I REFER to the letter “Irked by ridiculous school rules” and “Silly school rules will de-motivate pupils” (The Star, Feb 21 and Feb 22).

I myself was a former 6th Form student and a former Prefect Board Council member of the secondary boys’ school referred to by Irked Parents from Seremban.

Parents expect schools to educate and nurture their children to become useful and better people in life. How do they expect these schools to do that when there are always parents interfering and disagreeing with rules that are implemented without knowing the reasons for them.

I have been in six schools in four states throughout my 13 years of primary and secondary education. I have been both a student as well as a prefect. We students spend more time in school than at home.

I certainly do not agree that school rules are ridiculous and silly. I had to obey rules as a student first, and then do my duties as a prefect, making sure everyone else does the same. And those rules are NO different from any other schools in town.

For all offences, students are usually given three warnings before they are sent to the discipline master for further action. How do you call that a misuse of power?

If these small silly rules can’t be obeyed, what makes us so sure that when we students become adults we will obey rules?

School is not the same as it was for our parents. We are a different generation and with that there are lots of new things that parents should be open to and not compare.

Why should students be afraid if they obey all rules? I for one have survived those RULES and am pursuing my tertiary education overseas. I studied and grew up with the same rules and I don’t see what’s so difficult just to obey.

Emphasis is given on creativity, thinking process and reasoning, leadership and communication skills, confidence building and other areas indirectly. Rules, homework, folios and etc are the little things that prepare us students for the real working world, and I’m saying this from experience.

Parents should not always jump to conclusions just because their son or daughter said so. Remember there is always a reason behind everything and anything.

PAYAL C,

Seremban.

Source: The Star – February 29, 2008