gate until their allocated time, I thought the school will make alternative arrangements as it is was raining quite heavily.

"But when my brother-in-law reached there around 9am with my daughter, he was surprised to see that there were a lot of PSLE pupils waiting outside the gate in the rain.

"He spoke to the school's security officer to let the pupils into the school and wait at the covered link-way since it is was raining so heavily.



"He was shocked and angry that the security officer refused to do so, stating that they were following instructions.

"Just then, a female staff or teacher came out to the security post and my brother-in-law asked her why the students were made to wait in the rain.

"The staff/teacher replied 'I don't know why the security officer didn't let the students in' and proceeded to let the children into the school without further explanation or apology.

"My daughter was lucky that she had just arrived, but I really pity those other children who had arrived at the school much earlier than her.

"What happens if those pupils fall ill? Who is going to pay for their medical treatment and take care of them?

"This is really a show of bad planning, communication and arrangement by the school and the lack of initiative by the school's security officers.

"This is also a case of ill-treatment of the pupils by the staff, teachers and principal of the school."



Students were informed not to arrive too early: Principal

The Shin Min Daily reported that students sitting for the oral examination that day had been told not to report to school too early, to prevent those who had not taken the exam from interacting with those in the earlier session who have sat for the exam.

Said the principal Mr Wan Imran, the exams were split into two sessions, one at 7.30am and the other at 9.30am.

According to Mr Imran, the gates were opened at 8.55am, after a school administrator instructed security to do so. Mr Imran also clarified that only one boy was drenched without an umbrella, and a new set of uniform was provided for him to change into.

 

[Brightkid]

Amazing!

Wonder what is in the heads of the Pricipal, teacher and security guard?

Hope this is not incite violence or public disorder.

 

[american]

This is a screwup in the part of the school

 

[Costanza]

i thought yog over? still need to wait and cheer in the rain?

 

[shelltox]

Just follow law!

 

[roxygurly]

poor kids.............. why should children take exams at 12......??? come to australia.... we don't have such nonsense..........

 

[Spock]

Boon Lay Garden Primary School -> very unlikely to find "White Horses" there. Lucky for the principal.

 

[Cuntamania]

This will happen once in 50 years?

This is a screwup in the part of the school

 

[clinton666]

This is the same riff-raff school. What do you retards expect

'Halal zone' would've been a step backwards

Yeo Ghim Lay
Fri, Feb 08, 2008
The Straits Times



MUSLIM community leaders have spoken out against a school's attempt to ban non-halal food from its canteen, calling the move a step backwards for the community.

The plan, which has since been reversed, flies in the face of Singapore's multicultural values, they told The Straits Times yesterday.

Mr Ridzuan Wu, chairman of the Centre for Contemporary Islamic Studies, which promotes conversations between different religious groups, said the ban would be a step backwards for the Muslim community.

'I think we've come to that stage in Singapore when it's really not practical to look at things in such a narrow way,' he said.

A furore started when Boon Lay Garden Primary School sent a letter to parents last Friday, saying that only halal food could be eaten or taken into its canteen, which sells only halal food. Such food does not contain ingredients like pork and alcohol, considered forbidden in Islam.

The announcement upset non-Muslim parents, who felt it smacked of discrimination. About 20 per cent of the school's students are Muslims.

The school said on Monday that it had made a mistake and will not go ahead with the move.

Yesterday, religious leaders said it is not wrong for Muslims and non-Muslims to dine together, as long as Muslims eat halal food.

Mr Muhd Saiful Alam, an imam in charge of missionaries at Kassim Mosque, said it is in fact something he preaches.

He said he teaches his four-year-old daughter that 'it is not a sin if she sits next to her non-Muslim friend who might be eating pork. Even if she touches the food accidentally, it is not wrong'.

Other Muslim leaders said a ban on non-halal food could result in a backlash.

Mr Rhazaly Noentil, a mosque leader at the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore, said: 'The other children might look at Muslims and think that they do not like to mix with those of other religions, or that they are not accommodating towards others.'

Religious leaders and school principals The Straits Times spoke to all pointed to the need for more education to avoid misunderstandings.

This is despite events like Racial Harmony Day, which has been marked in schools since 1997. The latest incident shows that more can be done, they said.

Mr William Pushpam, principal of Huamin Primary School, said schools have done a lot over the past years to educate students on racial harmony.

However, he acknowledged that students perhaps need more time to become integrated as a whole.

'You cannot expect instantaneous responses, as race and culture are very deeply rooted things,' he said.

Mr Rhazaly agreed, saying that there is 'still a need for more bonding and understanding among the different races'.

Mr Justin Arul Pierre, principal of Pasir Ris Primary School, said the key lies in more interaction among students of different races, which he tries to promote in his school by organising sports and music competitions which require students of different races in groups.

'That's the only way you can understand one another, eradicate misconceptions.'

Eight in 10 parents who spoke to The Straits Times yesterday also said schools should teach students the eating habits and food restrictions of different religions.

This is something done at North Spring Primary School in Sengkang. School principal Shirley Ng said pupils learn about one another's customs through festival celebrations, as well as during National Education lessons.

'We teach them the need to appreciate one another's culture,' she said.

 

[Airlib]

Dumb Principal.... The school don;t have hall to house everyone meh?? Then release batch by batch to take exams.... Those finished will leave by another route out of the school lah.

Anyway.. now with handphone so common, who will need to talk face to face to know what was tested....

If those kids were armed with 3G smart phones.. the questions might even be up on their facebook before the Principal can react lor.

 

[halsey02]

Amazing!

Wonder what is in the heads of the Pricipal, teacher and security guard?

Hope this is not incite violence or public disorder.

Why doesn't someone call the police....say that there is an ASSEMBLY there?, give some work to Jurong Ops room...