Assuming that the report is entirely factual and the principal had actually made it known that she disapproved of students idolising celebrities and had actually discouraged students from taking part in competitions like Campus Superstar and The Arena, then I find the principal entirely out of line in her job as an educator of our future generation.

I was lucky to have been educated in schools where students are encouraged to freely express their opinions (to educators who are willing to listen) and freely express their talents (with an entire school behind them). It is almost all too often that Singaporean students come across as 'quiet', 'unexpressive' and unwilling to challenge the norms. I believe our Ministry of Education has invested much time in sharing with the public its 'complete education' approach where students should be actively engaged in and out of the classroom.

Did the principal in this incident engage her students by considering their opinion before disagreeing to the band's visit to the school? I do not think so. Is the principal adopting a 'complete education' approach by discouraging her students from showcasing their talents in competitions like Campus Superstar and The Arena? It does not seem like the case and, in fact, by telling her students that they should be focusing on their studies demonstrates the sole focus on academics, a concept that I am of the opinion was long discarded by the ministry.

Relating back to my own education experience, I have to say that my most memorable moments in school were the times when the students came together to support a common cause. Competitions like Campus Superstar and The Arena provide such a platform for a school to rally together. Nobody ever remembers a school for the time they spent in a classroom, but rather, they remember the times spent outside the classroom, because that is the time they learn the most valuable life lessons.

It was heartening to watch the principals, teachers and students of the various schools come together to express their support for their fellow student in the recent Campus Superstar competition. It beats watching a students versus principal drama that is now unfolding in the incident which, in hindsight, could have been avoided if the principal had consulted the students first.

Melvin Dong