Drawbacks of parent volunteer system

• Clivebenss

  30 May 12, 09:37

  ST Forum - May 30, 2012

  I AGREE with the editorial ('Value and values of school volunteers'; last Friday).

  The present system, as practised in many schools, has three disadvantages:

  • It corrupts the whole ethos of volunteerism;

  • It accentuates and widens the gap between the haves and have-nots; and

  • It teaches the wrong values to our students.

  The Ministry of Education should review the parent volunteer scheme.

  It is laudable that parents should volunteer to help schools, but this should not be linked to school admission for their children.

  In many social organisations, we have altruistic volunteers who are appreciated in other ways. This should be no different.

  Our schools should be the means to help facilitate social mobility, and not entrench those who are already ahead. Requiring parents to help in IT-related projects, among other similar initiatives, can only favour a special segment of our society. That is not right.

  Dr Lee Hin Peng