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I would like to share some of my bitter experiences with Yew Chung International School (YCIS).
My daughter, who had poor Cantonese skill, entered YCIS as Primary One student on 20 Aug 2008. Shortly after the school term began, she became very quiet and sad, and lost interest in attending school. She revealed that she felt scared in her class, as whenever she tried to strike up a conversation with her classmates in English, most of them would stare at her. Sometimes some of them would laugh at her too (her limited spoken Cantonese carried odd tones and often in wrong sequence). This made her feel very nervous to talk to her classmates. Even one or two classmates talked to her in English, they would merely exchange a few sentences and switch back to Cantonese to chat with others. As a result, she was being isolated for most of the time and could not make any friends.
Since my daughter sooner had emotional problems, I made a request to YCIS for a change of class in late Aug 2008 as I found that there were some foreign students in 2 other classes. In fact, prior to this request, I had also made a remark of her communication problem in Cantonese in her School Diary for seeking assistance, but there was no response from her teacher.
Unfortunately, the Chinese Principal (CP) turned down my request right away without giving or suggesting any other assistance. I explained my daughter’s situation including her Cantonese skills and feeling again to the CP, and stressed that her problem was merely arising from the language barrier and was indeed very simple to handle.
She would be happy and fine if she could find somebody who was willing to talk to her. She used to love going to school when she was in kindergarten. Kids at 5 treasure a lot their friendship among their peers. They need friends to have a normal school life.
To my surprise, the CP then blamed me for not being aware that Cantonese was also one of their language of instructions. She remarked that I should teach my daughter to speak Cantonese and encourage her to speak more Cantonese in class. I stressed that I only knew this now, as all along, I was told in their seminars that English and Mandarin were their medium of instruction. I would admit my fault if I was sending her to a local school, and it was ridiculous to request my daughter to learn and speak Cantonese in an International School! If that is the case, we do not have to pay so much to study in YCIS. There are also foreign teachers in local schools and we do not need to pay any tuition fee, or at least not a huge amount.
I also added that quite a lot of her classmates were from their kindergarten (International stream) but they were rather reluctant to speak English, I considered it would be simpler to put her in another class. It was amazing that the CP responded that it might be due to the long summer vacation, they forgot how to speak English! I was frustrated and could only answer if the kids would forget how to speak English so easily after 2 to 3 years of training, how could you expect my daughter to speak good Cantonese in a short span of time?
Nevertheless, she rebutted that no matter which IS she would go to, she would face the same problem, as nowadays, over 75% of the students in IS are local students who would speak Cantonese. I had denied her viewpoint immediately and expressed that I merely wanted to help my daughter to get acquaint herself to a new school as soon as possible. It was then the CP affirmed her stance again that they would not transfer her to other class.
She also added that they would not consider this proposal in future!
Since then, we had tried our utmost to console and counsel her every day and teach her Cantonese. However, her emotional problem worsened day after day. I talked to her teacher about her problem again but it was so discouraging that they had shown an unenthusiastic manner over her feeling/problem, and merely informed me that they would relocate her seating table.
What we could do then was to divert her focus to her teachers - to encourage her to listen to the teachers and concentrate more on her studies during this interim. We convinced her that she would have friends very soon once she could communicate well with her classmates in Cantonese or they were used to communicate in English.
Indeed, what we did was completely in vain and wrong.
Since day one (after talking to the CP), there was no follow-up, no genuine assistance from the teachers (only ever relocated her seating table twice) nor any update about her situation although I had repeatedly informed them of her emotional problem!
Around mid-Sep, due to YCIS’s negligence, my daughter has ultimately developed some forms of depression.
I would like to depict one incident here.
We were given a notice which informed the parents to visit YCIS’s website to know more about their children in school. I intended to chat about the school life with my daughter so as to cheer her up. Upon our successful login, what a surprise that it was all about her class, and her class photo too. While she was staring at the photo excitedly, all of a sudden, she cried out and yelled“why I was not invited?, and, she could hardly control her emotion anymore …
It was truly a wrong decision to inspire my daughter to depend on her teachers. I sent my daughter to school every morning. Could you all imagine up till late Sep 2008, I still saw my daughter being mocked at her poor Cantonese and isolated by her classmates (by pushing her away) while she was trying to find somebody to chat/play with at the playground. I felt horrible on the spot. How far do you think a 5-year old girl could stand such tease or feeling of isolation? What in her mind all along was – she regarded her teachers but ultimately she was completely abandoned like by her classmates, and her feeling and self-esteem was badly hurt by her teachers!
We were totally disappointed and furious too, as my daughter attended school every day. Imagine yourself as the Principals. While taking the school photo for your school profile to be posted on the net, if you are not being invited, how do you feel? In reality, it may result in serious office politics even you are invited to stand at the back row!
YCIS has not only disrespected my daughter, they have disrespected us - the parents as well!
Due to YCIS’s negligence and indifference, we had to find another school in a rush without other option (we were completely determined to discontinue her studies in YCIS starting from 1 Oct 2008 no matter whether we could find another school). Because of their serious blunder (including no responses to all my messages via School Diary and emails), I had later made a complaint to YCIS and filed the case to the Small Claim Tribunal for the refund of one-month tuition fee (forfeited tuition fee for Oct 2008 for without giving one-month prior notice), prepaid unused lunch and miscellaneous fees, and compensation, as we did not consider YCIS have discharged their due responsibilities.
I am gratified that I had filed the case to the Small Claim Tribunal (though it's time consuming), as it has completely let me understand YCIS's "genuine manner/attitude" towards their students. Although the case ended in late Feb 2009 and YCIS refunded most of the fees, they have not yet given me any explanation or apology over the incidents (I have written to them for this and also asked their representative to relay the message again at the end of the hearing, particularly giving me an apology if appropriate). At the end of the hearing, the adjudicator also strongly advised YCIS to probe into the case and should give an apology to the parents, as it is serious to post a class photo without the student onto the website for browsing by all parents and students. The adjudicator had repeated his remark several times, and also asked the representative to jot down this (to avoid his loss of Memory).
Regrettably, it's been almost 2 months, nothing has been heard from YCIS!
Why do I so persist? Let me show you all some of their viewpoints, as what the co-Principals said in answer to my claim. Up till now, they still feel nothing over the whole incident and insisted that –
(i)Cantonese is one of their medium of instructions.
[I was informed during their seminars that YCIS provides a bilingual programme using English and Mandarin as their medium of instruction (may be they have changed their programme now). To allow a smooth transition, students are allowed to speak Cantonese in Year 1. However, the use of Cantonese will gradually be reduced after the 1st term. I wholly conceive that "allow to use a language" does not represent a school's language of instruction. This is also why their students were invited to present themselves on the stage during the seminars and answered questions in English and Mandarin only to boost how successful their students are in achieving these languages' skills. No foreign/non-Cantonese speaking students have ever been invited to show their Cantonese skills on the stage.
On the other hand, YCIS did not provide any information beforehand about proficiency in Cantonese is their prerequisite.]
(ii) We did not change my daughter's school in a rush. The urgency to leave the school was created by us, as if we were not satisfied with the CP's decision in late Aug 2008, we would have had sufficient time to give the school one-month prior notice and find another more suitable school for my daughter. As a result, it would not bring out the issue of without giving a month's notice.
[Indeed, I am terribly disappointed at their viewpoint on this.
All along, we had tried our best to help my daughter to adapt herself to the new school. Even our request for transfer of class was rejected by the CP, we still carried the hope that we could figure out some ways to help her cope with her "adaptation problem". As being the parents, we have the responsibility to teach our kids how to FACE the problem, TACKLE the problem, and NOT to EVADE the problem.
Likewise, I do think that a school should also take up the responsibility to teach their students to have a positive attitude to handle any problems. Otherwise, we would have lots of "delicate" youngsters commit suicide once they are in time of adversity.
Regrettably, YCIS's teaching policy is – Quit Once Met With Any Setback!
On the other hand, as the parents, we have lots of considerations in choosing a school e.g. location, curriculum and any through train. It is also definitely not easy to find an IS after the school term started. Maybe as the principals, they have lots of connections that are so easy to get a place in any school they want.]
(iii) A school may not always be able to meet all the requests of the parents. Parents have the freedom to withdraw their children, for whatever reason, through giving one month prior notice.
[I totally agree to their viewpoint, but I think YCIS would bring the whole educational sector into disgrace in my case!
From the business point of view, we have to pay almost $14,000 per month (just a few dollars change). I dare to say that it is a 6-star hotel price (not just a 5-star and probably the highest tuition fee in HK). When you dine in a 5-star hotel, will you accept no waiter comes to serve you, or when you repeatedly raise up your hand for a cup of water, the waiter turns his face away or ignores your request? And in the end, the operator blamed you that it's YOU who picked this restaurant, you have freedom to leave if you are not satisfied with our service, but you also need to pay those "not yet ordered" dishes before you leave.
We are gratified that we had made the right choice to withdraw my daughter.
It is not because of YCIS's refusal of transferring my daughter to other class nor the behaviour of their students (e.g. teasing or mocking at my daughter). My request for transfer of class was merely a "recommendation", hoping to achieve an "immediate and effective result". For the behaviour of her classmates, it's really not a big deal.
Teasing, quarrelling or bullying among the kids are very normal and may be good to their development, as they would not be so lucky to stay in a greenhouse for their whole life. They could learn something "good and useful" throughout the process.
Nevertheless, teachers or schools, and parents would have absolute responsibility to give necessary guidance to cultivate the children to behave well, respect other people, different cultures and to rectify them when necessary from aside. I don't think that a school is merely responsible for delivering academic knowledge. Otherwise, we will have lots of brats in school, and gangsters in the society when they grow up.]
What I've learnt from YCIS after this lengthy process are -
Be Lack of Responsibility; Be Lack of Care; Be Lack of Respect; Be Lack of Response; Be Lack of Consciousness; and Be Lack of Conscience.
Further, never admit doing any fault; find some excuses to shirk the responsibilities or to distort the facts.
I'm deeply sorry for being long-winded as the story is not just the above. I would be happy to hear your comment, particularly those who are teachers. As a matter of courtesy, I've also informed YCIS of posting the incidents to the net for public discussion, rather than arguing between BOTH PARTIES.
Thanks very much.
[ 本帖最後由 TTIS 於 09-4-20 23:36 編輯 ] |
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發表於 09-4-20 23:25
