Family did not pay fees despite reminders, so pupil received photocopy of her PSLE results
By Amelia Teng, Education Correspondent, The Straits Times, 28 Nov 2019
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Withholding the original Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) results slip due to school fee arrears is a "longstanding practice", the Ministry of Education (MOE) said on Tuesday.
The ministry was responding to a Facebook post by career counsellor and activist Gilbert Goh, 58, which had been circulating online.
Mr Goh had said on Monday that he knew a parent whose daughter received a photocopy of her PSLE results but not the original slip. Due to financial reasons, the family had not paid $156 in school fees.
PSLE results were released last Thursday.
In response to queries, MOE said: "In the case highlighted by the Facebook posts, the parents did not pay miscellaneous fees for two years despite several reminders, and did not put in any application for MOE or school-based financial assistance, which would have covered all the costs.
"The child will still receive a copy of the results, just not the original results slip, and she can still apply for secondary schools and will progress like all students."
However, Mr Goh said in his post that getting only a photocopy of the results was "rubbing salt into the wound of poverty".
"Fortunately, a Good Samaritan paid for her school fees and she managed to acquire the actual PSLE certificate recently, which she will need to produce when applying for admission into a secondary school," he claimed.
MOE's response clarifies that the original certificate is not needed when applying for a place in secondary school.
Mr Goh's post has drawn more than 3,000 shares and 1,000 comments. The post was also later quoted by former presidential candidate Tan Kin Lian.
The MOE spokesman said the issue is "not about recovering the money", adding that the ministry's funding for each primary school pupil comes up to $12,000 a year, and each pupil pays only $13 in miscellaneous fees per month.
Those from lower-income families can apply for financial assistance, which covers miscellaneous fees, uniforms, textbooks, transport and school meals.
"If it is about money, then the easier solution would be to reduce subsidies and financial assistance," said the ministry.
"MOE's consideration stems from the underlying principle that notwithstanding the fact that the cost of education is almost entirely publicly funded, we should still play our part in paying a small fee, and it is not right to ignore that obligation, however small it is. We hope parents support us in reinforcing this message."
It added: "The priority of our educators and our institutions is to ensure that students grow and can fulfil their potential, and we should not allow financial circumstances to become an impediment to their progress and development."
MOE said the authors of the "viral posts are trying to call into question the intention and values of MOE".
CASES OF FEE ARREARS SHARED ON FACEBOOK
"Our educators, parents and members of public will have to decide whether MOE's action is fair and educationally sound, and what the lesson of this teachable moment for our children is," said the ministry.
Mr Goh had also shared on Facebook three separate instances of families in similar situations. In all three cases, donors stepped forward to help the families cover arrears, he said.
When contacted, Mr Goh said: "It can be quite demoralising for children, especially when they compare themselves with their peers.
"I don't blame the MOE. There is a lot of help for needy families through financial assistance, and school fees are mostly free, but sometimes there are families who fall through the cracks," he said.
Some families facing financial problems have a multitude of challenges, from unemployment to family issues to having to support aged parents, he added.
"Sometimes, when people are down, they may pay only outstanding bills that they think are more essential, like electricity bills, phone bills. So school fees could be their lowest priority, and that can build up when they ignore them."
By Amelia Teng, Education Correspondent, The Straits Times, 28 Nov 2019
The ministry was responding to a Facebook post by career counsellor and activist Gilbert Goh, 58, which had been circulating online.
Mr Goh had said on Monday that he knew a parent whose daughter received a photocopy of her PSLE results but not the original slip. Due to financial reasons, the family had not paid $156 in school fees.
PSLE results were released last Thursday.
In response to queries, MOE said: "In the case highlighted by the Facebook posts, the parents did not pay miscellaneous fees for two years despite several reminders, and did not put in any application for MOE or school-based financial assistance, which would have covered all the costs.
"The child will still receive a copy of the results, just not the original results slip, and she can still apply for secondary schools and will progress like all students."
However, Mr Goh said in his post that getting only a photocopy of the results was "rubbing salt into the wound of poverty".
"Fortunately, a Good Samaritan paid for her school fees and she managed to acquire the actual PSLE certificate recently, which she will need to produce when applying for admission into a secondary school," he claimed.
MOE's response clarifies that the original certificate is not needed when applying for a place in secondary school.
Mr Goh's post has drawn more than 3,000 shares and 1,000 comments. The post was also later quoted by former presidential candidate Tan Kin Lian.
The MOE spokesman said the issue is "not about recovering the money", adding that the ministry's funding for each primary school pupil comes up to $12,000 a year, and each pupil pays only $13 in miscellaneous fees per month.
Those from lower-income families can apply for financial assistance, which covers miscellaneous fees, uniforms, textbooks, transport and school meals.
"If it is about money, then the easier solution would be to reduce subsidies and financial assistance," said the ministry.
"MOE's consideration stems from the underlying principle that notwithstanding the fact that the cost of education is almost entirely publicly funded, we should still play our part in paying a small fee, and it is not right to ignore that obligation, however small it is. We hope parents support us in reinforcing this message."
It added: "The priority of our educators and our institutions is to ensure that students grow and can fulfil their potential, and we should not allow financial circumstances to become an impediment to their progress and development."
MOE said the authors of the "viral posts are trying to call into question the intention and values of MOE".
CASES OF FEE ARREARS SHARED ON FACEBOOK
"Our educators, parents and members of public will have to decide whether MOE's action is fair and educationally sound, and what the lesson of this teachable moment for our children is," said the ministry.
Mr Goh had also shared on Facebook three separate instances of families in similar situations. In all three cases, donors stepped forward to help the families cover arrears, he said.
When contacted, Mr Goh said: "It can be quite demoralising for children, especially when they compare themselves with their peers.
"I don't blame the MOE. There is a lot of help for needy families through financial assistance, and school fees are mostly free, but sometimes there are families who fall through the cracks," he said.
Some families facing financial problems have a multitude of challenges, from unemployment to family issues to having to support aged parents, he added.
"Sometimes, when people are down, they may pay only outstanding bills that they think are more essential, like electricity bills, phone bills. So school fees could be their lowest priority, and that can build up when they ignore them."
Schools, parents can do better to navigate aid options
There are channels for financial help parents can tap, and schools can also guide them
By Amelia Teng, Education Correspondent, The Straits Times, 28 Nov 2019
Although education in Singapore is already largely subsidised, with monthly fees for primary school pupils at $13, the Ministry of Education in April last year relaxed its eligibility criteria for financial assistance.
As a result of this, among other schemes, 90,000 students would have qualified for some form of support, 10,000 more than in previous years.
Pre-university students who need financial aid can also get a bursary of $900, up from the previous $750. The total monthly school fees per pre-university student amount to $33.
Despite the range of options, social workers here said some families still do not seek help.
Ms Abby Chew, senior counsellor at Fei Yue Family Service Centre, said: "There are channels for people to apply for subsidies. The question is, why are some parents still not doing it?"
Among the reasons is the perception that it is a hassle to file the necessary documents to apply for assistance. In some cases, there is a lack of initiative to seek help.
In a Facebook post on Monday that went viral, career counsellor and activist Gilbert Goh said that a pupil could not collect her original Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) results slip because the family owed $156 in school fees.
In another case he shared, a single mother of three said her twin boys received notice from their school last month that they would not be able to collect their N-level examination result slips as they each owed $310 in school fees.
The mother said she has not been able to afford school fees for the past four years.
The posts caused a stir online, with many netizens questioning the rationale of the policy, and if it is too rigid. Some said it could be a source of embarrassment for young students, who are made to pay for their parents' misfortune.
Social workers said instances of families owing school fees are rare, because they would already be on financial assistance.
When help is needed, they would encourage parents to liaise directly with the respective schools for help, to get them to take an interest in their children's education.
Ms Grace Lee, head of Reach Family Services, said: "We want to first empower the parents, and encourage them to approach the school's teacher first.
"When they discuss with the school teachers, they will also have a direct contact point and the teachers can also understand the family circumstances and any challenges they're facing."
Social workers also note that when fees go unpaid, schools typically reach out to the families themselves.
Ms Chew said parents can also explore the possibility of paying the fees by instalment and the option of applying for school-based bursaries.
The practice of withholding original examination result slips when fees are not paid, in the same manner, aims to reinforce in parents a sense of ownership and responsibility.
This policy is also applied to the other national examinations - the N levels, O levels and A levels.
Universities here have similar practices, and students with outstanding tuition fees are not allowed to register for courses or view their examination results. There are also penalties for late payment.
Even without the original result slip, students can apply for a place at the next level of education with a photocopy of the results.
But schools can do better in working with parents and students to make clear that they can receive help - even if it is not financial support they need - and to assist them to get it.
While it is not wrong to expect parents to take ownership of their situation, it should not be lost that some issues can be simply too overwhelming for some people.
There are channels for financial help parents can tap, and schools can also guide them
By Amelia Teng, Education Correspondent, The Straits Times, 28 Nov 2019
Although education in Singapore is already largely subsidised, with monthly fees for primary school pupils at $13, the Ministry of Education in April last year relaxed its eligibility criteria for financial assistance.
As a result of this, among other schemes, 90,000 students would have qualified for some form of support, 10,000 more than in previous years.
Pre-university students who need financial aid can also get a bursary of $900, up from the previous $750. The total monthly school fees per pre-university student amount to $33.
Despite the range of options, social workers here said some families still do not seek help.
Ms Abby Chew, senior counsellor at Fei Yue Family Service Centre, said: "There are channels for people to apply for subsidies. The question is, why are some parents still not doing it?"
Among the reasons is the perception that it is a hassle to file the necessary documents to apply for assistance. In some cases, there is a lack of initiative to seek help.
In a Facebook post on Monday that went viral, career counsellor and activist Gilbert Goh said that a pupil could not collect her original Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) results slip because the family owed $156 in school fees.
In another case he shared, a single mother of three said her twin boys received notice from their school last month that they would not be able to collect their N-level examination result slips as they each owed $310 in school fees.
The mother said she has not been able to afford school fees for the past four years.
The posts caused a stir online, with many netizens questioning the rationale of the policy, and if it is too rigid. Some said it could be a source of embarrassment for young students, who are made to pay for their parents' misfortune.
Social workers said instances of families owing school fees are rare, because they would already be on financial assistance.
When help is needed, they would encourage parents to liaise directly with the respective schools for help, to get them to take an interest in their children's education.
Ms Grace Lee, head of Reach Family Services, said: "We want to first empower the parents, and encourage them to approach the school's teacher first.
"When they discuss with the school teachers, they will also have a direct contact point and the teachers can also understand the family circumstances and any challenges they're facing."
Social workers also note that when fees go unpaid, schools typically reach out to the families themselves.
Ms Chew said parents can also explore the possibility of paying the fees by instalment and the option of applying for school-based bursaries.
The practice of withholding original examination result slips when fees are not paid, in the same manner, aims to reinforce in parents a sense of ownership and responsibility.
This policy is also applied to the other national examinations - the N levels, O levels and A levels.
Universities here have similar practices, and students with outstanding tuition fees are not allowed to register for courses or view their examination results. There are also penalties for late payment.
Even without the original result slip, students can apply for a place at the next level of education with a photocopy of the results.
But schools can do better in working with parents and students to make clear that they can receive help - even if it is not financial support they need - and to assist them to get it.
While it is not wrong to expect parents to take ownership of their situation, it should not be lost that some issues can be simply too overwhelming for some people.