MARIAM.TRACY.VALERIE.CHRISTABEL.KAI EN

Thursday, November 25, 2010

After reading this article, I think that Mr Ong there is nothing right or wrong about Mr Ong.

In this 21st century, there's not problem being a homosexual. But the problem is he is a principal, a principal of Anglo-Chinese School, an independent and high reputational school that no one ever think that the principal is a gay.

Mr Tan, the victim of this incident did successfully manage to lodge a complaint to Mr Ong's behaviour. I think that after Mr Tan knew about his inappropriate behaviours, he should avoid travelling overseas with him alone to search for foreign students. Also, by reporting this incident, Mr Ong's pride was totally demoralised. Now that the whole world knows that he's a homosexual, I doubt that he can still face his family, relatives and friends.

Although I do not discriminate people who are homosexual, I think that Mr Ong should really resign his position and be sinful about his actions. Being a leader in the school, I think that he should set good examples for his teachers and students.

Christabel Juay

As an educator, there is an image to uphold. I believe many students will look upon Dr Ong Teck Chin as a role model considering that he is a principal. As much as I feel that Dr Ong should have thought of the consequences of his acts, everyone makes mistakes. If this were to happen to someone less well-known to the public, it would not have blown out of proportion and the whole Singapore would not know. Just that it is unfortunate the news has been made known to public because of his position in a renowned school. Not only has the incident affected Dr Ong alone, Mr Tan and the image of ACS(I) are affected too.

However, it is good to hear that Dr Ong regretted his actions. Dr Ong’s reputation is tarnished as a result of his actions. I am not in the right position to take sides or pinpoint anyone and so does the public as we do not know the full story. There might be more to it than what was being published.

I hope that this incident can serve as a lesson to remind everyone that no one is free from mistake and even then, there is no reason to take things for granted and to always think of the consequences of our actions.

~ Mariam

After reading this article, I feel that Dr Ong Teck Chin, the principal of Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) should be ashamed of himself. From the article, Dr Ong behaved inappropriately to the male teacher, Mr Mark Richie Tan. Dr Ong not only made Mr Tan a victim of his inappropriate behavior, he also made one wonder whether he had abused his authority as a principal to offer the new position “director in principal’s office” to Mr Tan.

But after carefully thinking through, I feel that Mr Tan was also someone who is of suspicion. To me, the whole matter was not only Dr Ong that was to blame. It made me wonder why Dr Ong would even promote Mr Tan last September, if Mr Tan had not agreed to perform any inappropriate act with Dr Ong. If Mr Tan had rejected Dr Ong in the first place, not doing what Dr Ong had asked him to, I feel that Dr Ong would not even promote him.

Therefore, this whole matter to me is not as simple as it seems. I feel that when the news of this incident broke out, both parties would not stand to benefit. Dr Ong would be unable to face his fellow students and teachers anymore. For Mr Tan he would also not be able to concentrate teaching as this incident might have affected him emotionally.

Therefore in conclusion, I feel that one being a principal and the other being a teacher, they should make students look up to them. Instead of doing so, they make public headlines for the wrong reason. This would definitely affect the school’s reputation.

Hence after this incident, I sincerely hope that no matter whom the next principal may be, he or she would be able to be a good role model for the students. Anglo-Chinese (Independent) would also bounce back from this incident, to become the preferred choice for education.

Tham Kai En

After reading this article, I think in this modern society there many similar cases happening in Singapore. Former Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) principal Dr Ong Teck Chin has been found to have behaved inappropriately towards a male teacher, an investigation panel at the school revealed. From my point of view I feel that they are not setting a good example for their students. Mr Tan said Dr Ong had behaved inappropriately when the two were sharing a hotel room during an overseas trip to recruit foreign students. The pair used to travel frequently on such trips. Therefore I strongly support Mr Tan had lodging a complaint to the school’s board.

Mr Ong apologized for his wrong doings. After this incident it have affected his teaching career. He could no longer carry on teaching. This will emotional affect Mr Ong as his reputation as gone down. It is a devastating but he have to faced the consequences.

We are living in a modern society that everyone's thinking is different from the past. However, I feel that we should do something to stop such cases so that the future generations will not follow. The government should take serious actions to prevent more from happening.

Valerie Quek

Former Anglo-Chinese School principal Dr Ong Teck Chin, 61, has been found to have behaved inappropriately towards a male teacher, Mark Richie Tan. Mr Tan had lodge a complaint to the school’s board and it was successful.

Although the principle has been found to be behaved inappropriately, I feel that Mr Tan should not lodge a complaint because every man has its ego and pride. Mr Tan should have settled this matter with Mr Ong privately so that Mr Ong’s reputation could be saved. After this complaint had been lodged, I am sure that this matter will surely affect the school reputation. And this shows that Mr Tan did not think wisely before lodging a complaint.

After an act of impulse, Mr Ong felt remorseful and had already apologised. Not only that, he had been announced to resigned after a six months notice and this may affects his income. Congratulations to Mr Tan who get back his resignation letter and had been promoted! One benefits and the other suffered. After all, it’s just like an eye to an eye. I just hope that after this incident, anyone who came across this situation should think wisely before lodging a complaint as to refrain from affecting the school’s reputation.

Tracy

Former Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) principal Dr Ong Teck Chin has been found to have behaved inappropriately towards a male teacher

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Former Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) principal Dr Ong Teck Chin has been found to have behaved inappropriately towards a male teacher, an investigation panel at the school revealed.
In a statement released on Monday, the ACS board of governors and ACS (I) board of management said Dr Ong “has conducted himself in an inappropriate manner and his conduct has fallen short of the standards expected of a principal”.
While it did not elaborate on the inappropriate behaviour, the two-paragraph statement said, “Dr Ong deeply regrets his actions and has apologised”, reported The Straits Times (ST).
Dr Ong’s behaviour first came to light last month, when the male teacher, Mark Richie Tan, made a complaint to the school’s board.
Dr Ong, 61, resigned around the same time, citing health problems. His last day will be next Tuesday, ahead of his intended six months notice, after a mutual agreement with the school.
The yet-to-be appointed principal will step in from January.
Last September, Mr Tan was promoted after a new position, director in principal’s office, was created for him.
Mr Tan said Dr Ong had behaved inappropriately when the two were sharing a hotel room during an overseas trip to recruit foreign students. The pair used to travel frequently on such trips.
The biology teacher claimed to have requested to return to teaching repeatedly but was turned down.
He later resigned and lodged a complaint with the board of governors. He has since retracted his resignation and is now back teaching at ACS (I).
The findings received mixed responses.
Parent Daniel Ong, 52, told ST he still believes in Dr Ong: “I have no qualms, no doubts about him at all.”
But another parent, who declined to be named, said she was “glad the board has come out with its findings and is not trying to shield Dr Ong”.
“How could such behaviour have gone on for so long and no one complained? I hope the board will select the next principal carefully,” she urged.
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Thursday, November 18, 2010

I really admire Madam Chen for her unconditional love and care for both her husband and son. It is tough to care for a polio-stricken child and a bedridden husband at the same time especially since she is not in the pink of health. She may not have a job but I feel that she has the toughest 24 hour job having to look after her son who is dependent on her.

Madam Chen never asked to have such heavy burden but yet, she takes things in her stride and even worried for what will happen to her son after she dies. As a mum, who wouldn't? This is really exceptional. It is stated that the family is receiving handouts from relatives. I think that more should be done to help the family not only with regards to financial issue because money is not everything.

As a mother and wife, she has successfully carried out her responsibility and this can be a great lesson in many aspects. It just gets to me whenever I come across similar stories because it made me realize that there are many other unfortunate people out there who needs help.

Mariam

Let me salute her! Who is she? Madam Chen Jiaying! A mother loved that can never be replaced by anyone. Neither did she blame her husband for suffering from this illness nor having a polio-stricken son who is unable to walk and talk. She chose to be optimistic and moved on with her life. Madam Chen, 72, despite thinking how would she survive having to take care both of her husband and son in the future, she thinks of her son’s future. If one day she is gone, who will take care of his son?

In Singapore, I heard many cases about this situation recently. And many people look at them unusually and treat them differently as compare to us. For example, I have a friend who is unable to hear. Even with a hearing aid, it does not help much either. Whenever I try to talk to her I feel so intolerant and frustrated because she couldn’t hear what I ‘am talking. But after this incident, I have a serious reflection on myself. I feel that we should not despise people who are born with illness because after all they are humans like us. Isn’t it?

After reading this article, it touches my heart. I would like to say that Madam Chen is not as fortunate as anyone out there. So, if you were to pass by any situation similar to Madam Chen. I would like to persuade everyone to reach out your helping hand! After all, doing a good deed can do you the world of good.

Tracy

I felt heartbreaking after reading this article. I admire Mdm Chen's delication towards her son who suffers from polio and her husband who is bedridden. It is difficult to look after both her husband and son at such an old age. Besides, most people at Mdm Chen's age will be enjoying themselves at home looking after grandchildren or else going out with friends. Furthermore, Mdm Chen didn't not complain however she took care of them with care and love.She also said:"It's hard on me, but I don't mind." This is not what most people will do when they encounter such a situation.

Mdm Chen not in robust health herself , her legs are swollen, making housework painful for her. Nevertheless she still attend to her son's needs and was very concern about her son's future when she is not around.

I feel that we should take this article as a learning point for us. We should not feel that looking after a person be it your love one with illness painstaking. However we can learn how to look after them, treasure the moments that you take care of them.By doing so, you not feel a hasle to take care people with illness.

Valerie Quek

After reading this article, my heart really goes out to Madam Chen. Her actions had really touched the bottom of my heart. She had shown everybody the true meaning of unconditional love. This to me cannot be bought by money. Nowadays, people are often too busy with their life, that their time means money. They are too busy that they sometimes forget that some things cannot be bought by money. One such example would be love.

Madam Chen was a very strong woman. Not only did she take care of her son, who was a mute and is unable to walk properly due to polio, she also has a great the responsibility to take care of her husband who had suffered a stroke and had to lie on the bed all the time. Her husband was also the sole breadwinner of the family, and thus now Madam Chen had to get by with handouts from her relatives. To me she was a strong woman because she did not give up on them. She did not even have the thought to leave them to search for a better life. But she continued to stay by their side, to take care of them even though her legs are swollen. Madam Chen was indeed one of the most courageous, and one of the strongest woman I have ever seen.

In conclusion, although I have never met Madam Chen before or know her in any way, but after reading this article, I really admire her for everything that she did. I had also learned many things from her, which I would not be able to learn from any textbook.

From her, I have learned how to overcome difficulties yet being positive at the same time. Although the going may get tough, we should not give up. In turn we should think positively and face it courageously, like what Madam Chen did. She did not even complain taking care of her son as well as her husband. She took care of them, and also showers them with her unconditional love and care.

In addition, I have also learned not to take things for granted. Madam Chen who was living through handouts given by her relatives, did not complain that it was too little for them. This made me feel ashamed of myself, who complained about even the smallest thing in life. Hence learning from her, it made me treasure everything which I have now, which some people may not even have a chance to do so. Therefore from today, before I complain about anything, I would always think twice before doing so.

Here, I sincerely pray for Madam Chen. I pray that she would stay strong always, as her family really needs her, and I pray that she would not give up no matter how difficult life may be for them.

Tham Kai En

Madam Chen Jiaying didnt not born to choose to have a sick husband nor a polio-stricken son. Qiang also didnt born to choose to have polio-stricken.

I feel sad for Mdm Chen. At such a age of 72, she should be just like any other old woman enjoying the life that she had worked hard for, looking after her grandchildren. Taking care of her bedridden husband and looking after a polio-stricken son and doing housework despite her swollen legs is the last thing she would want.

Though given the situation that Mdm Chen is in, she still very optimistic about her son. Not worrying about her life, but her son's. She mentioned "what will happen to my son when I die" Qiang have difficulty walking alone. Without the support from Mdm Chen, he cant even walk.

I think that we people should be concern about this kind of cases happening around Singapore. In the society in Singapore today, we should try to help those people who cannot meet ends meet. There's a chinese saying, got money give money; no money then give your energy/strength. Therefore, I think that what we can do to help Mdm Chen and Qiang is to maybe visit them, give them some basic necessities for life. Thought this may not cost as much to us, I think that it would be a great help to their life.

To end of, I think that the society should not despise people like this. We are all just human beings.

Christabel Juay

HE CAN neither walk nor talk and, at 20kg, he's a bag of bones.
And he's totally reliant on his mother, Madam Chen Jiaying, 72.
She has been showering unconditional love and care on her polio-stricken son, now 44, for years, reported Lianhe Wanbao.

Madam Chen,who calls her son Ah Qiang, said: "Ah Qiang was born a mute. When he was growing up, I kept pushing him to call me 'ma', but he never opened his mouth. That broke my heart."
Ah Qiang has been unable to walk since he suffered a polio attack when he was a toddler.
He can only limp with Madam Chen's help.
Being unable to walk to the toilet also means Ah Qiang defecates wherever he is.

Madam Chen worries that her son may fall if he tries to stand. Because of this, she watches over him whenever she can.
Her other child, a daughter, moved out of the family's three-room flat in Ang Mo Kio after getting married years ago.
Madam Chen's greatest fear is that no one will be around to look after Ah Qiang after she dies.
Her husband, 70, has been bedridden since a stroke a few months ago.
He stopped working as a cleaner and the family now gets by with handouts from relatives.
Her husband's illness also means she is now burdened with caring for two men.

Husband bedridden

Besides looking after Ah Qiang, Madam Chen also has to feed and clean her husband.
She is not in robust health herself - her legs are swollen, making housework painful for her. Yet she soldiers on, attending to her son's needs.
When Lianhe Wanbao met mother and son, Madam Chen kept gazing lovingly at Ah Qiang.
She said: "He has been suffering since his birth. As a mother, the only thing I can do for him is to look after him. It's hard on me, but I don't mind."

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Despite being bullied for six years, Li did not report to the authorities. Although Li might be afraid of the trio, I think that he should report this incident to the authorities as fast as possible to avoid them to bully Li. Not reporting this incident gives way to the trio to continuously bully Li.

Nevertheless, the trio has been caught. I think that necessary punishment should be carried out to prevent the trio to commit thus offence again when they are released.

The tattoo that had been tattooed on his body will leave a mark forever. Li should try his best to remove them. People that are hiring Li should understand that Li also doesn't want the tattoo to be there either. People should not take this as a offense and should treat it as a body art instead. Wearing long sleeves and pants might be a good way to cover up these tattoos.

The trauma that Li suffered was unbearable. No one should allow oneself to undergo this kind of bully. It is one incident that people will remember for life. If Li was to report to this incident earlier, maybe there will not be more victims like Li.

People are borned to the same.

Christabel Juay

After reading this article, I empathize with Li. He was often bullied and taken advantage of. The bullies then took advantage of his soft spot and kept bullying him. They even went so far as to tattoo all sorts of vulgarities all over Li. I believe the bullies being around 19 years old, should be mature enough to know what is right and what is wrong. However their actions prove otherwise, it shows their immaturity. They not only deliberately caused harm, they even defended their actions by saying that they were playing around. In addition, when Li had turned them down several times, they turn nasty. In this case, I felt that they should not force Li to follow them even when he did not want to. The bullies should respect his decisions and as an individual. Hence I felt relieved for Li when the bullies finally are punished for all the hurt that they had caused Li throughout the years.

However the bullies were not entirely the cause of what has become today, Li also have a responsibility to play. When Li became the victim of the bullies six years ago, he should have sought help to prevent himself from getting bullied again. He could have done this either through talking to his parents, teachers or even peers to look for ways to stop the bullying. However, he chose to remain silent. This made the bullies bolder through the years, as they know that they would not get punished for bullying Li. If Li had done something six years ago to stop the bullying, none of this would probably happen today.

In recent years, bullying seems to happen so often. Every now and then when we flip through the newspaper, or browse the net, we would see various cases of bullying, such as physical bullying, verbal bullying or even cyber bullying. Often the victims of a bully dare not speak up, like Li, hence the bullies get bolder and bolder, and eventually causing the victims more suffering.

In conclusion, I hope that victims of a bully should seek help to prevent themselves from getting bullied again. This would ensure that they would not end up like Li, who had suffered so much throughout all these years, as the bullies had become bolder. For the bullies, I also hope that they would not bully people for the sake of “fun”. They should stand in a person’s shoe, and understand that being bullied is not “fun” at all. If they were the one who get bullied, I believe that they would not like it too.

Tham Kai En

No one should ever close an eye when they are bullied. The effect of bullying can cause one to commit suicide as reported in the news. What benefits do bullies gain from intentionally tormenting others? Is it the feeling of boldness? Is it for thrill to watch others suffer in fear? I simply cannot comprehend their actions. There is not a reason why people should be bullied. Bullying has been an issue among teenagers and it can happen anywhere.

In this case, Li should not have taken things lying down when he was bullied. However, I can understand his fear to be silent to avoid more trouble. But, being bullied for six years is beyond limit. I cannot help but wonder how he was able to keep silent. The trio’s absurd actions should not be tolerated because tattoos cannot be removed easily and the emotional effect brought upon Li is simply traumatising.

I believe the trio will not be able to get away from their offences because they should be thought the harsh way so that they do not repeat the same thing. I think that bullying is a problem schools should address to educate students. One way is to organise campaigns and encourage students to speak up against bullying.

Above it all, I am amazed at how human choose to treat one another. The trio should reflect on themselves. I am sure they would not want to be treated the same way as how they have treated Li. No one would.

Mariam

I think that the trio should not beat him up and tattooed parts of his body with vulgarities and other symbols even though Li disobey their orders. Beating people and tattooing his body without Li's approval is way to much. Moreover, Li Qian claimed that it was Li who wanted the tattoo on his body. Who would like his or her body to be tattooed with parts of the body and with vulgarities and other symbols? I believe no one wants such a tattoo on their back.

Li, meanwhile, is said to be very worried that he cannot find a proper job because of the tattoos. However I feel that employers should not look at Li's tattoo on his back and not employing him. This tattoo isn't Li who did it willing, he was being bullied.Li should receive some compensation to allow him to get rid of the tattoos. Getting rid of tattoos is not cheap.

The trio were being arrested and i hope that the police should seriously look into the matter. This should not be allowed and they should punished them serverly. If there is more of such cases happening, it would create more problems to the society in the country. Tattoo guns should only be used by tattoo artist, otherwise they should banned the sale of tattoo guns everywhere in order to prevent such an incident from happening.

Valerie Quek

Tattooed Li’s back as a punishment for disobeying their orders? Are they going too far abroad? Well, definitely! I was wondering if their mind has gone haywire or something.

The world seems to have changed. Many teenager turns havoc in just a glance. Is this because of family background or influence by friends? As for me, I think that majority of the teenagers should be influence by friends. Why? Now let’s talk about the recent hot topic “A teenager being murdered in Downtown East”. The teenager was murdered due to some conflicts and was actually involved in one of the gang named Fong Hong San. This should prove to us that it was influenced by friends because every parent wouldn’t encourage their child to join gangs or involve in fights.

Although the trio were arrested and charge for causing hurt, one of the trio’s Li Qian still denied that he had tattooed on Li’s back and push the blame to Li. He said that Li wanted the tattooed. Seriously, nobody would want a tattoo which contains vugarilties. After this incident, I hope that they would learnt their lesson and do not act impulsively again. In conclusion, I hope that the government should take note the purchased of a tattoo’s machine gun. New regulation should be set, which only allows to sell the machine gun to people who has had obtain a artist license.

Tracy

Bullies tattoo teen with vulgarities

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Doctor says it'll take 4 months to remove tattoos done in overnight detention.

THE trio were his former high school classmates and had allegedly been bullying him for the last six years.
The Taiwanese teen, known only as Li, did not dare to tell his family or his teachers about the bullying even after graduation.
And the bullies had apparently become so emboldened over the years that when they bumped into the 19-year-old again last month, they did the unthinkable.

They allegedly beat him up and tattooed parts of his body with vulgarities and other symbols.
Apple Daily reported that the trio often took part in dragon and lion dance performances at temples while schooling, and were always demanding that Li join them in those performances.
Li, who was an introvert, was not interested in their activities and had turned them down many times.

One of the trio, Li Qian, also 19, was said to have taken particular offence at Li's constant refusals.
On Oct 19, Li bumped into them on the street and was said to have turned Li Qian down again.
Li Qian was apparently so angry that he and the two other classmates took Li to his house in Kuantu, Taipei.
There, they allegedly verbally insulted him before beating him up as a "punishment for disobeying their orders".
However, Li Qian was still seething with anger and suddenly thought of tattooing Li to teach him a lesson.
Using cheap inking equipment, they allegedly tattooed the words "What are you looking at", "Son of a *****" and other vulgarities on Li's back.
They also allegedly tattooed various symbols on other parts of his body.
These included a hand showing the middlefinger on his back, a Nazi swastika on the back of his left hand, a winged cross on his left forearm and another symbol with the words "big fire" on his right upper arm.
And to add insult to injury, they were said to have demanded NT$2,000 (S$85) in "inking fees" from him.
After detaining him overnight, they released him the following afternoon.

Li was so traumatised after the alleged attack that he did not return home and wandered the streets for days.
He did not report the alleged attack to the authorities as he was afraid of retaliation from them.
But thanks to a stroke of luck, Li's ordeal was soon brought to light.
The Liberty Times reported that on Tuesday, 41-year-old police officer Fan Yuyuan was approached by Li's friend.
The young man told Mr Fan that he had not eaten for days, so Mr Fan offered to buy him a bowl of noodles.
He then told Mr Fan about the alleged tattoo attack.

Mr Fan did not believe the young man initially, but decided to follow up on the lead and look for Li to assist his investigation.
The trio were arrested on Wednesday night and were charged with causing hurt, criminal intimidation and other offences.
Li Qian was said to have told police that he was just "playing around" and that Li had asked for the tattoos.
Li, meanwhile, is said to be very worried that he cannot find a proper job because of the tattoos.
A plastic surgeon interviewed by Apple Daily Taiwan said that it would take three to four months to completely remove the tattoos, and it could cost Li between NT$200,000 to NT$300,000.

RE: ‘Let tertiary students decide what to wear to school’

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Dress codes are important. Be it in a workplace or school, It simply shows how professional you are and how you present yourself. The reason why polytechnics set dress codes is because it helps students to focus on their schoolwork rather than what their classmates are wearing and it also helps the students on early preparations on how to present themselves in future.

In polytechnics, sleeveless T-shirts, singlets, shorts, slippers and miniskirts are not allowed. Basically, I feel that polytechnics should allow us to wear shorts and slippers because Singapore is characterised by a hot and humid climate. Besides, too much exposure of flesh will lead to guy’s distraction and it will definitely affect their studies. I believe that not all tertiary students know how to present themselves in proper attire. Because news about dress codes in schools have been a hot topic recently.

In fact, I feel that the news about dress codes is mainly referring to the girls out there. How can a guy able to dress up gorgeously like a girl? No! Guy simply wears a T-shirts, Baggy pants, caps and etc. Thus, it does not reveal any of their flesh as compare to girls. Therefore, I think polytechnics should take into action about their dress codes. Especially the girls, they should wear T-shirts and pants instead of sleeveless T-Shirt and miniskirts. If they feel like wearing tank tops or sleeveless T-shirts, i suggest them to wear a cardigan so that it is more presentable.

Tracy

As young adults, I guess we are responsible for ourselves which is why a dress code is imposed. It is only right for tertiary students to be properly attired for school because it reflects well on them. I personally wear slippers to school. Other than that, I abide by the dress code. However, there is a limit to the way students dress. It is not much of a problem for guys. As a girl, I am able to relate well. Wearing micro mini skirts or spaghetti to school is what I deem inappropriate. If hot weather is to be blamed, wearing a t-shirt and shorts should solve the problem. Besides, students are in air-conditioned rooms most of the time.

I understand Republic Polytechnic’s concern to prepare the students after they graduate. Dressing casually for school does not mean that in future, the students would not dress appropriately for work. If preparing the students is what they aim for, it can be practised during project presentations. I do not see the need for students to be kicked out of lecture because that would only deprive them of the knowledge they are seeking.

With that, I think that little should be emphasized on the dress code and instead, schools should focus more on academic and instil good working skills because it is more relevant and useful for students.

Siti Mariam

I do agree to a small extent why Republic polytechnic (RP) had impose the dress code rule. This is because the various polytechnics and universities prepare students for the future, in terms of employment after graduating. If students were to be too casually dress, it may become a habit, and thus affecting their working life in their future. Furthermore, in all the tertiary institutions, students are needed to go for internship training, where proper dressing becomes essential. They need to have a taste on what it is like on the reality of the working world, where dress code is something which they would have to follow. Therefore, I do agree to a small extent on what RP has done.

However I feel that students should be given a chance to choose what they wear to school. This is because the students should be old enough to be able to know what they ought to do and what not. Furthermore, they come to school to receive education, no matter what clothes they wear. If they were chased out of lecture or tutorial just because of their improper attire, this would not be fair to them as their main purpose in coming to school is to learn. Of course attire is important in the future when they go out to work, but schools main focus should still be providing education to students.

Although I feel that students should be given a chance to choose what they wear to school, they should still limit themselves on what can be worn and what not. Certain things which reveal too much skin such as miniskirts, short shorts, and revealing clothes should not be worn because it may pose a distraction to lecturers, tutors or even guys.

In conclusion, I feel that tertiary institutions did the right thing by preparing the students on what is to come in the future. However I feel that they can impose this dress code rule only when the occasion asks for it. Examples of such occasions include formal presentations, school functions or events. They should not impose this rule on an everyday basis, because as students they are entitled to freedom of choice. If the way they dress does not affect their learning capabilities, they should be allowed to choose what they wear. However they should always bear in mind that there should be a limit on what can be worn.

Tham Kai En

RE: ‘Let tertiary students decide what to wear to school’

Monday, November 1, 2010

I agree on the title, we should allow tertiary students to decide what to wear to school. I think tertiary students are old enough to decide what to wear to school. Moreover, students should know the limits to wear what kind of attire to school. I'm sure that girls will not wear clothes that will make themselves look unpleasant or discomfort.

I also think that there's nothing wrong wearing slippers and shorts. Singapore is such a hot and humid country. Even though tutorial rooms and lecture halls are cooling, I think having a jacket or sweater will do. As for slippers, I think that they are very convenient and comfortable to be wore around the school. When having lessons, it doesn't require us to be running or jogging around.

Giving warnings and lecturing students about dress code is a waste of time and also a waste of resources. Even though I agree that tertiary students is allowed to decide what to wear to school, I think that offensive printings on shirts are not allowed. After all, tertiary education is still conducted in school and we cannot be offensive.

Christabel Juay

I feel that tertiary students should be given the rights to choose what outfit they would like to wear to school. Tertiary students range ages 17years old- approximately 23 years old therefore they are old enough to decide what kind of clothing are suitable for school. Hence, I feel that the rules for tertiary education should not be so strict. The main purpose to go school is to study and not going school and showing off how nice clothes they have. RP “Improper attire” consisted of sleeveless T-shirts, singlets, shorts and miniskirts to lessons.I understand if the school catches students wearing miniskirts as those are unacceptable however I feel that shorts, sleeveless T-shirts and singlets should be acceptable. This is because Singapore's weather is so humid, wearing long pants everyday could be very hot. If the school wants students to dress up properly, students probably may end up coming school late.

Tertiary students should be allowed to wear any kind of clothing they want however students should not abuse the law by wearing mini skirts or shorts and other protruding clothes. Students wearing more and more casual to school that should not be an offence as some students may not be as fortunate as others, thus they may not be able to afford nice clothing. Moreover, students are going school to study and their focus should be more on studies and not the wear how they are dressed. In conclusion, I strongly disagree of having of a dress code for polytechnic and university students to a certain extend.

Valerie Quek