NS ICT Deferment: SAF100 while Studying. How?
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Hello, can anyone help me? This is the first time I'm being called for Reservice for police since I ORD in June. However, I am currently studying in a local Polytechnic full time, thus I need a deferment.
'A PNSmen is only allowed to apply for deferment from reserve service after he has attended at least one recall.' - [http://www.spf.gov.sg/aboutus/org/pns/pns40.html]
It seems that I cannot ask for deferment until I have served my first recall
I mean... this is really impossible on my part due to the fact that my course does not have any particular exams but rather graded on my daily assignments. If I don't go school or unable to hand in my assignment on time, I will definitely need to repeat my modules.
Some of my friends say can ask for defer where else some say cannot. Can anyone tell me how I should go about asking for defement. What should I do for deferment? Should I get a letter from my school explaining the situation (besides the Letter of Cert)? I do not need deferment for the entire 3 years (which I believe is totally impossible) but just to postpone it to like during my school term break. Can someone offer me sound advice?
Million thanks! -
Interesting dilemma. Not all that familiar with the Police SOP, but I think you have to be prepared for the worst. Granted, the local armed forces tend to "compromise" with local academic institutions more. But, as a policy, reservist deferments generally happen only for clashes-of-timing with examinations. (In other words, you can get NSmen who paid $20,000 to do part-time Masters but weren't excused for ICTs & ended up carrying textbooks during field training!)
Keep an open mind, & be prepared to do a lot of legwork cuz you're likely to deal with administrative folks (rather than anyone with executive powers) of both the reservist & polytechnic sides. Obtain a student-status letter &, more importantly, a relevant academic timetable which you can submit as evidence. Then write directly to your unit & apply for deferment ASAP. It's up to the SPF people to access whether they can release you. You may need to argue down the phone with a pencil-pusher, like this frustrated SCDF fellow who ultimately complained to the Cut Waste Panel:
http://app.mof.gov.sg/cutwaste/suggestionview.asp?id=326
If they insist you attend, then you'll have to apply for official absence on the polytechnic side if I'm correct. Reservist is different from national service in that there's no rigid sense of "service exemption" associated with the former - well, except for the exit permit that shows you'll be overseas. That said, it's the unit commanders who actually have the final say. -
Oh thanks Moxie!
So I guess I have to get letters from my school ASAP plus the academic calendar.
But I think getting an 'excuse for absent' from SPF for my study is definitely not a way for me... I have placed all my heart and soul in my study, hoping to be the best. This reservice thing is going to cause me to lag behind my current cohort. I have wasted too much time in my life... why should I want to waste more...
Most likely I'm not going to lie down obediently without a fight.
Really thanks! -
I saw that you wrote "full time" but didn't clarify whether it's full day or just night classes. FWIW The latter would put you at a disadvantage for deferments (even as I realize you'll likely attend more classes than those doing private studies or distance learning programmes).
I dunno if things changed nowadays but in my time - I ORD'd in '89 - the SAF has the "IHL" (Institute of Higher Learning) policy where reservist COs, when planning their ICT schedules for the 1st 3-4 years, are supposed to time the callups only during the NUS-NTU vacations of March-June. [Nowadays, of course, those schools have the modular system.] Uni reservists who have reserved places are then posted to these IHL units, & serve accordingly. That said, I haven't heard of Poly reservists who were also posted likewise then, but that most of the latter were part-timers who attended night classes (& thus must take leave like the distance-learning folks). -
Mine is a full day course. Not night classes. It is the same as those who go for poly before they go for NS. I need to go for ICT during 21st Feb till 10th March. Due to the shift in the academic calendar for polytechnic, my course ends the semester somewhere in April, that means that the ICT happens where I'm in the heat of handing in my final phrase of important assignments from all of my different core modules...
What a bad clash...
Gong back to school tomorrow and try asking my Principal to write a letter and compiling all the relevant documents... Got to increase my chance to get defer... -
Ask the Poly about its previous experiences dealing with these predicaments; your case surely isn't the only one.
Best wishes. -
Thanks Moxie! I have clarified with my school. My Director say it is *small case*. Just get a letter from him and can solve the problem.
Thanks for your time once again!