Black Holes and Revelations Subheader
At present the page has over 3,000 likes ; from some of the posts it appears that not all those following the page are current students , some are outsiders or even old Rafflesians . What do you think this does for the school ’ s reputation ?
At the end of the day , the majority of the posts do reflect what is actually going on in the school . It ’ s part and parcel of a typical JC environment ..
I think it was during the first two weeks , when some parents , at that point , were thinking , ‘ Should this be allowed ?’ I think Mrs Lim reassured those parents that it ’ s really nothing that we should be too concerned about .
What were parents actually concerned about ?
“ Should my Year 2 son be aware that there ’ s such a thing as boy-girl relationships ?”
‘ Isn ’ t it a bit young , at JC level , to be thinking of romance when they should be studying ?’ It ’ s a typical reaction . It ’ s also an eye-opener for these parents , if they haven ’ t thought about this issue with regard to their own kids …
You do see some generational concerns there .
Occasionally , there are some more controversial confessions posted on RJ Confessions like LGBT issues , family problems , complaints about the school etc . What do you think about this ?
It is what it is — it ’ s a snapshot of school life , and it really is , perhaps , a more true to life , a more nuanced , complex , picture of school and society that ’ s emerging from these pages . These are things that , as a school and society , we should learn to grapple with rather than entertain a very simplistic notion of what life is . In that sense , I regard it as a pretty important educational tool , not in the sense of having a fixed curriculum , tests , things like that — but in the broader sense of education .
Based on Ms Ho ’ s and Mr Chua ’ s candid responses , one sees a picture far different from that often painted by many a complaining confessor — far from being overly restrictive and against the confessions pages , one instead sees members of staff who are more receptive towards and in fact encouraging of student voices . While the cynics among us may be sceptical , perhaps this is a sign of changing times as the school increasingly adapts to social media . As Mr Chua puts it , if confessions are actually ‘ given due consideration and weight ’ the confessions pages will provide a useful and effective platform for vocal students with much to say about the way our school is run , but no formal avenue to do so .
A confession of errors is like a broom which sweeps away the dirt and leaves the surface brighter and clearer . I feel stronger for confession
In Conclusion
It must be acknowledged that neither absolution nor requital is the defining goal of the confessions page ; rather , we are witnessing the positive effects of anonymity in encouraging honesty . We see this as a near-absolute good : it allows everyone , including the school , to get a better handle on the true sentiments of Rafflesians . Even where questionable opinions or behaviour are put on display , we can trust in the wisdom of the Rafflesian crowd will to tear down the bigoted , praise the deserving , and lift up the depressed and down-trodden .
Rafflesian Times
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