This controversy arose about three days ago, and that has been being my matter of concern until right now, even after the thing that I would like to discuss was over. This is about an SJI International Grade 10 excursion to one of Singapore's museums. We saw 'The Dead Sea Scrolls', which is what the Holy Bible is assembled from. Although we saw only four minuscule pieces of it, it was great with an additional information with regards to the history of written language and the Holy Bible. The story behind it, however, is tormenting.
It was Tuesdays and I had Economics for the last period. In the lesson, Mrs. Mooraj told us that we would not have any lesson on Friday since it would be the time for the outing to 'The Dead Sea Scrolls'. However, all of us in the class were shocked, since we did not know about that at all. Mrs. Mooraj, additionally, told us that she had planned to do some revisions before the exams (our exams are only one week left). Deborah, then, added the fact that she thought that the Grade 10FIB was not invited because she had previously asked the people in charge about that and the outing was only for the IGCSEs students. I read the newsletter and it told us the same thing. It was a big question mark for us why we were finally invited, in fact the authorities had said no. It was a big question mark, as well, whether we would be going or we were just sitting in the class, having Economics revisions.
Forget about that for a moment. The next day, for us as a grade 10FIB students, it was the most awaited day in the week, even from the beginning of the school. It was because the lessons that we had on Wednesday was the most fun ever:
• English, which is mostly discussion (about 70% of it is irrelevant to English),
• Mr. Dholakia's Maths, where we can slack all the way in the class,
• RME, which we just listen and get involved in discussion, and
• Drama, which is the greatest lesson with the greatest teacher.
In RME, however, Mrs. Aboud brought the matter back. She said that we would be going for the trip. However, Deborah gave her the same thing (that the authorities said that we would not invited). Mrs. Aboud said that the school has bought the tickets, the number is exactly equal to the number of people in grade 10, including the IGCSEs and the FIBs. There was a rumor that the school overbought the tickets so that they left them for the FIBs.
I, however, think that the rumor was right. How come the school suddenly changed their mind about who was going. If the school had not overbought the ticket, why would the school have asked us to go in fact they said we were not going? It was unintelligible. Moreover, Mrs. Aboud added a reason (it was from the authorities, that what she said) that our class is a FIB class and that meant our English was way behind the other IGCSEs students. How could that be a reason? What fact is it that is justified by that reason, a reason that said our English is bad? We speak proper English, though. Deborah also said to me, "You speak proper English! Don't they see that they speak with 'la', 'lo' and 'walau'! What the hell! How can they say that?"
It was, as well, unintelligible.
So I know that all the FIB students were invited to go to 'The Dead Sea Scrolls'. However, we couldn't receive the fact that the school gave that kind of reason, and the rejection that they gave us was irrational, and at that time, they were begging us to go. Also, Mrs. Aboud could not have lied about what the school has stated. I was upset, no, I was pissed off. That was not the first case. The first was about the drama trip that we were being excluded. The second time was the discouragement that they gave to me when I wished to take English as my first language. Also, the discouragement was given to the others foreigners in the school in the FIBs: we were given English B as our recommendations! That was a mockery, since the Language B was only given to the person who has studied a particular language subject for two years. All of us have been learning English since we were in the kindergarten! So, for 'The Dead Sea Scrolls' trip, it was unacceptable.
This was the bit that is starting to be more intriguing. On Thursday, in our tutor group time, the time when we usually do nothing, only chat, or complete the homework due on that day. Suddenly, Ms. Creme (our previous tutor teacher, she is now the Head of Grade 9 and 10) came to our class and all went silent. She proposed our matter of concern about the outing. Saying only a few words about that, afterwards, she was interrupted by the coming of Ms. Dana to the class. She is the person in charge in this trip (she is the RME teacher). They both said that they understood our position and they gave us different reasons that they could not communicate with the teachers, especially Mrs. Mooraj since she is a part-time teacher. For me, the reason was unacceptable. Couldn't they just e-mail Mrs. Mooraj and tell that we had to go for the trip? I thought the technology had been applied in the school, but it was a big no for this case.
Another thing was that the school had purchased long time ago. It was supported by the fact that Ms. Dana said that it was very hard to get the tickets unless the ticket has been booked. The time when Deborah asked the authorities was after the school had bought the tickets. Thus, for me, all the reasons, yet they were absolutely bogus, had not yet answered my questions: why we were suddenly invited to the trip, with the announcement coming 3 days before the outing. I was not being defiant, or being disrespectful, I merely asked questions to Ms. Dana. This was it: 'Could you please explain and justify the reasons why we are suddenly invited to the outing?' and they considered this as a disrespectful manner, as a form of defiance proposed to the school. Shazz and Deborah also needed a clear justification of the case, and they 'helped' me asking questions to them. They did not answer. They gave irrelevant facts to cover the fact up: saying that they had been trying to contact the teachers, but it did not work.
My matter of concern in this case was that how the school could be saying that the trip was only for IGCSE students when Deborah asked the authorities about who will be going for the outing. The school lied, and did beg us to go for it. Was our assumption that the school has overbought the ticket wrong? Was that because they could not contact the part time teacher to ask for permission? People always make mistakes and I am feeling just alright if they do not say sorry. However, in this case, the school has made a mistake, they did not apologize, and they made the 10FIB students to apologize, about the assumption and whatever they are. We did not get the clear explanation and justification about the case. The school was just blaming us, and our questions were left rotten.
Still in a mercurial temperament, I continued school as usual, as if nothing happened. In lunch time, on the other hand, I bumped into Shazz and she told me that Mr. Bennett (a science teacher whom we dislike so much because of a lot of rational reasons) just came to her and said about 'The Dead Sea Scroll'. I was very surprised! How come he knew that? And he was being nosey by bringing that up to Shazz and in essence, he literally stated that we have to apologize to Ms. Dana due to dis-respectfulness, "especially you and Vincent." We were only asking questions! Politely. And they said we were being disrespectful. In this condition, I felt as if my shirt has been taken away so that I was half-naked.
The subjects that I would mention here were the subjects that were sacrificed because of the excursion that would be happening on Friday afternoon (period 7 and 8). Thus, school had to ask for the permission of the Economics and History teachers that we, might be, going for the trip. So, still on Thursday, the day when we had History, Mrs. Crompton also mentioned about 'The Dead Sea Scrolls' trip and she said that she let us go because of the school had said so. However, this was the fact that was really unacceptable and unintelligible. In tutor group that morning, Gabriel proposed a question that if we were not going for it, what things we would do at that time. Ms. Dana answered that we would be in the grade centre and doing nothing. On the other hand, when we asked Mrs. Crompton about that, if we were not going for the trip, she would really like to teach us in the History lesson that was not sacrificed in that case (since we were not going). So, Ms. Dana has lied.
More importantly, for the students in the FIB class, exams revisions were far more important than the outing, so we needed lessons, rather than the trip. However the school has stated that we had to go to the trip, and being defiant would not help in that situation. We decided to go.
On Friday morning, in tutor group time, Mr. Christian (the Head of School) came in and talked about the outing. His description on us of being very active and helping to the school was not answering our questions at all. He said there were some mis-communications along the line, but he said that the ticket had been bought exactly equal to the number of grade 10, including FIB. Not answering the questions, he just gave that reason and the rings of the bell had ended our unfinished conversations. We were still upset about that. Going to Mr. Bennett's class, then, the students were complaining and complaining of the unfairness we received. In the class, Mr. Bennett said that if any person wanted to speak with him with regards to 'The Dead Sea Scrolls', he would be listening. How nosy is that! He was even not involved in that case! But finally we were going.
I hate the condition. I hate the situation. We were always being put in such a condition where we can not react about it. Any voices will be considered as defiance. And we were forced to apologize, even though in fact it's their fault. I think the school knows the mistake, but the authorities don't want to say sorry about it, and make the students apologize to them by adding extra details. I hate this condition. I hate this situation. I felt that Mr. Christian had taken my trousers so that only my underwear is now left. I am almost naked.
