We have received an email from an unhappy parent who says that her child was bullied while attending Nanyang Kindergarten. According to this parent, the educators at the school did not act to protect the child and even allowed the bullies to get away with their misdeeds. Our reader also says that the school's staff made unwarranted comments about their non-Chinese home "environment" and eventually forced all her children to leave the school after she spoke out against the school board.
Is this the type of education we want to give children these days? What do you think?
Read her account here.
We braved ourselves to queue in Nanyang Kindergarten to holistically optimise our daughter’s ability of a well-balanced student. Sadly, this was not the case. Our daughter was in her final year, having spent four years with the kindergarten – where words cannot put in place the absolute disappointment we have in this school. This kindergarten lacks the ability to develop and nurture students with its average curriculum. More importantly, as we have always instilled good values for our daughter, Nanyang’s approach was different.
Firstly, instead of disciplining misbehaving students for playing with our daughter’s snack, the school isolated our daughter with orange traffic cones in a cordoned-off corner of the assembly hall and told the children to stay away from her. At age 4 that time, our daughter distinctively remembered how she was put in a disturbing space in the assembly hall where she drew a picture of herself to explain to us what happened that day.
Secondly, instead of managing an incident after our daughter was punched by her classmate, the school left it to the children’s domestic helpers to handle the situation as opposed to educating both 6 year olds about the wrongdoing.
Recently, on how Nanyang Kindergarten made a comment about our “environment”. Being non-Chinese, we instilled a strong interest and love for the Mandarin language. It is disheartening to know that our so-called “environment” has been picked on as well. It is entirely inappropriate and unacceptable.
We always believe that the combined effort and communication of parents and educators fully benefit and make a significant difference for both children and the school. In fact, we have also supported Nanyang towards the development of their second campus. However, on 5 October 2015 the Board called us for a meeting and we were surprised on how the meeting was conducted, a one-sided affair. The Board told us they did not like parents like us and asked us to take out our children.
This was Nanyang’s solution and yes, our children, aged 6 and 3 were out of school. It was better for the school to take this action as they know that there are other parents in the queue to send their children to their school. It has always been the Nanyang's brand and stakeholders' interest and NOT for the children's interests.
Our children have done nothing wrong to this school. They did not harm anyone nor cause conflict. They participated in all lessons, joined all school activities and even showed appreciation to all school teachers and staff (aunties and guards included) for the non-obligatory gift-giving during Chinese New Year, Mooncake Festival, Teachers' Day and Christmas Day every year since 2012. We had to explain to our two children that they could not attend in the school's Children's Day celebration and they could not attend any school field trips or year-end camps. We also had to explain to our Nursery 1 mei-mei, who was not even part of any issues raised, that she cannot see her friends anymore. More importantly, to our Kindergarten 2 jie-jie, who spent all of her 4 years in this school that she won't be able to participate in the school graduation in few weeks’ time. For the school to abruptly take away their everyday school lives, their friends and to face another challenges of new school and new friends, they are ONLY 6 and 3 years old!
We believe that it was extremely brutal actions and inhumane as EDUCATORS. We do not understand what kind of a society is this. One end lives in a bubble where the whole society thinks highly of them. The other end is us - trying to whisper and voice out. We did but it was wrong and will always be wrong. Nanyang Kindergarten did not like parents like us and asked us to take out our children. We were the first and only parents who dared open our mouths and yes, to Nanyang's 100 year tradition as mentioned by the Board during the meeting. We are now picking up the pieces from what this school has done to our children. Our children's education is important but their well-being is far more superior.
Mrs M
A.S.S. Contributor
Editor's Note:
Do you have a story to share? Please use our submission form or email us at editorial@allsingaporestuff.com. If not, why not give us a 'Like'?