Forum Letter Replies
Holding Sites for Schools are Spruced Up
In his letter ‘Rusty chairs, dirty toilets at school’ (ST, 6 January 2010), Mr Tng Kok Khim expressed his concern about the facilities at Kong Hwa School’s holding site.
For major upgrading of school facilities, the affected schools may have to shift temporarily to older school buildings in holding sites. The design and facilities at these holding sites are generally not comparable to those in new schools. Nonetheless, MOE conducts basic sprucing-up works at holding sites before the affected schools start operating at these sites.
Kong Hwa School has temporarily relocated to a holding site in MacPherson that had previously housed Bartley Secondary School and Maha Bodhi School. Sprucing up works were completed at this holding site last month to ensure that all the standard facilities are available.
We thank Mr Tng for his feedback and have asked the school to check through the furniture again to remove any rusty chairs. As for the toilets, we would like to assure Mr Tng that the school carries out regular toilet cleaning throughout the day and we are working with the school to remove the discoloration on the tiles.
If Mr Tng has further queries, he can contact our Customer Service Centre at 68722220.
Director, Finance and Development Division
Rusty Chairs, Dirty Toilets at School (Mr Tng Kok Khim, ST, 6 January 2010)
My child started her very first day at Kong Hwa Primary School on Monday and, like all parents, I was excited about it. But when we arrived at the holding school she will be in for the next two years, I was shocked.
The chairs were rusty, the toilets were dirty and the hall was in bad shape. I could discern all this, from just a casual glance around the place.
Is this the kind of place the Ministry of Education (MOE) wants to put our children in? How much does a new chair cost?
Parents are not asking for air-conditioning or leather chairs—just the basics. Surely the MOE has enough resources to replace the furniture and clean up the premises?
Parents will be more than happy to donate money if needed. But the MOE should manintain the standards. Is this too much to ask for in 2010?