No payment, no result slip
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AD'S PSLE SHOCK: He goes to collect her daughter's exam results, he's told:
No payment, no result slip
By Shree Ann Mathavan
November 26 2005
WHILE others rejoiced or cried over their PSLE results yesterday, she was stuck in the middle of a standoff between her father and her school.
The school's stand: Pay your school fee arrears before you can get your result slip.
Her father's stand: I have no money, so how can I pay?
So the 13-year-old Fuchun Primary student was left in limbo, wondering how she had fared in the Primary School Leaving Examination.
The EM3 pupil was repeating her PSLE, after failing last year.
She started crying as she spoke about not receiving her result slip.
'I'm very shocked and sad,' was all she muttered.
Her father, Mr Ikhsan Ahmad, 35, was more vocal.
The dispatch rider told The New Paper that he and his daughter had been looking forward to her results.
TOOK LEAVE TO SUPPORT HER
He took a day's no-pay leave to accompany her to her school in Woodlands, but was shocked to find out that his daughter could not get her results.
'The principal, Mrs Koh, told me they can't release my daughter's results because of our outstanding payments,' he said.
The school confirmed it had withheld the girl's result slip, but said she had been told in detail on how she fared. (See report on top of facing page.)
Mr Ikhsan disputed this, saying his daughter was only told that she had passed.
He admitted owing the school $566 for her fees because he had no money.
The sole breadwinner in an extended family of nine, he said he was heavily in debt.
This was not immediately apparent when The New Paper visited his four-room flat in Woodlands yesterday afternoon.
It was simply furnished and neat, with a large TV set in the living room.
Mr Ikhsan said he takes home $1,100 a month after his CPF deduction.
Besides his daughter, he has three other children in primary school.
He said his wife recently had surgery to remove a tumour from her stomach.
Also living with them are his mother-in-law, who has breast cancer, and two brothers-in-law, one of whom has Down's Syndrome.
The other brother-in-law, 26, works as a part-time security guard but is unable to contribute money as he has to pay for the maintenance of his ex-wife.
The family's monthly expenses include the children's school transport of about $160, utility bills of about $200, instalments of $250 on Mr Ikhsan's motorcycle and $200 for petrol.
He also owes Fuchun Primary more than $800 in fees for his three other children. He showed The New Paper invoices for their school fees as of 5 Nov. On top of this, he owes Singapore General Hospital more than $4,000, following his wife's surgery. He said his wife has been in and out of hospital since the operation and was admitted again on Wednesday. He claimed he tried to show proof of this to the school principal.
CALLED MOE
Eventually, he said he called the Ministry of Education (MOE) and was told after an hour to return and see the school clerk.
'They asked me how I intended to pay the school fees. I told them if they want to talk money, I'm not interested. What I want is to get my daughter's results,' he said.
'They asked for an instalment plan to pay them. I can make a thousand and one instalment plans, but if I can't make payment, how? People will say I only know how to plan, but never pay.'
He said he was told by the school that he would be informed of a decision in two or three days.
'So I told them if you can't release the results today, you keep it then. My daughter does not need to go to school. I said this because I hoped they would release the results.'
The last date for the submission of Secondary 1 school options is 30 Nov.
Mr Ikhsan said he was worried that by the time the school gets back to him, he might not have much time to decide on a secondary school for his daughter.
It would be a rush to submit the forms by the deadline, he said.
She will get result slip on Monday, school says
MR IKHSAN'S daughter is not the only one affected by non-payment of school fee arrears, said the Fuchun Primary principal-designate.
And if others have accepted the school's conditions, why can't he?
Said Mrs Koh Ai Lay, 37: 'Mr Ikhsan was not able to receive his daughter's results because he had accumulated fee arrears.
'As the school has other Pri 6 students who are making attempts to pay off their fee arrears, we decided to release the result slips for all affected students on Monday.' So how many such cases were there?
'About 10,' she said, adding that no one else had complained.
Said Mrs Koh: 'We verbally gave him his daughter's results today, and her teacher gave her an individual breakdown of the grades of each subject.
'We also encouraged Mr Ikhsan to use a proxy form if he was unable to accompany his daughter for the registration. The proxy form enables him to authorise another person to register his daughter in the Secondary 1 option in his absence.'
Did the school know the family was in hardship and had problems paying their fees?
Mrs Koh said: 'We are fully aware that Mr Ikhsan is the sole breadwinner of his family as we have been helping them. His children have received assistance under the MOE Financial Assistance Scheme.'
SONS GETTING HELP
She said his son in Primary 2 was receiving the School Advisory Committee Financial Assistance, and his son in Pri 5 had been given a book assistance grant sponsored by an external agency.
'We are also in the midst of our application for free textbooks for two of his children who are going to Pri 4 and Pri 6 in 2006.'
Mrs Koh also pointed out that admission to Sec 1 was not on a first-come first-served basis.
'My intention is to release the result slips by the 28th, so there is time. Parents need not rush to register.'
Yo! our dear government! what have you been doing? -
School fees are so expensive now? I used to pay only $2.50 a month in primary school. And they used to give me free milk as well because the school health service said that I was underweight...
This is ridiculous.. -
Yah, well, it's always MONEY first.
But hey, this guy owed up to 5 months??
However, why withold his daughter's Result Slip? They are a government school, they can easily COMPELL him to pay up! Why bully a small man? -
malay now need to pay school fees?....i dont remember ever paying school fees though... just the misc fees...Originally posted by ShutterBug:Yah, well, it's always MONEY first.
But hey, this guy owed up to 5 months??
However, why withold his daughter's Result Slip? They are a government school, they can easily COMPELL him to pay up! Why bully a small man? -
again, why have so many children when you cannot afford it?
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im from fuchun pri.
aso cant blame the school. wat if they take liao den zhao lang? how to get the fee back from them... hmm mayb can pay back thru the father's cpf? -
The same thing happened to my friend when we collected our O lvl results last year. My friend was refused to her result slip because she owed the school $50 in miscellaneous fees. She made a big fuss over it and in the end the sch relented.
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sit back and think sometime how fortunate we are that we are never at this woe.
My empathy to the family.
-
me also veri poor
only have 10 bucks in my POSB a/c -
in a way these people have themselves to blame. why have many children unless you have the ability.Originally posted by LinYu:sit back and think sometime how fortunate we are that we are never at this woe.
My empathy to the family. -
Ehh must maintain minimum amount one leh...later deduce until left nothing.Originally posted by depressed:me also veri poor
only have 10 bucks in my POSB a/c -
This is a sick world.
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yah yah. 31st Dec must put all ur money inside. den earn interest.Originally posted by greengoblin:Ehh must maintain minimum amount one leh...later deduce until left nothing. -
they need you donation, not empathy.Originally posted by LinYu:sit back and think sometime how fortunate we are that we are never at this woe.
My empathy to the family. 
-
quote from greengoblin:
Ehh must maintain minimum amount one leh...later deduce until left nothing.
yah i know...finished poly and now looking deperately looking for a job...even 800 dollar a month also nvm...cocked up MINDEAF keep delaying my posting to unit...already pass memo for downgrade but they lan lan refuse to downgrade me from PES D and still insist for me to go some evaluation -
Originally posted by depressed:
Though I share my sympathy with Mr Ikhsan Ahmad daughter plight, in no way will I extend my sympathy towards Mr Ikhsan. Having read the article, I find that Mr Ikhsan is merely trying to be difficult.
AD'S PSLE SHOCK: He goes to collect her daughter's exam results, he's told:
No payment, no result slip
By Shree Ann Mathavan
November 26 2005
WHILE others rejoiced or cried over their PSLE results yesterday, she was stuck in the middle of a standoff between her father and her school.
The school's stand: Pay your school fee arrears before you can get your result slip.
Her father's stand: I have no money, so how can I pay?
So the 13-year-old Fuchun Primary student was left in limbo, wondering how she had fared in the Primary School Leaving Examination.
The EM3 pupil was repeating her PSLE, after failing last year.
She started crying as she spoke about not receiving her result slip.
'I'm very shocked and sad,' was all she muttered.
Her father, Mr Ikhsan Ahmad, 35, was more vocal.
The dispatch rider told The New Paper that he and his daughter had been looking forward to her results.
TOOK LEAVE TO SUPPORT HER
He took a day's no-pay leave to accompany her to her school in Woodlands, but was shocked to find out that his daughter could not get her results.
'The principal, Mrs Koh, told me they can't release my daughter's results because of our outstanding payments,' he said.
The school confirmed it had withheld the girl's result slip, but said she had been told in detail on how she fared. (See report on top of facing page.)
Mr Ikhsan disputed this, saying his daughter was only told that she had passed.
He admitted owing the school $566 for her fees because he had no money.
The sole breadwinner in an extended family of nine, he said he was heavily in debt.
This was not immediately apparent when The New Paper visited his four-room flat in Woodlands yesterday afternoon.
It was simply furnished and neat, with a large TV set in the living room.
Mr Ikhsan said he takes home $1,100 a month after his CPF deduction.
Besides his daughter, he has three other children in primary school.
He said his wife recently had surgery to remove a tumour from her stomach.
Also living with them are his mother-in-law, who has breast cancer, and two brothers-in-law, one of whom has Down's Syndrome.
The other brother-in-law, 26, works as a part-time security guard but is unable to contribute money as he has to pay for the maintenance of his ex-wife.
The family's monthly expenses include the children's school transport of about $160, utility bills of about $200, instalments of $250 on Mr Ikhsan's motorcycle and $200 for petrol.
He also owes Fuchun Primary more than $800 in fees for his three other children. He showed The New Paper invoices for their school fees as of 5 Nov. On top of this, he owes Singapore General Hospital more than $4,000, following his wife's surgery. He said his wife has been in and out of hospital since the operation and was admitted again on Wednesday. He claimed he tried to show proof of this to the school principal.
CALLED MOE
Eventually, he said he called the Ministry of Education (MOE) and was told after an hour to return and see the school clerk.
'They asked me how I intended to pay the school fees. I told them if they want to talk money, I'm not interested. What I want is to get my daughter's results,' he said.
'They asked for an instalment plan to pay them. I can make a thousand and one instalment plans, but if I can't make payment, how? People will say I only know how to plan, but never pay.'
He said he was told by the school that he would be informed of a decision in two or three days.
'So I told them if you can't release the results today, you keep it then. My daughter does not need to go to school. I said this because I hoped they would release the results.'
The last date for the submission of Secondary 1 school options is 30 Nov.
Mr Ikhsan said he was worried that by the time the school gets back to him, he might not have much time to decide on a secondary school for his daughter.
It would be a rush to submit the forms by the deadline, he said.
She will get result slip on Monday, school says
MR IKHSAN'S daughter is not the only one affected by non-payment of school fee arrears, said the Fuchun Primary principal-designate.
And if others have accepted the school's conditions, why can't he?
Said Mrs Koh Ai Lay, 37: 'Mr Ikhsan was not able to receive his daughter's results because he had accumulated fee arrears.
'As the school has other Pri 6 students who are making attempts to pay off their fee arrears, we decided to release the result slips for all affected students on Monday.' So how many such cases were there?
'About 10,' she said, adding that no one else had complained.
Said Mrs Koh: 'We verbally gave him his daughter's results today, and her teacher gave her an individual breakdown of the grades of each subject.
'We also encouraged Mr Ikhsan to use a proxy form if he was unable to accompany his daughter for the registration. The proxy form enables him to authorise another person to register his daughter in the Secondary 1 option in his absence.'
Did the school know the family was in hardship and had problems paying their fees?
Mrs Koh said: 'We are fully aware that Mr Ikhsan is the sole breadwinner of his family as we have been helping them. His children have received assistance under the MOE Financial Assistance Scheme.'
SONS GETTING HELP
She said his son in Primary 2 was receiving the School Advisory Committee Financial Assistance, and his son in Pri 5 had been given a book assistance grant sponsored by an external agency.
'We are also in the midst of our application for free textbooks for two of his children who are going to Pri 4 and Pri 6 in 2006.'
Mrs Koh also pointed out that admission to Sec 1 was not on a first-come first-served basis.
'My intention is to release the result slips by the 28th, so there is time. Parents need not rush to register.'
Yo! our dear government! what have you been doing? -
eh......tot a certain race one no need pay sch fees?
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Agree. Seems quite obvious that's what Mr Ikhsan hopes to do. Some people would call this cheating and with very clear intentions too. I sympathise with the children but have no sympathy at all for Ikhsan. The school cannot just bear the burden of his debts. Seems he's quite irresponsible. If Ikhsan can get away with getting others to bear his responsibilities, it will encourage more like him. Wonder if some government agencies can help children in situations like this.Originally posted by RaTtY81: im from fuchun pri.
aso cant blame the school. wat if they take liao den zhao lang? how to get the fee back from them... hmm mayb can pay back thru the father's cpf? -
Times have changed my fren. The school teachers need to eat too, just like you.Originally posted by oxford mushroom:School fees are so expensive now? I used to pay only $2.50 a month in primary school. And they used to give me free milk as well because the school health service said that I was underweight...
This is ridiculous.. -
'They asked for an instalment plan to pay them. I can make a thousand and one instalment plans, but if I can't make payment, how? People will say I only know how to plan, but never pay.'
I just feel that this man is just trying to make thing diffcuit for them. What do he expect? Free thing for him huhx. dun tell me u poor until cannot even pay by installment? Unreasonable farker. I feel the school did no wrong. Try to help him by paying installment, he didn't even try to agree just straight turn them down by saying himself poor. -_- -
My uni also, no pay full tution fee, no graduation invitation. My friend kenna, shortfall 50 bucks.
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no shiit?Originally posted by depressed:me also veri poor
only have 10 bucks in my POSB a/c
get a part-time job
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and how does he intend to pay for her secondary school education? he sounds like a bumiputra talkingOriginally posted by depressed:The sole breadwinner in an extended family of nine, he said he was heavily in debt.
This was not immediately apparent when The New Paper visited his four-room flat in Woodlands yesterday afternoon.
It was simply furnished and neat, with a large TV set in the living room.
Mr Ikhsan said he takes home $1,100 a month after his CPF deduction.
Besides his daughter, he has three other children in primary school.
He said his wife recently had surgery to remove a tumour from her stomach.
Also living with them are his mother-in-law, who has breast cancer, and two brothers-in-law, one of whom has Down's Syndrome.
The other brother-in-law, 26, works as a part-time security guard but is unable to contribute money as he has to pay for the maintenance of his ex-wife.
The family's monthly expenses include the children's school transport of about $160, utility bills of about $200, instalments of $250 on Mr Ikhsan's motorcycle and $200 for petrol.
He also owes Fuchun Primary more than $800 in fees for his three other children. He showed The New Paper invoices for their school fees as of 5 Nov. On top of this, he owes Singapore General Hospital more than $4,000, following his wife's surgery. He said his wife has been in and out of hospital since the operation and was admitted again on Wednesday. He claimed he tried to show proof of this to the school principal.
CALLED MOE
Eventually, he said he called the Ministry of Education (MOE) and was told after an hour to return and see the school clerk.
'They asked me how I intended to pay the school fees. I told them if they want to talk money, I'm not interested. What I want is to get my daughter's results,' he said.
'They asked for an instalment plan to pay them. I can make a thousand and one instalment plans, but if I can't make payment, how? People will say I only know how to plan, but never pay.'
He said he was told by the school that he would be informed of a decision in two or three days.
'So I told them if you can't release the results today, you keep it then. My daughter does not need to go to school. I said this because I hoped they would release the results.'
The last date for the submission of Secondary 1 school options is 30 Nov.
Mr Ikhsan said he was worried that by the time the school gets back to him, he might not have much time to decide on a secondary school for his daughter. -
is it because only they need to eat, other races don't need?Originally posted by FireIce:eh......tot a certain race one no need pay sch fees?
or maybe they special race,
given some coupon to show at counter for free food? -
some individuals aspire to elevate their status from being a minority race to something more through increasing population, at the expense of other racesOriginally posted by dragg:in a way these people have themselves to blame. why have many children unless you have the ability.