At my girl's JC, her classmate did the same and the school applauded her during assembly. She was presented as a role model. They also had rules about girls' hairdo but there was no problem. Until she regains her former crown of glory her baldness was testimony to a greater cause.
When my girls moved from primary to secondary school I decided they would not go to a Christian school. Right decision! This is my shorthand to say I am not surprised that something like this has happened at St. Margaret. Mainstream Christianity and their schools have decided they have satisfactorily answered Jesus question, "Who do you think I am?" They have forgotten that every once in a while he will ask us the same question again. They knew who he was but have forgotten, and needed to be asked again.
Today the Roman Catholics are fortunate to have Pope Francis. He said about the gays, "Who am I to judge?" Exactly!
Personally I am against homosexuality but all the same I appreciate Alex Au's latest post which I read yesterday. Increasingly I have come to realize that if we pick up stones and throw them at the gays, we cannot blame others for picking up boulders to hurl them at us! We have no legitimacy to judge them.
I have to agree with Vincent Ang: "Anal retentive principal still living in the 80s"
The principal has forgotten why the rules were there and what purpose they served. It is always the same outcome; over time people lost the raison d'etre and the rules become the purpose - a stick in the mud. Rules should bring us freedom and life, liberates us from lawlessness; allow us to grow and reach new heights. The principal stuck in past religious dogma has lost her way. The rules a means to freedom have become a cage instead.
Update: 12:05pm
The article is out, and I am happy to read and agree with them. Complementary.
Update: 3:30pm
Unsurprising to discover that I have plenty of company. See the comments by Facebookers.
Update: August 7, 1:45pm
Now the minister himself weighs in. The girls do not need to wear wigs. Very good!
The most teachable moment the Principal can now deliver to her students will be to stand up during Assembly and publicly acknowledge that she had over-reacted and that the students' efforts were laudable. Ha ha .. think she will do that? It will be like PM / Ministers admitting they are wrong. Somehow its beyond our leaders.
ReplyDeleteShame on the principal. But if she is an exemplary Christian, and for that matter, representing a Christian school, she should be christian enough to apologise. If the school has no intent to allow its students to participate in the cancer course (for it may lead to its students "becoming punk", it should have explained to the students and raise the issue to the Ministry of education and the Cancer Foundation. Why penalise the students as they have not done something improper, for that matter, a seemingly good cause.
ReplyDeleteThe principal should heed to the call by Jesus, for which St Margaret's school stands for, "who among you have no sin cast the first stone?" Her action has caused a lot of hurt to people - and the minimum she can do is to apologise for such harsh act