PSLE leave: For or Against?
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verykiasumummy:
for staff working for more than 5yrs, they are able to take exam leave for either themselves or their kids...
:yikes: Huh so good for kids also?JJ1111:
[quote=\"verykiasumummy\"]
yes true... many companies have exam leave, whether it is for themselves or for their kids...
My company only have exam leave for staff only. And the course must be related to our job than can approve!!
for senior mangement, exam leave can be taken once probabtion of 6mths is over....
this applies for my company..[/quote]Pretty unusual. That's on top of standard annual leave? How many days? -
3 days exam leave… cannot carry over…
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If have (whatever leave it is called), don't complain.
My company has ZERO such benefit. Hence, this is why such \"little things\" must appreciate. :celebrate:
Sometimes, people take for granted :slapshead: -
kwcllf:
many local companies are stingy in leave... even when employees are entitled to, they try to forbit them to clear leave...If have (whatever leave it is called), don't complain.
My company has ZERO such benefit. Hence, this is why such \"little things\" must appreciate. :celebrate:
Sometimes, people take for granted :slapshead: -
I hope I have not taken this out of context...so here goes.
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1234155/1/.html
Ms Indranee said: \"People generally feel that Singapore has a good education system and that we are not deprived of a good education. But I do get the sense that many people feel that the playing field is not level. The running track is the same for everybody. It's just that those from the less affluent backgrounds are coming on with the plain sneakers and the one from the better affluent ones are coming with the branded sneakers which give you more comfort and support.
\"The interesting reply was yes, that is one aspect of it, but the other aspect is the running track is not a smooth running track, it has got bumps and stones and grass on it. That means the one with the thicker running shoe will automatically perform better because he or she is better equipped. That is the sense people are getting.\"
\"The system is meant to be meritocratic. It is meant to allow those with the ability to grow, to develop, to fly, except that if some come to the playing field better equipped than others, because of the way the playing field is mapped out, they may not be able to do as well, and certainly that is something we should look at to see whether the playing field actually allows everybody to have a fair shot,\" she said.
On the PSLE debate, she feels the exam has become more rigorous and tougher.
BTW, I am still FOR PSLE but something should be done. -
From WP member -->
http://yeejj.wordpress.com/2012/10/25/storm-over-psle/
Excerpts
My three children have completed their PSLE. The youngest did his last year. My wife and I did not take extended leave to be at home to watch over them. We try not to be kiasu parents, although as concerned asian parents, we did monitor them more tightly during the PSLE year. We try to encourage them along the way, both at PSLE and at O levels. If we were at OCBC, we would probably not forward our annual leave to use all 15 days for the PSLE. After all, the 10-15 days in OCBC’s scheme are not extra leave but staff are allowed to carry them forward to be used during the PSLE year...........
I can understand where MOS Josephine Teo is coming from. PSLE is already a highly stressful event, both for children and for the parents. I am glad her husband and her chose not to be overly anxious for their twin children’s PSLE this year. Unfortunately, many parents are so highly anxious over PSLE that they will take many days of leave and even a year off from work to coach their children for the PSLE. Even Minister Grace Fu said she had taken leave for her child’s PSLE. She acknowledged that the PSLE is high pressure that comes early in the child’s life.
My concern is why our system has come to a state where the competition level at 12 years old has become so excessive that a major bank has offered special leave consideration for it and saw it as important enough to have a press announcement to highlight this. Often, when I explain our education system to foreigners, they found it strange that we have high stake sorting done at age 12. What is there so much attention on a single year and on a single event in a child’s life? In that respect, I agree with Josephine Teo that we do not have to specially highlight PSLE leave to make already anxious parents wonder if they are doing enough to push their children at this exam. The bank intends well for its staff. It can implement this as an internal matter without any public announcement. -
3Boys:
The topic on whether we should abolish PSLE has been vigourously discussed or debated before and still going on. However, before, we have any better alternatives, why blame parents taking leave to support their children during the PSLE exam period?From WP member -->
http://yeejj.wordpress.com/2012/10/25/storm-over-psle/
Excerpts
My three children have completed their PSLE. The youngest did his last year. My wife and I did not take extended leave to be at home to watch over them. We try not to be kiasu parents, although as concerned asian parents, we did monitor them more tightly during the PSLE year. We try to encourage them along the way, both at PSLE and at O levels. If we were at OCBC, we would probably not forward our annual leave to use all 15 days for the PSLE. After all, the 10-15 days in OCBC’s scheme are not extra leave but staff are allowed to carry them forward to be used during the PSLE year...........
I can understand where MOS Josephine Teo is coming from. PSLE is already a highly stressful event, both for children and for the parents. I am glad her husband and her chose not to be overly anxious for their twin children’s PSLE this year. Unfortunately, many parents are so highly anxious over PSLE that they will take many days of leave and even a year off from work to coach their children for the PSLE. Even Minister Grace Fu said she had taken leave for her child’s PSLE. She acknowledged that the PSLE is high pressure that comes early in the child’s life.
My concern is why our system has come to a state where the competition level at 12 years old has become so excessive that a major bank has offered special leave consideration for it and saw it as important enough to have a press announcement to highlight this. Often, when I explain our education system to foreigners, they found it strange that we have high stake sorting done at age 12. What is there so much attention on a single year and on a single event in a child’s life? In that respect, I agree with Josephine Teo that we do not have to specially highlight PSLE leave to make already anxious parents wonder if they are doing enough to push their children at this exam. The bank intends well for its staff. It can implement this as an internal matter without any public announcement.
Some people mentioned that being around our children bring additional stress to them. I don,t subscibe to this logic - to each his/her own.
As with regards to the JT that this WP member brought up, JT may feel it is not necessarily to be around their children during PSLE. Well, different people have diffrent background and situation and this calls for different approach.
JT mentioned that she tries to schedule her work so that she don't need to travel around her children's PSLE period.........But Why? Isn't the answer obvious. This is just another form of support that they are providing their children, isn't it?. JT also mentioned that her husband is good at maths and can coach her children. Not many families are as fortunate as them where their children can get coaching all-year round.
As MP Indranee said (a few posts earlier), there is no level playing field. Why begrudge parents taking leave during PSLE to be with their children and begrudge an organisation merely \"formalising\" what is already widely happening?? -
I do not begrudge parents taking time off to be with their kids during PSLE. I wholeheartedly support it. I also support staff who want to take time off to be with their ill parents. There have also been staff who take 1 year part time to complete a degree.
All valid reasons and supportable. All easily covered under the leave system, through a combination of annual leave, sick leave, compassionate leave, no-pay leave, part time etc., subject to exigencies of service.
We have let staff off during PSLE year for months at a time, supportable, subject to exigencies of service.
Give it a name, suddenly it becomes something big and huge, and worse, becomes an entitlement.
We need to be fair to ALL staff. Some parents may argue that their ‘O’ level child should have priority. How about a daughter suffering stress at an undergrad course overseas? That should be given a label too?
So called ‘PSLE’ leave can be negotiated, it is on par with everything else that people feel they should have a priority for, but is not, and should never be an entitlement. Giving it a name seems to place it in a special category, "Oh, I have PSLE leave, that takes priority over someone else’s annual leave." I do not agree to that at all. And if it is not meant to be in a special category, then why give it a name at all?
Yes, it is already quite a routine practice of parents taking time off during exams, the phenomenon is not confined to Singapore alone. However, despite what some others argue, there are big pitfalls to ‘labelling’ and ‘formalising’ it. Feeding into fears is one. Becoming an entitlement is the other. It is no longer ‘a nice gesture’.
kwcllf, see how your position has subtly shifted during this discussion? When I first suggested that there is a danger in formalising, you initially leapt up and said that no one is suggesting widespread formalisation. One post ago you seem to have changed your mind. Lest I be accused of putting words in people’s mouths, my read of your post is that you support the statutory implementation of PSLE leave. If that is not the case, here is your chance to clarify.
This kind of practice is insidious, it feeds on people’s mindsets, it creates an unhealthy environment for other companies. -
janet_lee88:
The one with less support but nevertheless made it, will have a resilient and tough body that is better capable of dealing with crisis or challenges later one.I hope I have not taken this out of context...so here goes.
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1234155/1/.html
\"The interesting reply was yes, that is one aspect of it, but the other aspect is the running track is not a smooth running track, it has got bumps and stones and grass on it. That means the one with the thicker running shoe will automatically perform better because he or she is better equipped. That is the sense people are getting.\"
The problem are those who \"made it\" with the help of better support and readily available resources..
If they are put into fast track or groomed to be leaders..
can they perform \"on their own\"? -
kwcllf:
Please read the part in red.. IT has the effect of fueling FEAR.. That is probably what JT is talking about.. there's nothing wrong with the implementation to allow staff to take leave.. it is “人之常情“。。 But highlighting \"PSLE leave\" is like recognizing that parents should be present during those period such that special consideration is provided. The message is, \"parents should be present\", not negotiable.. hence a system in place and PSLE leave cannot be anyhow rejected.
As MP Indranee said (a few posts earlier), there is no level playing field. Why begrudge parents taking leave during PSLE to be with their children and begrudge an organisation merely \"formalising\" what is already widely happening??3Boys:
From WP member -->
http://yeejj.wordpress.com/2012/10/25/storm-over-psle/
Excerpts
My concern is why our system has come to a state where the competition level at 12 years old has become so excessive that a major bank has offered special leave consideration for it and saw it as important enough to have a press announcement to highlight this. Often, when I explain our education system to foreigners, they found it strange that we have high stake sorting done at age 12. What is there so much attention on a single year and on a single event in a child’s life? In that respect, I agree with Josephine Teo that we do not have to specially highlight PSLE leave to make already anxious parents wonder if they are doing enough to push their children at this exam. The bank intends well for its staff. It can implement this as an internal matter without any public announcement.
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The key point of recognizing that \"parents should be present\" isn't it effectively fueling fear in a way? wouldn't it put pressure on those parents who cannot be with their child? They could be feeling guilty for not being able to be by their child's side when a major organization already acknowledged that parents presence IS IMPORTANT.
You can be telling these parents that \"there's no need to fear\".. \"It's ok to let the child be independent\" etc etc..
BUT a major organization like OCBC is NOT telling them THAT. Do you see the picture?
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