floppy\" post_id=\"1961339\" time=\"1580442474\" user_id=\"97579:

GeorgeTay\" post_id=\"1961317\" time=\"1580429467\" user_id=\"183945:

...
Could you please also enlighten me how driving through for pick up be create more security concern than having any random people walking around freely in the school compound during school dismissal?

Not a parent of Qifa as I said and neither am I privy to the concerns / constraints that Qifa is facing. If the school thinks there should be no drive through for pick ups, I’m sure they have had their reasons.

Notwithstanding, if it’s something bugging you, and you think there’s a better solution out there. Why not write in or speak to the teacher- or school leaders-in-charge? That would probably be a more fruitful idea than creating an account and posting about it on an online forum that the school probably doesn’t care much about.

The only reason why I posted in this thread is because I am hoping to get some feedback from other parents of QPS.
For the purpose of comparing, the Japanese primary school near QIFA will soon have a covered walkway from their school gate all the way to bus stop near Ayer Rajar market.

On the other hand QIFA doesnt even have a proper shelter outside the school compound to facilitate pick up. Perhaps the school should be more proactive to engage LTA to request similar facilities to be build for the school. At the end of the day, we are all paying same school fee, so there is no reason why parents of QIFA should be contented with status quo.

floppy\" post_id=\"1961277\" time=\"1580379583\" user_id=\"97579:

zac's mum\" post_id=\"1961270\" time=\"1580373849\" user_id=\"53606:[quote=\"zac's mum\" post_id=1961270 time=1580373849 user_id=53606]...
There are kids who walk home from school themselves. Carrying their own heavy school bags and umbrella too. It is not a failure of a parent who permits that. It may even prevent strawberryism.

“Strawberryism”

Not a parent of Qifa but I can say not every school allows drive-in, be it rain or shine. Some schools choose not to allow due to security concerns, others due to infrastructure constraints. I’m not sure why Qifa doesn’t allow it, but I’m sure they have their good reasons. If the contingency plan is to wait in the sports hall, before making the way to a waiting car outside / elsewhere, just have to work with the plan you are given.

By the way, my kid (P3) travels home from school on her own since P2. The journey involves either a bus-bus transfer or a bus-train-train transfer (and in the near future, option of train-train-train-train transfer ). If that means the parent who permits that had failed, I’m all for more parents failing [/quote]

One should never use their own child as a benchmark be it development, academic, sports or social skills etc. Just because your child is able to do that, that doesnt mean that every child should be put to the test. Just like there are kids who can swim at 2 or 3 years old. does that mean that school should abolish swim saver program at P3 because there are kids out there who can swim at 2? Or parents should be encouraged to let their kids to swim in the pool without adult supervision so that they can be more independent. Then again, why didnt you allow your child to take own transport at P1?

Could you please also enlighten me how driving through for pick up be create more security concern than having any random people walking around freely in the school compound during school dismissal?

zac's mum\" post_id=\"1961298\" time=\"1580394123\" user_id=\"53606:[quote=\"zac's mum\" post_id=1961298 time=1580394123 user_id=53606]
In my child’s school, after the first 2 weeks of school, the P1s are allowed to leave straight from their classrooms at dismissal time. Where they go is their own responsibility, as promised to their own parents.

During the first 2 weeks, the teachers hang around to help them get into their dismissal routine, whether picked up by caregiver or schoolbus or walk home.

I shall not comment further. Let some Qifa parents comment.[/quote]

No offense, but what you said just doesnt sound right because its impossible for any school to leave the P1s or even P2s to their own devices and expect them to obediently and diligently get from their respectively classroom to their designated pick up point on time all the time. If QIFA would to operate in such a manner I am 100% certain that the school bus will always be late.

In other schools that I am familiar with the teachers are responsible to bring the lower primary school children to their respective pick up points. First to the school bus pick up point because the bus needs to leave on time, then follow by waiting area for drive through pick up and lastly to the main gate where the teacher will personally ensure that students are collected by their guardians or parents, not some random stranger.

Please do not mistaken a school that runs a safe, orderly and timely operation as promoting strawberryism. And responsibility in this case doesnt lies with the students but with the schools because its the schools that should provide something as basic as a proper shelter when its raining instead of reserving the shelter for their own benefits.

zac's mum\" post_id=\"1961270\" time=\"1580373849\" user_id=\"53606:[quote=\"zac's mum\" post_id=1961270 time=1580373849 user_id=53606]
If it’s only the first month of primary school for your P1 child, I can understand your anxiety. Especially if it’s your first child.

I am not from this school. But I am a parent of a now P4 child.

Primary school is no longer preschool, where they lived a very sheltered life & a teacher has to be accompanying them everywhere.

Please allow your child to grow up and be independent. They are capable of being more responsible than you think.

There are kids who walk home from school themselves. Carrying their own heavy school bags and umbrella too. It is not a failure of a parent who permits that. It may even prevent strawberryism.[/quote]

First of all, if I wish to toughen up my kids there are many ways to do it, and I will certainly not ask my child stand in the heavy rain and wait for pick up while the school staffs are sitting comfortably in their office.

Secondly, lets not assume that its safe for P1 kids to walk home on their own and I think its ridicules for parent to risk on their child safety because this aint reality show and its a risk that you cant afford to lose. not even once.

Thirdly, we should be mindful not to expect every child in school to have the same level physical ability and maturity to walk in the rain or to take public transport home.

Fourthly what I am asking is the school's contingency plan for wet weather, not asking teacher to walk the kids or carry their bags. AFAIK, there are no shelters located outside the school compound and at the same time private cars are not allow drive through for pick up, while school staffs are able to get a taxi into the school to pick them up. Who are Strawberry here?

Lastly can you please confirm that QIFA actually allow P1 & P2 students to go back on their own.

zac's mum\" post_id=\"1961234\" time=\"1580365039\" user_id=\"53606:[quote=\"zac's mum\" post_id=1961234 time=1580365039 user_id=53606]
Sorry to hear about the chaos. And I dunno why Qifa does not allow cars to drive in. Not every school allows.

The easy solution would be to equip your child with a small foldable umbrella (or better yet, a raincoat/poncho), to be kept inside the school bag every day.

Then have a contingency arrangement where to meet the child outside the school, on rainy days. Avoid the crowd this way.[/quote]

P1 and P2 students should never be allowed to leave the school compound and wait outside the school gate without guardians. And to me its ridicules to expect 7 or 8 years old kid to wait in the rain due to lack of planning from the school.

IMO contingency arrangement in such a case should be arrange by the school, such as to allow drive through during specific time so that the kids can be kept dry and safe within the school instead of out in the rain. Apparently, I was told that if the school staffs call for taxi, the school will allow the taxi to drive through for pick up. Is that true?

Did anyone get caught in the rain while picking up your child yesterday?


I was there to pick up my boy from the main gate at around 1.30pm and the entire place was so chaotic because everyone is taking shelter at pick up area which was meant for the students. And after 15 mins of waiting there was no sight of my P1 son and then I was told that P1 kids were all waiting at the indoor sports hall (perhaps this is at SOP I missed up during orientation). And this create another chaotic scene inside the school as new parents like myself were all over the place looking for the kids.

Then comes the most perplexing thing. Despite the heavy rain the school doesnt even allow private cars to drive into the school to pick up the kid and expect the child to walk in the heavy rain. We waited till 2.15pm before decided to run for it.

Can someone share why is there such a restriction on private cars since in many schools private cars are allowed to enter after last school bus leave the school at around 1.50pm. For QIFA case I can still see school bus turning into the school at 1.50pm. Shouldnt the school buses at at school before 1.30pm to wait for the students instead? Or are they waiting outside the school due to limited space inside?

I really think the school can do better than this.