Monday, July 16, 2012

St James preschool needs a new home

After reading Lucky Tan's latest blog post I decided to go ahead and write this. I have too much to write and have to consciously cut back.

St James preschool has problem finding a new home because they refuse to charge market rates which they cannot afford to if they have to pay for space at market prices. They rather close the school than to become another Eton House or whatever. St James preschool is very highly regarded. I heard their principal once on FM 93.8 and was very impressed.

Years ago, market pricing our land was a rational and efficient way to allocate the scarce resource to produce the greatest good. I think that time has passed.

The highest form of transaction is to give/receive and pay it forward. The lowest level of transaction is to steal and rob from another. A business transaction ranks just one level above that lowest level and to make sure that all is properly done in a sustainable way there is a huge body of commercial law.

Until recently, only the most motivated and committed people wanting to help others would make a career in social work. Unfortunately we do not have enough such types to meet demand. To get more people into this work which would eventually be more accurate to rewrite as, "to get more people into this business" we have to make it an attractive career option, i.e., good pay, career path, status - the usual works. In this way, we will have the numbers but not the quality. We can ameliorate this by professionalizing the calling into a profession.

Be realistic. That's life. What is true social work is also true for nursing, teaching, religious calling and definitely public and political office.

Our economic choices reflect our values with land transactions a leading indicator. We are beginning to hate the results of you can have it if you can afford it. We are shrinking the space for transactions above the layer of commercial ones. To preserve our social glue, we need to claw some back. So very simple, which rich land owner will pay it forward by giving St. James preschool new premises but not at market rates?




1 comment:

  1. Just hope some very generous souls from CHC can help them to overcome this problem, remember the pastor at St.james is mentor to Pastor Kong and he has asked his fans to unite, support and pray for Pastor Kong & company in this time of need.

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