Alas, not all donations are voluntary.
A mother of Anglo-Chinese School (Barker) students has complained about how its principal had pressured students to raise funds during a carnival — a school fair with stalls offering food, drinks and games — that was held over the weekend.
The mother posted to website Stomp a letter allegedly from principal Peter Tan.
”A student I spoke with this morning said he did not try to contact or speak to any of his relatives, though knowing that even if they are unable to attend, the coupons will be donated to needy families,” Tan allegedly wrote in a letter. “I wonder if your son/ward is like him? My concern is that this lack of drive becomes a habit that will not do him any good.”
Welcome to the real world, boys. It can be cruel.
“My boys approached relatives, but they did not want to buy. One of my sons was so stressed he wanted to buy the tickets using his own savings but I told him not to do so,” said the mother.
The carnival aimed to raise $600,000.
“Each boy was given 20 tickets to sell, with each costing $10. One ticket is made up of five $2 coupons, which cannot be sold individually,” reports Pearl Lee on The Straits Times.
The money was to be used to “enrich the education of ACS boys”.
