PAP kindergartens charge parents for being late

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Wednesday, 02 February 2011

Singapore Democrats

Parents who are late to pick up their children - even by five minutes - are fined by PAP kindergartens. In a letter to parents, the PAP Community Foundation (PCF) told mums and dads that they will face a penalty charge if they are late in 'fetching' their children (see letter below).

There's even a fine chart stating the rates: late by 5 minutes, pay $2. The fine increases by $2 for every subsequent 5 minutes. That's even higher that private car-parks (not to mention the ERP).

The SDP also understands that children are disallowed into the classroom because their parents cannot pay the school fees. In fact some of them are suspended when parents fail to pay the fees after reminders are sent.

This raises some interesting questions:

Should the PCF be allowed to levy fines on parents for being late? If they are, what should the fines be? Is the present rate of $2 per 5 minutes fair?
Should pre-schoolers be suspended from school when their parents don't pay their fees on time? Note that many of these families come from the lower-income group and cannot aford to send their children to private kindergartens.
More generally, should the PAP, a political party, continue to have a monopoly on "low cost" (as stated in the PCF website) kindergartens? Or should there be kindergartens supported by the state through the Ministry of Education?

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Comments (9)

Wed 02 Feb 2011 10:42 AM | quantum - "No-PAP" logo

I wonder anyone out there designed a "No PAP logo" available for download?
Something like the ghost-buster logo , if you know what I mean.

Wed 02 Feb 2011 11:14 AM | Cheers

lol....

Our govt invested millions in Australia ABC child care and yet cannot afford to pay their staff overtime......

how would her staff be affected by lunch where there are two sessions in kindergarten.

Kindergarten 1st session starts 8.00am to 11.00am and second session from 11.00 am to 2pm.

I believe this is not kindergarten maybe is after school care. Where both parents work and cannot afford a maid at home have to leave the child with the foundation.

This after school care started by Salvation Army and YWCA and PAP thinking is lucrative

Wed 02 Feb 2011 12:22 PM | Cheers

According to the letter they had to impose fine..cos affected their teachers who are going for their lunch and teachers who are on course.

This is never a problem with private sector, surely the teachers lunch time can be flexible. She speaks as if all teachers must stop work at 12 noon.

For teachers who are on course, they are there to gain practical experience, they are not required to wait for the parernts to fetch the child home before they can leave, should be the principal's job if no teachers are available, they are not employed by the foundation.

They have no excuse to impose fine.

Wed 02 Feb 2011 2:29 PM | mikey2222 - On LKYs too strict comments

http://theowlcritics.blogspot.com/2011/02/too-strict-mrlee.html

Wed 02 Feb 2011 6:08 PM | freedomT

I pity the Malay lady who sign it. For her boss the PAP, others will cursed her instead. This is Singapore. People high up the ladder who ordered it, are spared while people below the ladder are being blamed. Early early small kids are being brainwashed by the PAP. Yup, I remember that I can only recognised the PAP and its infamous PETIR logo as the Master from its education kindergartens where I was educated. Other opposition parties I don't know until the internet came along. Everything belong to PAP. I am sick of looking at the logo. It is everywhere. When will all these lies end?

Mon 07 Feb 2011 11:59 PM | kelkel5313 - PCF EDUCATION NOT FINE

PCF Should not fine parents of the child. Do PCF get approval from government or send a proposal to the Whitehouse. Why never make it publish to the public. As a Teacher in the PCF, I believe that there is a mission and vision or core value for the Teacher to achive. Hope there is an answer for the member of the public.

Tue 08 Feb 2011 2:13 PM | Cheers

While childcare centres are known to have such policies, this practice is uncommon in a kindergarten.

Let's be fair to the parents.

Kindergarten teachers work from 8am to 2.30pm = 6.5 hours x 5 = 32.5 hours.
The teachers have 46 hours to spare (44 hours per week less 32.5 hrs = 11.5 hours x 4 = 46 hours)

The administrator can arrange for a teacher to stay back per week per month till 5.30pm.

Lunch hour is not considered working hours. Even in day school your tea break is staggered amongst the classes and standard.

CNA interviewed a very poor aunty who could not afford $2.00 for 5 minutes late.

Tue 08 Feb 2011 2:14 PM | Cheers

The principal's excuse for the penalty is it affect the teachers lunch break, no employer will pay you (your food and time, is your own time) no overtime is involved here.

The teachers are free after school hour 2.30pm, the principal can arrange to rotate the teachers, one teacher to stay behind to look after the kids (2.30pm to 5.30pm = 3 hours). With this arrangement no overtime is involved.

PCF kindergarten operates from 8am to 2.30pm, five days per week which works out 32.5 hours per week with the additional 3 hours x 5 days per teacher it works out to be 32.5 plus 15 hours = 47.5 hours. The 15 hours per month per teacher so is only 3.75 per week. In other words each teacher work 32.5 plus 3.75 = 36.25 hours per week.