Discussion on Dr Ong Teck Chin
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3Boys:
Rabid school loyalty isn't the point. Rather, school loyalty, rabid or not, is an important precursor to other traits that might be seen as valuable.
School spirit yes, but not overblown. The school is not the end all and be all. You can make plenty of good friends in formative years, and I still have mine, but it does not have to be in the context of a strident, 'loyalist' atmosphere in school. Do not confuse friendship formed in school with strident school spirit.
If I read the Mission Statement of ACS(I), it says, \"To be a World Class Institution in Nurturing the Holistic Development of our Students.\" An admirable aim indeed! The development of our students to be academically proficient, morally sound, and active contributors to SOCIETY. It goes on to add, A scholar, an officer and a gentleman, a scholar, leader and global citizen as visions. Nowhere do I see the development of rabid school loyalty as a vision.
What is the end game? ACS does not exist for itself, it does not exist to perpetuate school spirit for itself. It exists to provide an education and upbringing for its students. The primary responsibility of its staff and principal is to its students, not the perpetuation of school spirit. Is that so hard to fathom?
The discussion is an old one with perhaps a more modern conceptualisation first raised by SF author Gordon Dickson in the 1970s. What is needed for humans to prosper?
Is it a homogeneous system in which all are given equal opportunities and rights? Or is it a heterogeneous system in which many different traits are being developed in 'rabid' isolation?
You'll recognize the latter if you think hard enough. It's called 'portfolio diversification' and in nature, in the form of 'biodiversity', it's an important measure of environmental sustainability.
It's good for schools to be outstandingly different and bad for them to be the same. If all Singapore schools were the same, then certain traits would automatically never be expressed or surfaced except under very rare conditions.
The only way to keep them different is to create a deep sense of loyalty to key ideas which are fundamental to their makeup. For Rafflesians, there's the Rafflesian Code of Honour; for ACSians, there's the peculiar idea of diversity and spiritual and material success that is symbolised in their crest. These are all artificial and theoretically unnecessary constructs. But the need to use them as rallying points to establish difference and 'fix' loyalty is necessary in order to teach esprit d'corps.
Why would we want to teach that?
Because loyalty is an important virtue. It begins with loyalty to family, then to the local group (or school, or football club), and goes on to be a socially important trait. If a man can't be 'rabidly loyal' to his school, perhaps he can't be loyal to his friends or his wife or his nation.
Loyalty isn't always good, but it isn't often a bad thing. And 'school spirit' is one way to develop it. -
Piggy Lim:
I teach in the Uni. Not that I know of.Hi
Just like to know if IB students are not well accepted (entry) into local Uni. Heard those who take IB will most likely have to go oversea Uni. Is this true? My son is now in ACS(J) just want to find out more from experience mom. Thanks! -
http://sg.yfittopostblog.com/2010/11/12/asc-i-teacher-returns-to-school/
http://www.postimage.org/ that he might be my teacher next year.... -
http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_606106.html
AN INVESTIGATING panel has found that the former principal of Anglo-Chinese School (Independent), Dr Ong Teck Chin, had behaved inappropriately towards a male teacher.
'Dr Ong Teck Chin has conducted himself in an inappropriate manner and his conduct has fallen short of the standards expected of a principal,' said a joint statement by the ACS Board of Governors and the ACS(I) Board of Management on Monday.
It added that 'Dr Ong deeply regrets his actions and has apologised'.
Mr Mark Richie Tan, a biology teacher in his 30s, had tendered his resignation early last month and complained to the boards that Dr Ong had behaved inappropriately towards him. At the same time, Dr Ong, 61, resigned abruptly, citing health problems.
In the last six weeks, the two boards had carried out 'investigations and deliberations', interviewing former and current teachers who had worked closely with Dr Ong.
Mr Tan has since retracted his resignation and is back teaching biology at the school. The last day for Dr Ong - who took over as principal in 1994- will be Nov 30 even though Dr Ong had told students earlier that he will be serving a six-month notice. -
Sad thing.
I am a true blue Singaporean (born here and raise here), but I am never for the Singapore education system, it gets worst each year, we can only produced A*, A and straight A1 students but all for high IQ and our kids EQ are really not well developed.
Kids are only thought to get good score, minimum emphasis on Moral Education. -
JonC:
are u saying the rot starts from the top ??Sad thing.
I am a true blue Singaporean (born here and raise here), but I am never for the Singapore education system, it gets worst each year, we can only produced A*, A and straight A1 students but all for high IQ and our kids EQ are really not well developed.
Kids are only thought to get good score, minimum emphasis on Moral Education. -
eerrr… didnt get the link between the 2?
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Moral education reached its peak in terms of direct curriculum exposure in the mid to late 1980s. The most moral people, if we take a simplistic view, must therefore be the people who are in their 40s or thereabouts right now.
I don’t think that is obviously the case. What is indeed the case is that every generation complains about the generations that come after them. But history shows us that the generations that come before are normally at least as bad.
And I think this line of argument is beginning to stray off-topic.
Perhaps what should be asked is why so many people have such different opinions about the subject of this thread. -
Err.... so what's the conclusion? :? :? :?
HE did something inappropriate... and he quit... end of story?
Life goes on... and perhaps he'll just return to MOE?
:celebrate: -
We can conclude he will not be returning to MOE because he was never directly MOE staff. We can also conclude that the new principal will be announced some time in December, such that there will be enough time for that person to take stock and settle in.
So, it’s a new start for ACS(I). The best is yet to be.
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