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SCHOOL CALLS COPS ON PESKY MUM
Principal: Going to police was my last resort
By Benita Aw Yeong
July 18, 2009
TNP PICTURE: GAVIN FOO
SHE has lunch with her daughter at school every day.
She makes frequent calls to the school about administrative and academic matters, demanding immediate action based on her wishes.
She even sends text messages to her daughter's teacher to find out about tiny details of what happens in class.
Sometimes she even shows up in her daughter's Primary 2 class, disturbing other students.
All because she insists her daughter can't handle school life without her help.
It has become so bad that other parents have raised concerns about their daughters' safety after witnessing this mother's behaviour.
Her seeming obsession with her daughter made her presence so disruptive that the school had to call the police twice, on 29 Jun and 1 Jul.
The mother, Ms Mary (not her real name) claims she was told she could be arrested if she bothers the school again.
We are not identifying her to protect her daughter from embarrassment.
The unemployed single mother said she has been going to the school daily to buy lunch for her daughter since the latter started school.
Needs help
She claims her daughter, 7, needs help to get food at the school canteen.
'All I wanted to do was to assist my child. Instead, I was told by the operations manager that nobody 'does such things',' she said.
Ms Mary claimed she then called the quality service hotline of the Ministry of Education (MOE) to request that she be allowed to be with her daughter in school after school is dismissed. She claimed the principal approved this.
But the principal said no such special approval was granted as there were no medical grounds to justify Ms Mary's daily presence in the school.
'We have girls who have problems moving around, or with heart conditions. For these cases, it is perfectly legitimate for parents to be there to help carry a child's schoolbag, and so on,' the principal said.
'There was no such reason for her to constantly be by her daughter's side.'
Ms Mary claimed the school management is biased against her, and said the police action on 1Jul was uncalled for.
The principal said the police were called in because 'she refused to leave the school'.
Ms Mary said the police officer warned her that he would 'take action', which she took to mean arrest if she continued visiting the school without permission.
The principal explained: 'We have never told her that she is banned from the school. However, she has regularly refused to comply with requirements to register at the school's security counter when she visits the school.'
Ms Mary also refused to leave even after meeting her child's teacher or the school admin staff and would disturb other children on some occasions, the principal said.
'Strong message'
'As she refused to leave the school, I requested police assistance. It was the police's suggestion to send a strong message to her after she refused to leave.'
The police confirmed that they had received a call for assistance from the school on 29 Jun and 1Jul.
'Upon the request of the school, police advised the lady to leave the school premises and she left thereafter,' a police spokesman said.
The principal said she valued the partnership of parents highly, and calling the police was a 'last resort'.
She added that other parents who have witnessed Ms Mary's behaviour have also expressed concern and asked for tighter security measures in the school.
'On several occasions, Ms Mary entered our classrooms, and we had to tell her to leave. Often, she did not heed our requests,' said the principal.
Since Primary 1, Ms Mary's daughter has been under the MOE's and the school's financial assistance scheme. This provides her with free uniforms, sports attire, transport costs and daily meals.
Meal coupons, given out every Monday morning, can be exchanged for food at the canteen. Each child is entitled to three coupons a day, which expire if not used.
Ms Mary claimed: 'My daughter has no time to collect the coupons and have her breakfast after that.
'Also, there were occasions when she went to the office but did not come back with the coupons. I'm not sure why.
'Maybe she's a bit slow and doesn't know how to express herself properly, or the usual admin staff weren't present.'
In response to her feedback, the principal arranged for the girl to collect the coupons on Friday after school and her form teacher makes sure she gets them.
The principal said the breakfast coupons issued to Ms Mary's daughter were often unused, because she arrived in school just in time for assembly.
She said that when the admin staff asked if they could stop printing the breakfast coupons to minimise wastage, Ms Mary got agitated.
Ms Mary also complained that components of her daughter's test papers were not returned for her to check.
When queried about the issues raised by Ms Mary, the principal said: 'Since early last year, Ms Mary has made almost daily calls to the school, especially to her daughter's teachers, questioning the school in all professional areas as well as administrative matters.
'Ms Mary would demand that the teachers and support staff address all her concerns immediately.
'This has caused distress and taken up valuable time which could otherwise be given to the welfare of all pupils.'
SCHOOL CALLS COPS ON PESKY MUM
Principal: Going to police was my last resort
By Benita Aw Yeong
July 18, 2009
TNP PICTURE: GAVIN FOO
SHE has lunch with her daughter at school every day.
She makes frequent calls to the school about administrative and academic matters, demanding immediate action based on her wishes.
She even sends text messages to her daughter's teacher to find out about tiny details of what happens in class.
Sometimes she even shows up in her daughter's Primary 2 class, disturbing other students.
All because she insists her daughter can't handle school life without her help.
It has become so bad that other parents have raised concerns about their daughters' safety after witnessing this mother's behaviour.
Her seeming obsession with her daughter made her presence so disruptive that the school had to call the police twice, on 29 Jun and 1 Jul.
The mother, Ms Mary (not her real name) claims she was told she could be arrested if she bothers the school again.
We are not identifying her to protect her daughter from embarrassment.
The unemployed single mother said she has been going to the school daily to buy lunch for her daughter since the latter started school.
Needs help
She claims her daughter, 7, needs help to get food at the school canteen.
'All I wanted to do was to assist my child. Instead, I was told by the operations manager that nobody 'does such things',' she said.
Ms Mary claimed she then called the quality service hotline of the Ministry of Education (MOE) to request that she be allowed to be with her daughter in school after school is dismissed. She claimed the principal approved this.
But the principal said no such special approval was granted as there were no medical grounds to justify Ms Mary's daily presence in the school.
'We have girls who have problems moving around, or with heart conditions. For these cases, it is perfectly legitimate for parents to be there to help carry a child's schoolbag, and so on,' the principal said.
'There was no such reason for her to constantly be by her daughter's side.'
Ms Mary claimed the school management is biased against her, and said the police action on 1Jul was uncalled for.
The principal said the police were called in because 'she refused to leave the school'.
Ms Mary said the police officer warned her that he would 'take action', which she took to mean arrest if she continued visiting the school without permission.
The principal explained: 'We have never told her that she is banned from the school. However, she has regularly refused to comply with requirements to register at the school's security counter when she visits the school.'
Ms Mary also refused to leave even after meeting her child's teacher or the school admin staff and would disturb other children on some occasions, the principal said.
'Strong message'
'As she refused to leave the school, I requested police assistance. It was the police's suggestion to send a strong message to her after she refused to leave.'
The police confirmed that they had received a call for assistance from the school on 29 Jun and 1Jul.
'Upon the request of the school, police advised the lady to leave the school premises and she left thereafter,' a police spokesman said.
The principal said she valued the partnership of parents highly, and calling the police was a 'last resort'.
She added that other parents who have witnessed Ms Mary's behaviour have also expressed concern and asked for tighter security measures in the school.
'On several occasions, Ms Mary entered our classrooms, and we had to tell her to leave. Often, she did not heed our requests,' said the principal.
Since Primary 1, Ms Mary's daughter has been under the MOE's and the school's financial assistance scheme. This provides her with free uniforms, sports attire, transport costs and daily meals.
Meal coupons, given out every Monday morning, can be exchanged for food at the canteen. Each child is entitled to three coupons a day, which expire if not used.
Ms Mary claimed: 'My daughter has no time to collect the coupons and have her breakfast after that.
'Also, there were occasions when she went to the office but did not come back with the coupons. I'm not sure why.
'Maybe she's a bit slow and doesn't know how to express herself properly, or the usual admin staff weren't present.'
In response to her feedback, the principal arranged for the girl to collect the coupons on Friday after school and her form teacher makes sure she gets them.
The principal said the breakfast coupons issued to Ms Mary's daughter were often unused, because she arrived in school just in time for assembly.
She said that when the admin staff asked if they could stop printing the breakfast coupons to minimise wastage, Ms Mary got agitated.
Ms Mary also complained that components of her daughter's test papers were not returned for her to check.
When queried about the issues raised by Ms Mary, the principal said: 'Since early last year, Ms Mary has made almost daily calls to the school, especially to her daughter's teachers, questioning the school in all professional areas as well as administrative matters.
'Ms Mary would demand that the teachers and support staff address all her concerns immediately.
'This has caused distress and taken up valuable time which could otherwise be given to the welfare of all pupils.'
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