21 May 2018
Marine Parade GRC Member of Parliament Seah Kian Peng has said the use of the clean wage argument to justify imposing parking charges at Singapore schools is an insult.
I agree with him. It reflects a decision making process based purely on economics, and omits consideration of intangible factors such as goodwill, a sense of community, the extra effort put in by teachers for their students, the unpaid overtime put in by teachers, and so on.
Mr Seah Kian Peng said that while there is a need to regulate the responsible use of funds, fiscal prudence and good procurement, we also ought to be having a conversation about reciprocity, trust and relationships.
It is therefore a mistake for the Ministry of Education to see the issue from a purely economic lens.
Teachers are known to give things to their students that cost them no small amount of money and yet the value of which transcends price.
Mr Sead added: “It is time we recognise that money is merely a proxy for value, and at times, a very bad one.”