In an address to the school’s students, vice principal at Catholic Junior College (CJC) in Singapore was caught belittling students who hailed from neighbourhood secondary schools.
Yue-Chang Tech Hui, vice principal in charge of academic matters, said that CJC is unlike a neighbourhood secondary school where most students come from troubled families.
The remarks were made last Tuesday (7 August) during an address to students in the auditorium on the issue of absenteeism. She was emphasising the importance of regular school attendance and reminded students to submit medical certificates or letters from parents when absent.
CJC’s principal Phyllis Lim then stepped in later during the session to correct the remark, according to a CJC spokesperson.
“The remarks made were not intentional and were never meant to single out students from neighbourhood secondary schools,” Lim said.
Lim also said that CJC’s teachers had clarified the school’s position on the matter to their students the following morning. She had also urged teachers to encourage students to share their concerns on the issues.
Additionally, the teachers emphasised the importance of having regular school attendance to keep pace with the curriculum, reported the Straits Times.
CJC’s spokesperson added that the vice principal’s remarks “were not appropriate and are not reflective of the actual situation or the mindsets of CJC educators”.
The school has welcomed students from a wide variety of schools and is committed to developing all students to realise their full potential, the spokesperson said.
In another case of misconduct earlier this month, a leaked recording of a vice principal sparked controversy when he was heard defending the school’s move to bar an LGBT speaker from a school event. Read the story here.
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