SRAI BBB Conflicting Schedule

My 7-year-old boy came home from school yesterday, and showed me a flyer given to him by his Evening Class teacher.

A simple photocopied note. Can you read it?

It says, basically, that there will be a coloring contest, The 2008 Independence Children Coloring Contest (Preschool / Primary School Category), this Saturday (that is tomorrow), from 9:00 am until 12:00 noon. It is organized by the Kompleks PKNS Bangi Merchants Association (Persatuan Peniaga Kompleks PKNS Bangi).

According to my boy, the Teacher said he could go to the contest if he wanted to. Of course, he wanted to.

Now if you refer to this official announcement issued by the school, signed by the school’s Principal, this Saturday is a replacement school day. So it is an official school day. Of course, that teacher also knew this.

But the coloring contest is neither organized by the school, nor JAIS, nor the Education Department, nor the Education Ministry. None of them officially sanction the contest, either. At least not that I, as a Parent, know of.

And still the students can go? And skip class? For what very good reason?

I met with a teacher, who is one of the Senior Assistants, at school after the Friday Prayer today. I showed her the flyer. From her expression, I took it that she had never seen it. But she remarked that tomorrow is only a replacement day.

“Esok sekolah ganti je kan?”

Huh? MERELY a replacement day? So a replacement day is not important? Then why bother have a replacement day? Just to make up the numbers?

We could’ve gone fishing, instead!

Then there is also the 1st CFS IIUM Invitational Taekwondo (WTF) Championship 2008, 8 – 10 August 2008. That is this weekend. I can’t find any information on the tournament on the internet. Why the secrecy? Is the opening as grand as the Beijing Olympics?

We were only told earlier that there would be a tournament in August. That was all. We were only eventually informed of the actual dates of the tournament after the school’s official announcement.

But taekwondo is not a co-curricular activity. It is done by a third party, either for or at the school. (There are several third party programs going on at the school, including soccer, which I don’t understand.) So the school is actually NOT involved in it. Is skipping class in order to participate in the tournament justifiable? The instructors said they have written to the school asking for release of the participating students for that day. I never hear, nor see, any official response from SRAI BBB.

I can’t simply decide by hearsay.

The instructors are so keen on having my boys participate in tournaments. I appreciate their passion, but my boys have only been in this for 7 months. The boys are only Year 1 and Year 2. With 5 full days of school, and extra fitness training on Saturday, that leaves us with ONE day a week for other family programs, including school revisions.

Oh by the way, if you look at the previously mentioned announcement and this particular announcement, come Monday, the Second Performance Test of the year begins.

Then there is also this that has been confirmed before any of all the other confirmations/announcements.

Welcome to real life.