Dear Parents, what can you do if . . .

[A_korusawa]

Dear Parents Volunteers,

 

You are lovely parents, trying your best to get your kids into good schools by doing parent volunteers.

You take leave from works for every 1-2 hours assignment given to you by the school's PV commitee members, assuring you that every PVs are fairly informed of the assignments.

 

However, you found out that the commitee is actually b-------tting you with obvious ambiguity in giving assignments, i.e. they award/inform those long hours events to their own kakis. This means that you run into a risk of not obtaining the required hours to fulfill your duty while others come late & yet clocked the hours needed - just b'cos they are kakis to the PV commitee.

 

What would/can you do?

[HOUSENUMBER]

did u watch the chnl 8 drama 'daddy at home ' ?

[Observer]

Dear Parents Volunteers,

 

You are lovely parents, trying your best to get your kids into good schools by doing parent volunteers.

You take leave from works for every 1-2 hours assignment given to you by the school's PV commitee members, assuring you that every PVs are fairly informed of the assignments.

 

However, you found out that the commitee is actually b-------tting you with obvious ambiguity in giving assignments, i.e. they award/inform those long hours events to their own kakis. This means that you run into a risk of not obtaining the required hours to fulfill your duty while others come late & yet clocked the hours needed - just b'cos they are kakis to the PV commitee.

 

What would/can you do?

 

i will try to find more kakis.

 

LUCKILY I GOT KAKI LIKE YOU

[Darryn]

Dear Parents Volunteers,

 

You are lovely parents, trying your best to get your kids into good schools by doing parent volunteers.

You take leave from works for every 1-2 hours assignment given to you by the school's PV commitee members, assuring you that every PVs are fairly informed of the assignments.

 

However, you found out that the commitee is actually b-------tting you with obvious ambiguity in giving assignments, i.e. they award/inform those long hours events to their own kakis. This means that you run into a risk of not obtaining the required hours to fulfill your duty while others come late & yet clocked the hours needed - just b'cos they are kakis to the PV commitee.

 

What would/can you do?

 

I don't entirely agree with the PV system, while I think its a good way to encourage volunteerism and there should be "rewards" for volunteering I don't think parents should be volunteering at a school their kids (don't yet) attend. I also feel that volunteerism should come from the heart - not for the rewards of getting into a good school (yeah, I'm a Pollyanna Idealist).

 

That said, a few thoughts for you

1) don't assume that you know the full story - there may be stuff going on that you don't see

2) Even if there is something underhand going on, what do you think you can achieve by complaining? Its going to be very hard to prove, and you are just as liable to have yourself labelled as a trouble maker if you speak up

3) If the PV committee is being run this way, why not look into your RC? Same benefits but with a more transparent management structure and more relevance as you actually live in the community

[Alfisti168]

did u watch the chnl 8 drama 'daddy at home ' ?

....... or the recent episodes of 'Your hand in mine' also can.

 

Honestly TS, what's the point? For face and grace... and now grimace?

Edited November 24, 2009 by Alfisti168

[Haziqko]

being in the committee, u also need to click around. most importantly its not only about clocking hours but playing a part in the kids life at school. many i shall say have joined these committee for a many different reason. if u think these committee has moved to a wrong direction, i think u should resolve it in a diplomatic manner. awards are useless if they are given around like cookies. so make sure if u finally get it u have that feeling its so worth it. if not, at least u yourself know that u have done good for the community.

[Ace]

I don't entirely agree with the PV system, while I think its a good way to encourage volunteerism and there should be "rewards" for volunteering I don't think parents should be volunteering at a school their kids (don't yet) attend. I also feel that volunteerism should come from the heart - not for the rewards of getting into a good school (yeah, I'm a Pollyanna Idealist).

 

That said, a few thoughts for you

1) don't assume that you know the full story - there may be stuff going on that you don't see

2) Even if there is something underhand going on, what do you think you can achieve by complaining? Its going to be very hard to prove, and you are just as liable to have yourself labelled as a trouble maker if you speak up

3) If the PV committee is being run this way, why not look into your RC? Same benefits but with a more transparent management structure and more relevance as you actually live in the community

 

Come on, the singapore society is no longer of yester year. Nowsadays, if there is no reward, who will

want to be a PV, might well use their time and effort for their own career enhancement.

 

Having said that, I for one won't PV but will move to 1 km within the school but then I realise PV is place higher than 1 Km within school in the selection phase. hmmm..........

[Jamesc]

I wouldn't allow my kid to go to a school like this!

 

What kind of values will my kid learn?

 

 

[Darryn]

Come on, the singapore society is no longer of yester year. Nowsadays, if there is no reward, who will

want to be a PV, might well use their time and effort for their own career enhancement.

 

Having said that, I for one won't PV but will move to 1 km within the school but then I realise PV is place higher than 1 Km within school in the selection phase. hmmm..........

 

Yeah well that's the point I was trying to make - there should be more to life than trying to "enhance career" or "volunteer to get reward". Reward is nice, but volunteering should be its own reward.

 

The idea of a society should be that each gives according to his ability, and each receives according to his need...

 

or to put it another way "noblesse oblige" to use an old French saying - in other words "nobility" has its obligations. Which in a egalitarian society like Singapore should be read to mean, if you have the ability to help, then you should.

 

Now naturally this is a very "rose coloured glasses" view of the world, but wouldn't we all be just that bit better off of we looked at things in terms of what we can give instead of what we expect to receive?

 

To go all touchy feelhy on the matter, I remember a segment of Napoleon Hill's "Think and Grow Rich" (one of the most famous positive thinking books). He espoused a concept of a "collective subconscious" whereby if you gave help honestly and without regard for the return then you would get rewards from another area when you least expect it to a much greater value than the help you offered.

 

Or putting it into terms of networking, I have read many times that the biggest mistake people make when networking is to expect returns / rewards too quickly...that you must always "put into" a network before you can "get out" (i.e - help others before you expect the returns)

 

If you are volunteering at a school, it should be because it is something you want to do, and you want to be a part of your kid's education, not to simply get the "reward" of admittance. I admit that the reward is a bonus, but it shouldn't be the key moitivator. Its a shame that this is seen as key, and to my way of thinking a certain sad indictment on society that we need to think in terms of "reward" before we are willing to volunteer.

 

Am I perfect and a Mahatma Ghandi or Buddha? Nope, I also enjoy the benefits extended when I do volunteerism, just saying I didn't do it for the benefits, but because I think I should do what little I can to help in my society.

 

BTW - not that I am trying to pinpoint towards you, just my thoughts on the matter.

[Sosaria]

As someone has pointed out, you don't just volunteer in order to get your kids into a particular school. After they get in, then what?

 

The point of continuing to be a parent volunteer is so that you can be closer to your kids' school environment, get to know the school's management/teachers, foster closer working relationships, etc.

 

As for your worry over not clocking enough hours due to what you perceive as unfair treatment - instead of stewing quietly, singaporean-style - why don't you bring up your concerns to the person doling out the hours. Let them know why you need the hours, and see how they can help you. If you put them in such a spot, I think they can't openly deny your request.

[Genie47]

You call this volunteerism?

 

Get out of here!

[Alfisti168]

You call this volunteerism?

 

Get out of here!

Haha. Even mods also boiling. Cool down =X

[RadX]

You call this volunteerism?

 

Get out of here!

 

 

opportunism more like

[Alfisti168]

The point of continuing to be a parent volunteer is so that you can be closer to your kids' school environment, get to know the school's management/teachers, foster closer working relationships, etc.

Actually not true. Nowadays schools like to organise Meet-the-parent sessions, where parents come and interact with the teachers about their child's development (but usually only academic aspect only la. Haiz)

 

There are also other initiatives like school concerts where parents come and see their child perform.

 

And if you want to be even closer to the school teachers, you can just get the form teacher's name (from the report book) and call the school. Teachers SURE entertain you until you satisfied one.

[Hub_n_mona]

agreed, this is a trade

a trade of your time to provide services so that your kid can get in (or increase the chances of)

think the word volunteer came about because you don't get money back

[Genie47]

Look here.

 

Volunteering isn't about rewards. That's the silly thing this SG society has infused into "volunteers". The often used phrase that "nothing is free" kills volunteerism.

 

If you keep thinking about what's in it for you, then I seriously suggest you get out of volunteerism.

 

Being a school "lollipop" man isn't about getting your kid into a school you want. Being a lollipop man should come from your heart. If you are a driver which I think all of us are, you know that drivers can be real block heads when it comes to zebra crossings. Even speed bumps don't stop them. Being the lollipop man puts you there because you know such block heads exist and you are there to make sure they don't be block heads around a school zebra crossing.

 

I don't what's with this thing about getting your kids into the schools you want. The education in the school is only half of your kid's education. Your effort at home is the other half. If daddy becomes a volunteer because he can get something in return, I shudder at the thought of such volunteerism.

 

I leave you all with this quote which I forgot where it came from. It goes like this:

 

If you blame others for your failure, it shows that you are wanting of an education.

If you blame yourself for your failure, it shows that your education has just begun.

If you blame neither yourself or others for your failure, it shows that your education is complete.

[Hub_n_mona]

actually I learnt from my wife that if someone is "volunteering" to make himself feel better (feel important, feel like a saint), that's not true volunteerism

[Skylurker]

gd sch or not, does it matter? i also come from neighbourhood sch... still end up a graduate wad,