School Forms
Yesterday was the start of the new term (Term 3) of the school. Clara came home with forms. She wanted me to sign her forms…
When it comes to signing forms, we got to be very careful because since young, I had learned from experience that ‘whatever you sign’ you are abiding to the terms and conditions stated in the forms….
Even though it may be just a simple form, and we always ‘assume’ that ‘nothing will happen’ (this kind of attitude or mentality, which most people have), I actually do not like the way things are handled…
In any case, if something is really to happen to our children in school, we do not know who to contact and the school might not be able to help us also (in finding our children — safety of our children in school)
This is the form which I was given to sign, as shown below:
School Form to inform parents about School Activity
This form is to inform parents about the upcoming dates for Analytical Thinking Programme(ATP) in the school for the P5 students.
1. Date
At first, I could not believe my eyes because I saw the date of the form was 7 June 2010. Yesterday, the start of the school term was 28 June 2010. The form which was given by the school yesterday was dated 7 June 2010!!! It was 3 weeks ‘late’ or is it ‘my daughter’s fault in giving me late‘ (this is very obvious — as parent, we can tell. But this is no good…)
The date of the letter, written by the teachers, and subsequently to be given to parents… this is all about planning as well. If the teachers had done this ‘homework’ during the school holidays, then he/she ought to KNOW when he/she is going to give out the letters to the children. She should amend the dates… one or two days of difference is still acceptable, but 3 weeks is really too much…
2. Teacher- in -charge
It is written a teacher’s name and the word ‘form teacher’. Does it mean that all the respective form teachers of the class?
Is this teacher be responsible for ATP matters or the form teachers?
3. Signature
Signature just immediately below Teacher-in-charge. It is so misleading. It is so ambiguous. Below the word signature, there is no words to say whose signature. The teacher-in-charge, the one who prepare this form, I do not know who also. No signature, No designation, No contacts at all. This is very bad.
Signature For who??
Anyway, I signed. I do not want to make things difficult for my daughter. She said that teacher wanted them to hand in the form the next day and it is the whole form!!!
4. Parents/Children Retention
In whatever forms that we had signed, it is important that we had a copy of what we signed for our own REFERENCE. Even if this is not done legally, since this is the school, teachers ought to know that children/parents need to have a copy of the dates so that they can pin it up on their home notice board or table to remind them about all these dates!
Last night, Clara had to copy all the dates… this is a waste of time and if this is an important document (which we never know when something is really important), then I am going to be at the losing end…
This is not a fair way of handling things. It is detrimental to parents/children, but it is beneficial to the school (legally).
5. Standardisation
I do not know who is in charge of all these correspondence. But I noticed that all the forms/letters that is being addressed to us, parents, have never been standardised. My son had graduated from the school. My daughter is still studying here. I had seen all sorts of forms written by teachers. This is the ‘simplest’ form I had seen so far, and the ‘poorest quality’ of all.
I wonder if the school KNOWS about such form being SENT to parents. Did the general office have a COPY of this form? Did the PRINCIPAL know about this as well?
Another Form (For Comparison)
Let’s take a look at another form, which was given to me last term, NAPFA TEST:
Schedule for school’s 1.6km NAPFA (National Physical Fitness Award) Test for P5 students
1. Header
On the header, we can see the date of the letter (or circular, the teacher called it). Below the date of the letter, it is written these words: Through Principal, QiHua Primary School
2. Acknowledgement Slip (To be described in details in another post — upcoming post)
Instructions/What to do were described clearly in this form (as to the due date to be given back. The date issued and the date due is 3 days, so this is very reasonable, to give time for parents to look through the letter.
3. Author/Teacher-in-charge
Who is responsible for this ‘School Activity’ which you are conveying this message to the children’s parents? Who is this person who draft this particular form?
In the second form, we see that the teacher is very courteous in using “Your Faithfully”, followed by her full name and her designation.
So we should know that she is the ‘organizer’ for this school’s event (NAPFA Test).
It is good that this form has an acknowledgement slip so that the upper portion can be retain by the parents/children. However, this is not the best policy. Anyway, I would deal with this later on.
4. Contacts
In these two forms, you see that there is NO CONTACT given at all. This is not a proper way of handling things — even though there is the school’s main number given at the letterhead, this is not sufficient…
5. Standardisation
Again, there is no standardisation on the letter being sent to parents. These are just two examples of forms I had received. Other ‘version’, I have contacts of the teachers given (email address) and handphone number (rare case)…
Past Issues
QiHua General Office
Student Concern
Parent-school Communication
School Security
Our National Anthem
Uplifting Moments
You might want to Read More:
Human Rights
Parents-Teachers communication
People Developer
Teachers’ Responsibilities
Complaints about teachers
My Expectation of the school
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