Son #1 & #2 brought back two cards. Son #3 brought back another one.
Usually, St. Xavier Institution will give one to their students around the beginning of the year which coincides with Chinese New Year. That collection is for charity. The school will donate the money to charitable homes, including the Tsunami victims (in 2005). It is a laudable effort because the students also get to work for charity, i.e. selling food stuffs and other things. Anyway, students from SXI are mostly from the higher income families so no big deal about it.
But recently, both secondary and primary schools are collecting to improve their schools.
For the primary school, it is to improve library, canteen and other stuffs. For the secondary school, it is for some other improvement projects. Most of the time, we just give 50 bucks and get over with it. But now got three cards, must think twice.
My kids definitely will not go around asking for donations ‘cos they are as pai seh as their mom. When I was working, I usually take the card to my office and black-mail the colleagues. My atm also did that but not anymore ‘cos the cards are coming in furiously so also pai seh ler. If during Chinese New Year, my kids will bring out the card when the visitors come to our house.
“Wuah, give you angpow already, somemore must donate ah? Use your angpow money lar.” is usually what the relatives quipped.
Well, both schools are part missionary school, i.e. not fully financially supported by the Government. So, they had to rely on charities to sustain them. Considering that our education is free, a few RM here and there is nothing. Moreover, which parents don’t want their children to poo and pee in clean toilets? Or sit cosily in a classroom with fans? Or have well-equipped library?
They have carrots to bait them. If donate over a certain sum, they get some freebies. But who cares anyway? The kids will keep the card until time to pass up and then, write each other names and put in RM2 for each siblings. Hahaha, as long as there are names and money to pass up.
So, MR. KS TANG, you want to donate to your alma mater or not? RM100 cheque payable to SXI will give my kid a free t-shirt. Kehkehkeh. BTW, what is alma mater huh? Sounds like ahmah mader (grandma mother).
And folks, don’t bitch about kids going around asking for donation. They are just trying to do their bits to improve their schools. The Government doesn’t provide all the facilities so they rely a bit on charitable acts. If you have kids coming up to you with a card, remember to applaud the kid for his courage and boldness, ok?
Auntie, u r the onli person on earth that can do 25post/hr lar. U posts so fast that i even run out of words to comment ur posts. LOL. …..errrr…..did i just copy and paste over from last comment. I think I did….auntie ah, ur blog veri good lah. One day refresh 3 time and get 3 updated posts…keep up the good work. hehehe.
Yalar, wat is Alma mater, I am ignorant too? 5xMom, next time I get my kids to visit u during CNY with the cards, so make sure one ang pow for kids and one ang pow for donation hor.
Been through that. It’s ok if it’s for financing the operation cost but when it comes to others like what Chong Hwa is doing is pretty much annoying.
They starting a instruments band and required 200K at least to buy some of the instruments. Meh. it’s annoying.. and i think it’s more like operating a business around.
Sweat… Just think about my friend children growth up… I will become the intermediate target. But if their little girl ask me than nevermind… kekekekekek… (gold fish uncle look)
Counldn’t agree more, Lilian!!!These mission schools (mine too!) get peanuts from govt…and yet they’re the ones producing results, top students year in, year out! Well, parents who don’t want to chip in can always ask 4 a transfer 4 their children…to one of those SMKs (public schools) that get SO much money they don’t know how to spend…and use on landscaping and stuff!!! Yet the same parents willingly spend a fortune sending their kids 4 tuition left, right and centre even tho they’re already top of the class!
STP – How? Vote for me in the next election, ok? Hahaha. PIBG oso I never step foot inside ‘cos I will probably end up quarelling with these kiasu parents who only use the PIBG meeting to lambast the cikgus. Never think of the welfare and comfort, only care about exam results. I think Bro Paul is going to be so happy to read this.
moo_t – Wuah…uncle goldfish. Scary lah.
frostier – But true lah, Chinese schools memang kiasu, they want to outdo each other and forced the kids to do all kind of donation drives. Every bit of thing also must ask the parents to pay.
Immom – Yalah, why STP never tell us what is alma mater? *waits for STP or QV to explain*
prometeuz – No wonder lah, I was wondering why this comment appeared on this post. Next time, you copy and paste all your comments lah. Make standard ones, then randomly pick one and copy. Like that, you can do 100 blogs hopping in 10 minutes. LOL.
suituapui, it’s pretty obvious y mission schools produce better results – students concentrate better in class when they don’t have their bf/gf sitting just around the corner! (doesn’t apply to the gays/les tho)
overall i think education more important than renovation…i agree and will donate to charity but when you ask me donate for this building or that building sorry lar…
i went temple twice a month and there a counter always ask people donation to improve the temple but i never donate but i gv money to 1 ah mah that sitting near the door begging for money…
Saya mangambil kesempatan ini untuk mengucapkan ribuan terima kasih kepada lima kali ibu kerana sudi memberi promosi kepada alma mater. Terima Kasih… sila menderma demi masa depan dan kebajikan anak-anak sekalian.
oo..we have them here too but kids get to sell chocolates for $2 a bar, i used to buy a lot from friend’s kids but now sick of chocolates!
m sorry.. might end up in spam.. but i think would like to kno bout this 🙂
Dear Aunty Lilian,
Your post really brought me memories from my alma mater. I was from a Convent School. A poorly maintained and funded one too.
I remember some parents encouraged their kids to rally up and go for mass Marathon Donation drive. But those were the days. The only parents who do that are usually the ex-students themselves. I have a schoolmate whose great grandmother, grandmother, mother, herself and her children (she married young at the age of 17 after SPM) all went to the same school and they take part in the donation drive enthusiastically.
Albeit that, the school is poorly maintained. There was a change in the Education system and headmistress were changed. The Sisters no longer became our headmistress and all Cross were taken down. There is even a suggestion to change the name of our school to Sekolah Puteri Something.
I cant remember ever using a good desk or chair at school. All of them were filled with holes. Some of us brought hard cupboards to cover the whole desk surface so we can write with ease. Others just brought paper and plastic to wrap the flat surface of the desk.
I also remember leaning too hard on the chair and the back part of the chair came out.
My point is sometimes the donation money didn’t go to the facilities. I sometimes wonder where it went. Maybe due to the fund wrongly channelled to removing all the statues/plate/any sign of the school was once owned by the Catholic Church.
When my children received the donation cards last month, they went into the staffroom to ask the teachers to donate. Came back with quite a big amount too. lol
Lilian, definitions of alma mater:
1. A place where somebody was educated (school, college and/or university).
2. A school/college/uni anthem.
I hate that stuff. Over here they sell wrapping paper or chocolates. Every time you turn around someone is selling something. God I hate it. I pay so many taxes, why I got to see my kids used as a salesman for the school. The same school that squanders my tax money on stupid excesses or by hiring another counselor.
Reached the point that I just pay the buy out and they can keep their catalogs.
Ahem! Excellent post aunty.. A lot of people are confused by the term Aided School, or Sekolah Bantuan, its not that the Government is aiding them but rather, the Mission ie. Church, Institution, Religious Order is aiding the Government in order to promote literacy and an advancement of the educational status of the people.
Therefore, they are not, as what S-A states, in the receiving end of the tax-payers money.. If i’m not mistaken, they receive only Rm 5000.00 a year for maintainence of the school. Aiyo…RM 5000.00? Maintain a house for a year also not enough lah…
Therefore, there is a strong need for them to get their funds in order for the school to operate so that you children would be able to continue to receive their education in the school.. If you don’t like it… do like what STP said..go to a Full Government school..
Alma Mater is from the Latin Phrase which means, Nourishing Mother, one of the Medieval Title of the Blessed Virgin Mary
It first came to be linked with the academic world in, when it was used at the Motto of one of the oldest and existing University in the World, the University of Bologna (founded 1088) which has the motto Alma Mater Studiorum or Nourishing Mother of Studies.
It is now used, most commonly in the United States to connote as what SkyJuice states, the place where one was educated, Prep School and High School though in the United Kingdom it is usually reserved for the University where one Graduated from.
Anyway..hope that’s enough explanation on Alma Mater for one day..
This is another long winded comment by QV 😛
Hey! Was that THE Brother Paul commenting in BM??? Wah! So official! The ex-students also should chip in to help their alma mater (well, so many people already explained…). Sadly, the younger ones, once they’ve left the school, they don’t bother at all…;somehow the old school spirit and culture non-existent!! They are like leeches, parasites…get the best education, the best results and never bother to give back to their old school. Wuching? U ex-Sacred Heart student, aren’t you??? And QV too!!! Hope both of you and any others reading will get the message!
Your best friend.. Lau Hoi Chew gives enough for both me and Wuching…so..dnt have to lah 😛
Above comment was meant for STP 😛
STP – That guy hor is an ex-Xaverian which has been canned too many times by the real Bro Paul and now got his alter ego. Hahaha.
lemme see… last 2 months in my opis, i gotta contribute $$$ coz colleague’s bapak passed away, another 2 hospitalised, 1 resigned and next month another one leaving… not only in skool lah… opis oso kena … these oso can consider charity ar?
I’m puzzled! What has one guy’s generous contributions to do with someone who has never contributed in cash or kind (At least, Wuching has the decency to keep quiet)? We Chinese has a saying to describe people like that – taking someone’s posterior and stuffing own face with it!!!
I think I’ve contributed in kind while I was a student there…..remember the time of the puppet on the throne..spewing words from my mouth for the glory of the school 😛
Anyway..wat I was implying my dear Senile cousin is that…I think SHS has enough money from the donations of Lau Hoi Chew and the rest and dnt need the miserable amount that I can give….
Well, well, QV! That wasn’t what u said the 1st time!! Isn’t it too late to try and change ur tune now???