<Credits: Jacob Tan>

Recently the new Acting Minister for Education Ng Chee Meng has embarked on his ‘new’ cleaning programme. “Getting the kids involved in such daily activities is really a good way to get them to learn personal responsibility and even social responsibility,” said Mr Ng.

As a student within the school system for 11 years, these are my views and opinions of this new initiative – it is entirely irrelevant and unnecessary. There are already existing initiatives on the ground to cover such things.

Generally there are initiatives on the ground that have been in place to maintain cleanliness in a school. Many would be familiar with the duty roster put in place at the beginning of the year which has to be supervised by the class monitor. Programmes such as this already ensure that students have a sense of belonging, sense of hygiene and a sense of responsibility.

In addition such a programme is rather feeble, because it is not as far-reaching. In fact there are other programmes such as the Happy Toilets programme, which’s purposes are to inculcate good toilet etiquette, personal hygiene habits and social responsibility in students.

Furthermore every single school throughout the island, regardless of if the school is a neighbourhood school or a top school, would have had such initiatives or programmes like the Project Buddy Clean in Marsiling Primary School. As such, this programme for all it is hailed, does very little.

Students already have a lot on their plates and don’t need to be further irritated by such a ‘cleaning programme’. Schools are primarily an environment to grow as a person. With a mountain of work as an A-Level student and having to sleep at 12am, there is very little I can relate to being forced up to clean up

A lot is expected from Singaporean students as it is. At the tender age of 12, they have to take an exam which determines the kind of people they will mix with in life. At 16 they take another exam which determines their future. We do not need another ‘social responsibility building’ project to be thrust at us.

It is already very tiring for me to deal with my mountain of homework. This school cleaning programme will only be another KPI (key-performance-index) schools and the Ministry of Education (MOE) will use to promote itself and its staff. I am just tired of being used by schools and MOE in this manner.

The ‘school cleaning programme’ is perhaps the first initiative the new Acting Minister for Education (Schools) kick-started after he took office. But instead of this cleaning programme, the Minister could as one of the first acts after assuming office, have come out with a programme to ease the burden of school students and that would have been better appreciated by us students.

That is one programme students like me are still waiting for.

Article first appeared on The Independent Singapore.

Dear ASS,

I set a cockroach trap on the floor of my front passenger seat hoping to catch 1 or 2 creepy crawlies after I saw a few insects running about in my car. To my shock, when I removed the trap one month later, there was a village of cockroaches found in the trap. There were 11 to 12 media roaches and many other small little baby ones.

I hope this photo will serve as a warning to all car owners to regularly check your cars for pests especially if you allow your children to eat in the car. This is what can happen.

Derek
A.S.S. Contributor

Dear All Singapore Stuff,

I refer to the public concern about Benjamin Lim's unfortunate death. At the same age of 14, i was one of the many that plain clothes officers bought away from school to cantonment for a interview, donkey years ago. I saw a few more students about the same age in the CID office when I arrived.

Talk about policing procedures? This is definitely nothing new. I believe some of here have the same encounter as me which was "normal" for troubled teenagers. I was even given an official warning in writing by the police at the age of 14. When you are suspected of a crime, you are obliged to assist with investigation without any resistance, at any age. Whether or not a minor, old folks, adult, man or women. The purpose of police work is to prevent crimes and or, stop it at the earliest.

This is why our country is listed as one of the safest city in the world, thanks to the systems and procedures. If the boy is clean, he could have stand still for himself than ending his life. His already 14, not 4. Kids this generations are much matured compared to my time. I've been through this at the same age, just like many others.

When you are not sure how the system works, don't argue about the procedures. It had been like this, for decades. And from my personal account, I've seen countless teenagers being pulled back to the right track just in time. This is just a sad case of a boy committing suicide. Let him go in peace.

Jadsen Phang
A.S.S. Contributor

<Facebook complaint by Yukimi Wu>

PRC beggar is here again! She was spotted at Hougang. Many uncles and aunties saw her condition out of pitifulness, gave her a lot of money. When I approached her she said she is from China. I asked her does she know begging in Singapore is illegal?

She saw me took out my phone and immediately stand up and leave. I followed her and saw her took a Comfort cab 3002 and left. We, Singaporeans are always stupid and easily get conned by these PRCs beggars! I saw her leaving with hundred of dollars rich in her pocket.

Please share and beware of this PRC lady who is seen to be severely burnt on her whole body.