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Aug 10
Students forced to pay $50 for school's celebrations

Is performance really worth that much money?

Students forced to pay $50 for school's celebrations

 

One secondary school in Singapore has imposed a compulsory $50 "donation" upon students, for the school's 45th anniversary celebrations.

A contributor to citizen journalism website, STOMP, said in an email that students were being made to fork out $50 from their Edusave account for the school's celebrations. If the accounts are empty, then payment must be made in cash. 

In a circular disseminated to all students, parents were urged to support the event, by signing a form to release the $50 from the child's Edusave fund.

In the letter, it stated that "To achieve a high standard of productions for this musical, we have invested heavily in engaging the expertise of various specialists and vendors in training the students. We seek your support in releasing $50 from your child's/ward's Edusave Account to help defray some of the cost."

According to the contributor, these "specialists" are already teaching at the school for the various Enrichment programmes conducted.

 

Click on thumbnails to view media.

The contributor added:  "Even the performers have to pay for it where they do not get to view the performance at all." 

“Plus the performance only includes Dance, Drama, Band and Choir. Does that really worth that much of money?

“Or are they just trying to get more money out of it? If the school doesn't have that much of money then they shouldn't even host this celebration and having the programme at all.”
 

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Keywords: pay , funds , donation , school
Readers' Comments
Why must student spent so much money on celebration?

Celebrate already got what benefits? Students get "A" or are better behave?

Posted by old_dilbert on Fri, 27 Aug 2010 at 17:12 PM

Surely the schools have been allocated fund for projects, activities, etc? Why eye the kids' monies? What a shame! As a rich country, we can't believe that our schools can stood so low when it comes to getting some works done for the school. Talking about sending our kids to the streets to collect donations is a sure way to inculcate a beggar's mentally in our kids. Surely there are better ways to get fund for school activities. Want to have 1st class education service in the world? Maybe MOE can come up with better measures to help its schools if they want to go something big but lack the fund.

Posted by evelyn09teo on Fri, 27 Aug 2010 at 17:08 PM

The Edusave Funds seems to have slowly become a source of fund eagerly eyed by school principals for their teacher's projects. Projects are oft put across to parents as being beneficial for the students when in actual fact, precious lesson hours are eaten into and frustrated students are inconvenienced while the school continue their wayang at the students' expense.

Posted by RuZeDUDz on Fri, 27 Aug 2010 at 12:24 PM

A few persons will benefit of course ... the principal puts it down as one of the key achievements for the year, and the teacher in charge of the school celebrations also gets a good performance appraisal.

Posted by asia_twotwo on Sat, 21 Aug 2010 at 00:24 AM





The Way I See It:


We are trying to crinch another world title in the top ranking of the loan shark value chain. :D

Posted by ILostMyBall on Fri, 20 Aug 2010 at 23:58 PM

Hmmmm....is singapore clean of corruption? Or it is a school of loan shark training?:(

Posted by 781jchan on Fri, 20 Aug 2010 at 23:52 PM

Work within the approved budget! Don't take money from the young one to cover an adult's mistake for poor financial planning!

Posted by BuyerTK on Fri, 20 Aug 2010 at 21:23 PM

Isn't this an abuse of the original intents of the fund?

Surely, the school board can find from some other avenues!

MOE needs to respond....

Posted by tengahsen on Fri, 20 Aug 2010 at 17:48 PM

I am just curious, why are students here trained to 'beg' when the most diplomatic word is training them how hard is it to earn money. If the schools wants cash ask direct from the parents and not channeling it to the pupils. Every weekend I see students collecting funds and this is very common here when students should be focus at either academic and results. This is their prime time to learn. School who seek funds despite MOE's funding must approach parents and also be reasonale with the kinda of money they want. This is extorsion and unbelievabily here at schools. But of course diplomatically you can donate what you can afford only to realise the impact much later.

Posted by powerballs on Fri, 20 Aug 2010 at 17:38 PM

This is a blatant abuse of funds & money belonging to students. Wonder what is in place to pervent schools from abusing this.

Vincent

Posted by Posted on Fri, 20 Aug 2010 at 14:34 PM

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