St Margaret's Principal (Marion Tan): life after the botakgate.

[bic_cherry]

Botakgate, how one principal can continue to live on

Botakgate, how one principal can continue to live on
"School principal Marion Tan has said that if the girls were allowed to go bald, others might take advantage. 'Can you imagine if I were to say 'yes', I'd have everybody come to school with a bald head,' she told The Straits Times" ['Why make bald stand a hairy issue?'(TNP, 06Aug2013)]

Honestly, if all the Students of St Margaret's (the future leaders and CEOs of tomorrow) were to become cancer society supporters and themselves adopt healthy lifestyles so as to reduce their own risk of cancer (and their consumption of public healthcare dollars), I think that Singapore society would much benefit from their moral contributions. The principal could of course give the girls a lecture before the hair shearing event if she found too many volunteering (?herd instinct), reminding them about the philosophy behind the act,and warning them of the serious repercussions if they made a blasphemed the sanctity of shorn heads (e.g., making jokes about cancer patients, behave obscenely(head banging), adding adornments (patterns)/ other discolorations to bare scalp etc) whether in school or in public- under the penalty of detention class and having to wear a wig with school uniform subsequently.

Anyhow, since the qualifications of Ms Tan seems to be founded upon the monolithic discipline culture, may I kindly suggest the following job options to which she might ideally outperform:
- NEA mosquito and health inspector: they are still hiring, dengue is a perennial problem with increasingly hot weather. Larvae is larvae, none are allowed to grow.
- Traffic police mobile squad/ driving test examiner: the number of traffic offenders she can spot/ fail the better (hand phone use/ drunk while driving, speeding, reckless/ careless driving, driving through reds) will quickly reform drivers of their dirty act with no excuses entertained. Not to mention drastically reduce road fatality rates.
- HDB parking warden: 15 min fine $6, up to 1hr fine $20, no coupon fine $30. Any complains will be like water off a duck's back. The leisurely pace at which wardens can work is a good retirement occupation, free exercise too. Perhaps the financial losses that HDB declares annually will about turn.
- Singapore Police Force: Secret Society, Anti-Loan Shark task force/ CNB Singapore's loan shark scourge needs a strong hand to handle the current discipline methods of SMSS (wearing of wigs, counseling) might so shock offenders that they turn over a new leaf. Continuous counseling 24hrs a day could be applied to the most recalcitrant loan sharks and those over 50yrs age (cannot be caned) and Mrs Tan's voice will be all that they hear in solitary confinement that upon release, these gangsters will probably not hurt a fly.
- Security OIC, Prime Minister's personal security detail: all bases will be covered, no stone left unturned. Singapore's GDP might increase with investor confidence rise.
- SAF Regimental Sergeant Major: she can put the whole unit on parade and inspect the hairdos of every member. Any hairdo looking remotely familiar to her past experience shall be taboo, this shouldn't be too difficult a job to outperform.
- ICA officer: Drugs, weapons, protected plants and animals, persons without travel documents- these must not be allowed to be smuggled across Singapore boarders. I understand that ICA officers are overworked every-time a public holiday happens. The vigilant disciplinarian can perform well in this job.
- Auditor General's Office (AGO): Ensuring the wise spending of money by the government, since "Government continues to suffer procurement lapses: auditor-general" (YahooNews, 17July2013)- any dollar wasted is a dollar less for the poor- perhaps new blood in the AGO can put more pressure on civil service officers to improve their local procurement procedures.
- Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB)- Recently: "Senior CPIB officer charged with stealing S$1.76 million from anti-graft agency" (YahooNews24July2013)- seems like they have a discipline and supervisory problem there. Maybe some expertise from a different perspective can help, just don't concentrate too much on the hairdos, the pulse must be on the figures...


The again, Minister Heng says that "Mrs Tan, on her part, has also reflected on her decision, and understood that the girls wanted to show empathy and solidarity with cancer patients... ...she has supported all 5 in their wish not to conceal their shaved heads." ['No wigs for St Margaret’s five: Education Minister' (TDY, 7Aug2013)]

So if Minister is happy, whom am I to say otherwise but move on; but dear Mrs Tan, sometimes for the grater good of society, its good to move on to a higher plane, the choices aforementioned are vast and suite diverse taste and qualifications.

Then again, as for education, schools in Singapore are the learning grounds for the the leaders of the next generation. As for jobs as educators, the narrow minded need not apply.

[pict source]

[pict source]


Tags:
Discipline, St Margaret's, principal, cancer, charity, education, youth, school, Singapore, morality, law, rules, love, Christian, students,

 

[Narong Wongwan]

If she is a connected elite she will be redeployed and keep her good income.

If non elite then she will be sacrifice as scapegoat to make the minister look good.

 

[Narong Wongwan]

If she is a connected elite she will be redeployed and keep her good income.

If non elite then she will be sacrifice as scapegoat to make the minister look good.

 

[johnny333]

Spore is a damn funny place. Long hair is not allowed & so is being bald

If it is good enough for LKY, it should be allowed:p

 

[tanakow]

She just shows BIG TIME to everybody that she is totally lacking in empathy.

 

[Leongsam]

She just shows BIG TIME to everybody that she is totally lacking in empathy.

To hell with empathy. Rules are rules and they should be followed to the letter. What's the point of having rules if they aren't enforced in an impartial manner.

 

[laksaboy]

I bet she's taking out her sexual frustration on those girls. And she's probably a serious Christian.

 

[halsey02]

To hell with empathy. Rules are rules and they should be followed to the letter. What's the point of having rules if they aren't enforced in an impartial manner.

This I wondered too, why did the Minister Of Education stepped into this, when they set the rules, the school principal enforces them. I agree wholeheartedly with you, if she can't enforce the rules..then what is the use of having them? What kind of example are they giving to the younger ones??. Next time around, any enforcement of rules they will go complaining to the Ministry & then to the Minister.

MOE should have left it as it is, allowed the principal to enforce the rules, now she is effectively useless, MOE had made her 'impotent'. She might as well resigned & go work somewhere else.

Did the girls ask the school permission to take part in the charity event & know that, there are school rules with regards to Punk hair styles?? Did the organizer of that event aware of the school rules or any rules..surely they must have made the participants sign a disclaimer.

The school is right in enforcing the rules...the minister should have stayed out of it...just to gain some 'brownie points' made the school rules useless...St. Magaret's might as well throw in out..and each time they want to enforce any rules..call the Minister of Education.

 

[tanakow]

This thinking sync with the like of Talibans.

To hell with empathy. Rules are rules and they should be followed to the letter. What's the point of having rules if they aren't enforced in an impartial manner.

 

[lianbeng]

lianbeng replies: botak girls not allowed in school lah - esp all girls sch!

 

[bic_cherry]

To hell with empathy. Rules are rules and they should be followed to the letter. What's the point of having rules if they aren't enforced in an impartial manner.

Hi Leongsam.
Empathy or whatever you call it. I recon a core principle in the creation of rules is morality: i.e. the good of all society (/creation if U think widely).

Unfortunately, the creators of rules are often unable to specify all situations in which a rule should apply, but only the general circumstance.

Speed limit 90kph doesn't mean that an ambulance, police car, foreign dignitary in police convoy cannot travel at speeds in excess of 90kph is conditions so allow- these remain the exception however; ditto emergency vehicles shooting through red when safe to do so, their need to save lives/ property overrides the need for convenient travel by those who are strong and healthy.

Likewise no drinking rules in the MRT: if supposed the train stalled and the passengers were trapped for 2 hours, one cannot be blamed for consuming fluids in the carriage to prevent dehydration.

Likewise, Singaporean Police/ SCDF inspectors are allowed to enter the casinos without paying a $200 entry fee mainly because moral purpose/ law against crime, fire damage supersedes any laws created to protect Singaporeans from gambling addiction. Obviously, such officers would often be in uniform/ work clothes and enter the casino solely for the purpose of official duty. The $200 entry levy is still payable for officers who visit casinos when they are off duty.

Ditto traffic rules during major sports events (SG marathon, cycling)- where the social benefit of mass activity allows even for the travel direction of some roads to be reversed and even traffic signal overrode- but usual by the police officer on duty.

Likewise parking outside Mosque on Friday afternoons, no car is summoned because it is an unwritten understanding that this privilege for Muslims prevails since 'new' double yellow (no parking allowed) rules cannot possibly specify the right to park on Friday afternoons- this bending of rules is however only restricted to places surrounding such places of worship and the worshipers have the commonsense not to obstruct traffic as a result.

Tks for the opportunity to reply.
B.C.

 

[bic_cherry]

This I wondered too, why did the Minister Of Education stepped into this, when they set the rules, the school principal enforces them. I agree wholeheartedly with you, if she can't enforce the rules..then what is the use of having them? What kind of example are they giving to the younger ones??. Next time around, any enforcement of rules they will go complaining to the Ministry & then to the Minister.

MOE should have left it as it is, allowed the principal to enforce the rules, now she is effectively useless, MOE had made her 'impotent'. She might as well resigned & go work somewhere else.

Did the girls ask the school permission to take part in the charity event & know that, there are school rules with regards to Punk hair styles?? Did the organizer of that event aware of the school rules or any rules..surely they must have made the participants sign a disclaimer.

The school is right in enforcing the rules...the minister should have stayed out of it...just to gain some 'brownie points' made the school rules useless...St. Margaret's might as well throw in out..and each time they want to enforce any rules..call the Minister of Education.

SMSS is a govt/ govt aided school, almost ALL its funding comes fr the govt who can easily close the school down if it wishes. MOE is the employer of the school principal and MOE has the duty to oversee the moral values that the school imparts.

In this case, MOE must have found the school principal wanting in her application of the school rules.

The opportunity of appeal to higher authority either personally or by popular persuasion (blogs, internet forum, petition etc) would naturally cause the Minster to investigate the nature of the complaint and take action as necessary.

Guess what is important now is for the Principal to reflect upon her decision. Sometimes a time of mass refection and reconciliation can return educator and charge to a relationship of positive mutual trust and affection- then the principal can continue in her position.

In the eyes of public opinion from the facts revealed, it seems obvious that the public judges Mrs Marion Tan to be a mere puppet with no bandwidth for compassion. The leaders of tomorrow need to be mentored by educators with a strong commitment to social improvement- robots can be bought with money but leaders of sound moral compass can only be molded by qualified educators with strong ethics and a social conviction.

Mrs Tan has shown herself to be cold heart-ed ruler who places conformity before compassion (students had to pay $70 for a useless wig just to suppress their cause for childhood cancer).

As a senior educator, she should have known better than to have earned herself the label of Childhood Cancer Awareness Oppressor.

Cancer awareness 1, Principal 0: one cannot fall asleep in the game of life.

 

[Semaj2357]

let's not take the moral high ground here. Rules are there for a purpose - just because eg mosque vicinities are packed with vehicles on Fridays does not mean that there are exceptions to the rules. I've seen vehicles booked near mosques when it caused a jam, ditto for those vehicles parked near funeral wakes, everyone understands but when it causes inconvenience to others, a call to LTA and someone comes on a bike to book these vehicles. It's a given that that emergency vehicles are allowed to exceed speed limits and beat traffic lights...tell me something that we already don't know, duh!

Apart from being general guidelines, rules are enforceable, so if one commits a traffic violation - be prepared to get fined unless one has a good reason for doing so. If one is lucky not to be caught (SAF doctrine, thank you), thank your lucky stars but again, one must be prepared to pay the time if you do the crime.

now, let's come to the crux of this issue - the principal did not make a wrong judgement call, there were rules to be adhered to, eg if it states that white shoes are to be worn, then shoes that comes with coloured stripes even if these are predominantly white, are not allowed. This also provides for a level playing field amongst poor and rich students.

Ditto for hairstyles, eg if another cause says for one to keep one's hair till waist length (unless turbanised), what gives? But here is something much more important to be addressed - the element of a promise (to wear a wig after shaving bald). This lesson is much more important than associating with a cause, however strongly one feels for it. This lesson is lost on the girls and going forward, it is not the values that we want for our children. Heck, the girls and their parents may even feel that they are champions now, in getting a minister to reverse the principal's decision (and to her detriment), smug in the belief that a promise does not need to be fulfilled, thanks to the support by the education minister.

 

[streetsmart73]

To hell with empathy. Rules are rules and they should be followed to the letter. What's the point of having rules if they aren't enforced in an impartial manner.

hi there


1. Sammy, rules are made by men hoh.
2. there are some rules betterer for specific individuals too.

 

[prancku]

hi there


1. Sammy, rules are made by men hoh.
2. there are some rules betterer for specific individuals too.

While I do not agree with the principal for wanting to enforce a rule or a promise strictly, not withstanding the circumstances of the case, it is really a shame for her to have her decision to be reversed by the Minister of Edn so publicly.

Based on the media reports as stated, it just demonstrated in Singapore, how heavy handed, reactive and excessive each and every party go about resolving this issue -
a The parents for raising the issue directly with MOE and the Minister, not communicating and being more persistent in approaching the principal to see if some compromise could be reached;
b The principal for not initially reflecting upon the decsion to ask the students to wear a wig to cover up for the baldness, when approached by the parents, when such baldness was supossedly done for a good cause;
c The minster for stepping in and being involved in such a small issue, so quickly, without letting parties to have more time to resolved it by themselves.

So sad when people cannot just talk and communicate to resolve their differences in opinions and resort to heavy artillery against each other...treating each other like enemies...with National Day around the corner, perhaps it is appropriate to take some time for one and all to reflect on what is becoming of us in Singapore, the notions of nationhood, tolerance and gracious accomodation for differences in opinions. :p:*:

 

[lianbeng]

lianbeng said: Minister can kaypoh how the prinicpal set the school rules meh? putting principal at a tight spot liao! next time all students dun f-care about school rules liao!

 

[enterprise2]

This is really a national circus!!

 

[lianbeng]

lianbeng said: Minister can kaypoh how the prinicpal set the school rules meh? putting principal at a tight spot liao! next time all students dun f-care about school rules liao!

lianbeng continues... it's like those white horses in SAF lor! father/uncle MP so can interfere n kaypoh how NCOs tekan the son! like that how to discipline those pengkia?

 

[steffychun]

as i said she should be shaved and caned

 

[aerobwala]

lianbeng said: Minister can kaypoh how the prinicpal set the school rules meh? putting principal at a tight spot liao! next time all students dun f-care about school rules liao!

Agree. It really set a bad precedent. Next time parents can all by-pass school principle and go straight to higher up in MOE to get things done in their way.