a moment of disgust

i happened to walk into my brother's room when a canister caught my eye. "THE RAFFLES PROGRAMME" it said. and in it was a mini t-shirt, a shoelace, a phonecard, and a small card which cooked up 'significances' of the items contained within. probably the can and it's contents cost $8 maybe to make? waste of $ if u ask me. just for something handy and neat to present to overseas guests and exchange students.

RAFFLES PHONECARD

the raffles phonecard represents the free flow of ideas and commnications across all spectrum of the rafflesian society. it is a two way participative process with a premium placed on the importance of each person's voice in the strengthening and shaping of the rafflesian traditions and ethos.

have u EVER in your life heard more bullish bullshit? but they just trash themselves over and over again as u read on...

RAFFLES SHOELACE

the raffles shoelace, akin to the rafflesian spirit, symbolically represents the binding of the rafflesian community together. it binds us together, so that we can work towards a common goal of striving for the rafflesian tradition of excellence, and with a difference. it binds us in terms of the rafflesian values and the deep passion for the school wherever we travel with the shoes of life and in whatever circumstances.

it only gets better.

RAFFLES JERSEY

the raffles jersey represents the pride of being a rafflesian in raffles colours. more stylish than a climacool, more funky than a dri-fit, this t-shirt bears and bares the prestige of the raffles tradition of excellence, symbolising the unique spirit and culture that distinguishes and unites us. when one dons the raffles jersey it compels us as a rafflesian wanting to do our best in any endeavour, be it within the playing field, or in the arena of competition or the theatre of music and drama, the raffles jersey leaves its mark on the wearer- etched deep into our skin, buried within our heart, and becoming part of our very soul.

and who would have thought tt they came out more crap. even for the can. guan(4) zi(3)...

RAFFLES CELEBRATION CAN

the rafflesian celebration can represents the potential that exists within raffles institution. it is a reservoir of unlimited potential. it has the capacity to store all that are necessary to nourish, equip and transform a young rafflesian to become the confident, cultured and group centered individual who is capable of achieving great things for himself and society in the years ahead.

after reading the card, i couldn't help but feel disgust for how crap the RAFFLES 'culture' for the top management can sometimes be. all tt bureaucracy, high-handness, and elitist nature. coupled with oh-i'm-so-leading-the-pack, 'pioneer in education', making all the 'earth shaking changes'. we're focusing on the nothing tt is cooked up, diverting attention from the real substance.

and of course out of those minds was birthed "THE RAFFLES PROGRAMME".

it has always seemed to me tt the real reason tt we're now introducing this widely unwelcomed change is because there have not been enough real changes made in the education arena. therefore to remind pple tt RI is the 'premier institution' in the education arena, a smoke is thrown. great. well at least we've shown ourselves to be real leaders because soon after u find that everyone's jumping onto the bandwagon to offer exactly the same thing what 'raffles' has to offer.

what we need are real changes. or maybe even just maintain status quo. not making changes /= stagnanting. and it is confidence tt we should have in our own standards and quality tt will rid the insecurity. surely all changes make a difference, but whether they are for better or worse is another matter to be thought out careful before implementating.

have the authorities ever polled the student opinion? how much of the student population would like to see this happen? i heard tt the reults of the poll were not released to the students even. many are just accepting things as they come. no choice mar. what to do. and it's RI leh! should be good lar. in fact, no o-lvls leh! students who chose to stay out of the programme are herded into a class with PE teachers as their form teachers. hardly something to be surprised with since all resources would have to be channeled to make the programme actually work, for it would be an utter disgrace should it fail for all to see.

make no mistake about it, i'm proud to be associated with the rich tradition of the school. those 4 years in RI have been the most memorable and delightful years of my schooling life. RAFFLES represents much more than those cans and mini tees, so much so that it is demeaning and even insulting to attempt to try to 'symbolise' all tt in such inferior receptecals, with such meaningless and pompous language. kudos to the team who has written such immense crap - no one could have done it better. RAFFLES has real substance real culture. pls if u don't understand things, stop acting as if u do and disgracing all those who have held this wonderful school in high esteem.

well i'm just glad tt there are slight changes in the management now. christmas tree (in the words of chin wei) has been transplanted. i fondly remember the times when we had a wonderful headmaster whom all of us looked up to. one who was not so much after superficial changes, one who was there at so many matches and was so inspiring and commanded much respect. one who carried the standard of the school and raised not just the school's accademic results but also injected much life into the school.

at least now maybe there can be hope for a better age.