Dear Editor
Let's stop the blame game. The fact is that no one would have guessed that mother nature would takeaway the lives of these young students and their teacher and guide so cruelly. I don't understand why netizens are trying to pin the blame of the Education Minister and guilt-tripping the school principal.
The school has been organising such trips for 7 years with no accidents and the students have benefited immensely from the experience. But netizens did not praise them for a job well-done.
For those who harped on the fact that they were too young to climb Mount K, so if tragedy was to struck secondary school students, what would you say?? Would you find another excuse? Because the earthquake would have killed 12 years old and 16 years old all the same.
If everything bad and unfortunate happen, and we start the blame game and putting up knee-jerk rules and regulations, then our children will never learn to overcome the odds.
Many of us watched the movie 127 Hours, a true story of mountaineer Aron Ralston, who had to amputate his own forearm after being trapped between boulders for five days, and rappelled himself to safety. After the accident, he continued to climb mountains frequently with his prosthetic arm. While we may enjoy the movie, but giving up and giving in can be too easy when tragedy strucks.
I suggest that the TKPS staff, especially the principal, lead the students who did not manage to conquer Mount K this June to go back there and climb to the summit,. And when you guys are on top, to hold a minute of silence for your fallen friends and colleagues, and be stronger for what life has made you gone through.
Seng Khiang