COMMENT | A recent TV news report about a boy at a Chinese primary school in Bandar Utama who was caned for not paying up his parent-teacher association (PIBG) and security fees has opened up a can of worms in the perennial problem of fees collection.

While both Deputy Ministers, P Kalamanathan and Chong Sin Woon had over the last week said that the fees are not compulsory, the letters written by the PIBG often do not carry a statement of disclaimer: “All fees, donations and contributions are not compulsory. Parents can opt not to pay, but any amount is welcome.”

This would ease any form of pressure especially on teachers, parents and in this particular case, the child, who had become the silent victim.

What happened at the Bandar Utama school serves as a good example for all teachers and parents that any form of contributions should not be coerced.

Various Chinese papers and both 8TV and nTV7 flashed the stories. This was highlighted by representative of Persatuan Jaringan Ibubapa Pencinta Pendidikan Bahasa Zhong Hua (Jia Zhong), Edward Neoh.

Pressure to collect

The single mother’s failure to pay the fees has resulted in her child being caned 12 times.

On the same night, I was told that the mother was allegedly persuaded by the headmistress not to expose the incident to the press. The teacher also cried over the phone to the mother claiming that there was a death in the family.

An apology had apparently been tendered by the school, but concerned parents who came to know about the single mother’s plight decided to be the whistleblowers....