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The Straits Times, Singapore, 8 October 1956
Man-in-the-street
A bit of discipline is good for boys
IT is very amusing to read "Worried Parent's" complaint that his son is made a school slave. This is nonsense.
During my young school days the boys were caned by the principal of the school for neglect of school duties or studies.
As an ex-prefect of Raffles Institution I can vouch that the boys were caned on their bottoms for even winking at the girls. We did have very good discipline in our time and the boys became good citizens, lawyers, doctors, etc.
A prefect is picked out and voted for by the boys and afterwards approved by the teachers and the principal. It is his duty to see that discipline in the school is observed.
The prefects are the best leaders as they are themselves boys of the same age.
I quote from memory some of the people who were school prefects during my school days: Messrs. Tan Thoon Lip, G.E.N. Oehlers, D. Marshall and Wee Siong Kang.
"Worried Parent" should realise that discipline is essential today. I suggest that he should look around and investigate what some of our teenage youngsters are doing. These youngsters are now what we call in Malay "bah pak tidah tahu haja anak" and in Chinese "Boh Kah See Kiah."
I have seen teenage youngsters become gangsters, strikers etc., and "kurang haja" to elders. I presume that "Worried Parent" is very rich and that his boy is the apple of his eye.
If it is so, then he should get his son away from the feeding bottle. If his son is disciplined and studious why should he have to attend detention classes?
EX-SCHOOL PREFECT. Singapore.
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