First, it was Rachel Chan. Now, it's Wendy Chan. What's with some parents these days?
In a Straits Times article a few days back, Wendy Chan was commenting on the changes to streaming in Singapore schools when she said that she would prefer if her children did not mix with students from the Normal stream.
"It's because of their upbringing - their mindset and values may not be in tandem with what I agree with. It's not so much about academic performance."
Wait. What's so different or bad about their mindset? Why insult their values just because they are from a different stream?
Her snobby comments incited a lot of rage among netizens, including Mark Rozells, who is a parent and a teacher. In a Facebook post, he said that students of different streams have their strengths and successes and emphasised that people should not judge based on class. He called out Wendy Chan for being "selfish, small-minded and poisonous".
"And yes, family does play a big part in upbringing, which is why I worry for your children."
More worrying, in fact, if this kind of prejudice is prevalent among many Singaporean parents today. It is sad to know that there are people who remain so narrow-minded despite being in year 2019 but let's hope that not all is lost.
"[F]or every brave school administrator who chooses to give students in Normal stream the resources, opportunities and good teachers instead of writing those kids off as deadweight...
For every teacher who believes in the students in the Normal stream...
For every parent who sees beyond the stream to who the child really is and can become...
For every non-Normal student who isn't an elitist prick...
And
For every politician who is willing to pay the political cost to tear down the barriers that keep the poor, minorities and the oppressed down...
Thank you."
Stupidity is real but if most of us know what is stupid from what is not, perhaps we still have a glimmer of hope.
