I refer to Mr Steve Yong Kui Sen’s letter, “Don’t penalise children, withhold their results slips over unpaid school fees. Go after the parents instead” (Nov 28).

I have a different view on the recent case involving a child whose original Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) results slip was withheld because her parents did not pay miscellaneous fees.

First, the Ministry of Education (MOE) had said that the parents did not pay the fees for two years despite several reminders. Is that not long enough to get them to pay? 

Second, the school did not stop the child from attending classes, even though the parents failed to pay the fees.

Third, the child still completed the Primary School Leaving Examination and received a copy of the results for application to a secondary school.

Yes, the authorities may not have considered the emotions of the kid.

But what about the parents? Are they being fair to others who pay school fees promptly? 

MOE said that the parents in this case did not apply for financial assistance from the school.   

If they were facing financial difficulties, I am sure the grants would have helped.

Please do not forget the responsibilities borne by parents. What kind of values do we want to teach our kids — that “it is fine, we can owe the school money as they cannot do anything to us”?

Let us be clear who is at fault here. As a parent, I feel strongly that we need to set a good example for our children. 

Some of us may not have great wealth, but we need to live our lives with integrity and work hard to provide our children with a proper education.

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