Re: the letter about the school trips

[Wangping zhu]

Dear Mrs Bourne,

 

I feel so shocked to read your letter of 12 June 2013, in which you have driven the issue over the top.

 

Please remember that

 

1. Parents have any right to communicate with the school on the issues regarding their boys and it is the school's undeniable responsibilities to give any parents a satisfying answer to any of their concerns reagarding the children and the school. That's why we pay for. Your letter gave me a feeling of chill, unwelcomed, threatening and being treated like a child.

 

2.I totally agree with you on the point that the school trip issue is very simple. But what I don't understand is that the school even do not have a very good and nice approach to solve this very simple issue instead of sending all the Form 3 parents this kind of unplasant letter. Since I am the one to raise this issue first and I have to make a copy to the whole Form 3 parents to be consistent with what you have done. 

 

3. It is very contridictory to what you said in your letter that "a number of parents have made it clear to me that they do not wish to be copied in on the circulating emails". If you have taken their request into your careful considerataion, you should not push thihs issue further by sending a letter in post to all the parents which is more damaging and frustrating to the parents.

 

4. As a parent, of course, I am entitled to know the plan and arrangement of the trips. I don't think it is demanding for me to ask to know who went with the boys to school trip. Actually, the school should be very open and pleased to tell the parents who will go soon after the parents have been picked up. So the mums can keep good communication with each other if they want to know their children's behavior or the enjoyment.

 

5. The most important point that I seriously want to say is that: it is VERY WRONG to threat the parents that you would have to make the trips for the boys only, and you also know that this would be deeply sad if the issue continues. I consider it not only a threatening to the parents but mostly importantly, a kind of punishment to the children. The children love to have their parents to go with them in their trips as this can provide a very nice and memorable experience for both boys and parents. This is also a good chance for the parents to see a complete picture of the work that the school has done to our children. Therefore, to take such a good credit from the school performance is indeed very sad and not sensible.

 

Yours truly,

Ping