Compulsory Overseas Trip

[nani]

[quote]she would like to help other people again if given the chance. [/quote]
Was wondering, your niece really sincerely want to help other ppl or isnt the overseas experience that was fun & make her grow up?

My take is that helping other ppl don't need to be confine to just overseas, there are many ways to help even within our own country. I'm not directing this to you or your sis, but it just boils me to hear parents bragging about their kids going \"OVERSEAS\" to help people!! But when in Singapore, they dont even give a heck to the poor or even send their parents to old folks home!!
[quote]Such invaluable experience is an eye opener for them and is good for them since they grow up in very sheltered and comfortable environment. [/quote]Not sure how sheltered you niece is. But am sure if parents here can bring up and inculcate more self dependent, for eg. washing their own cups and bring their own cups to the sink, making their own bed, or even cooking their own simple meal if need, etc..instead of relying on maids, I think the kids are already consider self-dependent.

[corneyAmber]

csc:

In primary schools, I don't think the overnight camps and even the NDP parades are compulsory - I know of a few friends' primary school kids who opted out of the camps or simply, by producing a medical certificate, exempted them from attending the camps.

Sounds like a good tip. I know they usually send the kids to Labrador Park(not even school compounds!) for the P5 camps and heard that NDP currently is compulsory in our school.

csc:

As for me, I did not get to attend any overnight camp till my university days. I remember , watching with sadness, as I saw my classmates leaving for their ST John's Island Camp in Sec 3. My over-protective parents had refused to give their consent. I remembered arguing with them over the matter.
I felt even more left-out when my classmates kept talking about the camps for days even when it was over.

We often feel we miss something when we don't get ourselves involved. I have reviewed my life over the years and I hardly feel that I am short of anything including experience. For example I will never argue with my parents to go for midnight shows nor disco and I still get to go eventually at an older age and never missed it too. However, at secondary level, most likely I will permit the experience of camping in school for my child.
Parents will always worry, it is a built-in function. Up to working days, my dad would still wait for me at the void deck to get home for those late nights.

csc:

Maybe, that's why I'm pretty liberating in this aspect of allowing and even encouraging my kids to go for these trips even at a tender age of primary 4.Maybe, it has to do with my character as well. I backpacked and love rugged and adventurous trips and hope to pass on that spirit to my next generation. Actually, we have already developed the same liking.

My character is also adventurous and I have done strange things. However, I did all these things when I was old enough to make decisions for myself. I hiked Grand Canyon to the Colorado River in the coldest winter in USA then, I also sped at 200+km(legally) in Europe before. I have been on more F&E trips than guided tour so I believe my child who goes on such trips with us learn the ropes. Children indeed should learn but should be under a safe environment until they are old enough to fend for themselves. I feel sometimes we are trying to make them do too many things too soon. If given the time, I rather the children spend it on reading and day community service in Singapore.

csc:

Age appropriateness is subjective, I guess, for individual children.

That is true. However, when they conduct mass programme they have to use the bell curve as the benchmark, not the exceptions. Actually the children are supposedly receiving training at home to make them ready for certain independence but in everything we try to accelerate for them....EVERYTHING.... :faint:

csc:

Anyway, to each his own. :celebrate:

[/quote]

I also agree but the schools not thinking this way leh..... *sigh*
:celebrate: to you. Appreciate your patience to share the benefits of such programmes.

[summer]

[nani]

KS2me :celebrate: :snuggles: I couldn't agree more with your post. From the nitelife experience to the f&e trips to WE actually training our kids at home inorder to PREPARE them for the so called learning \"independence\" trips. All boils them to brining up...


Wish we have a easier way to say \"NO\" and not having to argue/challange our kids for things that are not within our control :idea:

[daisyt]

nani:

Not sure if you are talking about complusory here. Reading on the negatives of safety and street kids in Jakarta already turn me off from visiting relatives there, dont even talk about school doing service trip there :shock: .


Again, I just dont understand what are the school objectives by sending our kids to 3rd world countries for service?? If is just to let them know how fortunate they are, I would rather they make it complusory for all schools to service the orphange here or even schedule schools to help with distributing food from the heart, etc. SERVICE can be found and start within our own country, need not make us PAY and risk our kids overseas!!

Just my 2 cents.

Nani, its not compulsory for my case here, but they are highly encouraged. My point of view in this case is, if I need to sign a letter of indemnity, I am taking the risk. Then I would need to consider, if I want to take this risk and is it worth to take the risk for this purpose. In life, there are always many risks we have to take or want to take because we feel it is worth it. Eg. changing job, taking an exciting coaster ride, going tough hiking like csc and ks2me mentioned. I know of some peoples who feel that marriage or having children is a kind of risk taking and they do not want to take this risk. Back to my case here, going to a place I feel is not safe, for this objective, I think its not worth to take the risk and hence do not want to take the risk.

Normally, we ourselves don't feel the pinch when we decide to take up a risk. It is always our love ones would feel it more than us.

And thanks summer for sharing your niece's case here. :celebrate:

[csc]

Talking about risks, I don’t think any school will send their students abroad to a country deemed to be in a risky and dangerous situation. The school must have measured the risk factors involved and maybe get the necessary approval from MOE before going ahead with the trip.


Schools are also accountable to the parents and MOE for their actions as well. I doubt they will subject themselves to unnecessary risks. I understand that many overseas trips were cancelled due to H1N1 last year.

But again, what is considered risk is subjective.

A friend of mine thinks that climbing Mount Ophir is very risky after hearing about incidents of people being killed by a falling branch on that track. She won’t even climb Bukit Timah Hill for fear of falling branches.

Of course, we should never be rash but I believe our destiny and lives are in God’s hands. There is no prevention if it were meant to happen.

[snowz]

csc:

Talking about risks, I don't think any school will send their students abroad to a country deemed to be in a risky and dangerous situation. The school must have measured the risk factors involved and maybe get the necessary approval from MOE before going ahead with the trip.


Schools are also accountable to the parents and MOE for their actions as well. I doubt they will subject themselves to unnecessary risks. I understand that many overseas trips were cancelled due to H1N1 last year.

But again, what is considered risk is subjective.

A friend of mine thinks that climbing Mount Ophir is very risky after hearing about incidents of people being killed by a falling branch on that track. She won't even climb Bukit Timah Hill for fear of falling branches.

Of course, we should never be rash but I believe our destiny and lives are in God's hands. There is no prevention if it were meant to happen.

Well said, agree wholeheartedly! :salute: :rahrah:

[csc]

Actually hor, washing cups and bowls, bringing cups and plates to sink, making beds have nothing to do with independence - at least in my opinion.


They are responsiblities expected of family members living within the same household.

The children in my household are expected to do that - nothing to do with inculcating independence. In other words, compulsory activities at home and even at grandma's home. :lol:

[daisyt]

csc:

But again, what is considered risk is subjective.

Yap ! Agree ! Risk measurement is very subjective and individual. I remember all my friends (except one) told me its too risky to choose IP schools, not taking \"O\" level but we went ahead to to take this \"risk\" :lol: Sorry ... OT ...

[corneyAmber]

daisyt:

csc:

But again, what is considered risk is subjective.

Yap ! Agree ! Risk measurement is very subjective and individual. I remember all my friends (except one) told me its too risky to choose IP schools, not taking \"O\" level but we went ahead to to take this \"risk\" :lol: Sorry ... OT ...

Academic risks is never detrimental because you are still learning even if the route is wrong.

There is another thing called risk exposure, the more you expose yourself to risk, your exposure increases which means probability goes up.

This is a personal view, children(in primary level) should be children....and they will always have the limitation of physical size when in trouble, like it or not, even if the brain size is larger than the adults.

I used to be irked by my dad waiting for me at the void deck, but my brother made a valid point to me that changed my mind. He told me that it would only take one accident to destroy you. So I appreciated dad's effort instead.