Parents ‘disappointed’ about having to serve more volunteer hours
Parents hoping for places in “hot” primary schools for their children reacted with resignation to news that the volunteer requirement has been upped.
The Sunday Times reported that several primary schools have set 60 to 80 hours of voluntary work – significantly more than the “at least 40 hours” guideline stipulated by the Ministry of Education (MOE).
Raffles’ Girls Primary, St Hilda’s and Poi Ching School were reported to have increased their requirements from 40 to 60 hours, while Nanyang Primary increased the contribution hours to a whopping 80 hours.
Parents Yahoo! Singapore spoke to said that they were resigned to the news and would still do just about anything to get their child registered under the much-coveted Phase 2B of the annual Primary 1 registration exercise.
“If you are already prepared to do 40 hours, 20 hours is not a lot more to secure a place. I will just do it anyway because I want what is best for my son,” said Mdm Eunice Png, 46, who wants to get her five-year-old son a place in Rosyth School.
Rosyth’s new requirement is 70 hours, but it has stopped accepting volunteers for this year.
“I would be happy to even get a chance to volunteer. There are hundreds of parents who want to volunteer, but now not all make the cut,” said Mrs Kat Woon, 36, who intends to apply to volunteer at Raffles Girls’ Primary school when her daughter Alicia, 4, turns five next year.
According to The Sunday Times, about 40,000 children enter Primary 1 each year and popular schools can receive up to 200 volunteer applications but accept only 30.
Poi Ching School principal Mr Lawrence Chong attributed the increase in hours to high demand, and said that some even continue to serve after completing the requirement.
“We have so many parents asking. Some don’t mind doing more hours, others continue to serve even after they complete the hours,” Mr Chong told the paper.
Schools are also starting to look towards “value-added” volunteer hours.
It was reported that Nanyang Primary looks for help in IT and robotics, Catholic High wants long-term projects, and South View is looking for help for its teachers to create digital learning tools.
Previously, “volunteer duty” was largely limited to directing traffic, helping on excursions and learning trips, or reading to children.
Primary school teachers said that the increase in hours would not be a deterrent to parents determined to secure a place for their children.
“I have seen parents offering huge donations, come to the school every day to appeal for chances. Some even sell their homes and move closer to the schools. 20 or 30 more hours will not be a setback,” said a primary school teacher at a very popular school in the East who wanted to be known only as Ms E Ng.
She added that some parents even volunteered at different schools to increase their child’s chances and provide a “Plan B”.
Jeffrey Nanthakumar, 31, who has a two-year-old daughter was also not happy.
"What next? Volunteer to teach remedial classes and coach the soccer team? Might as well. Parents should have the option of not wanting their kids to participate in this madness," he said.
