XiaoMei
2004-02-18 12:16:04 UTC
POSSESSION OF PORNOGRAPHIC MATERIALS IS AN OFFENCE UNDER THE LAW.
---
MOE: School right to make police report over porn VCDs
18/2/2004
But it should not have denied the boys food and drink while they
investigated the matter for seven hours, says ministry
By Jane Ng
KENT Ridge Secondary was right to call in the police when it found out that
some students had been viewing pornography on VCDs, but it should have
'handled the situation better', the Education Ministry said yesterday.
RUSHED TO HOSPITAL: This student, who has Hirschsprung's disease, was helped
by his father and taken to NUH after the school had deprived him of food and
drink for seven hours on Feb 9. -- THE NEW PAPER
In particular, it said, the staff should not have denied the students food
and drink while the school spent several hours investigating how widespread
the porn problem was.
The New Paper reported last week that most of the boys, one of whom has a
medical condition, had no food or drink for about seven hours.
The boy was warded in the National University Hospital for a night on Feb 9.
This, and the school's decision to involve the police without telling the
boys' parents first, infuriated the parents when they were eventually called
in.
But the ministry made it clear that it backed the principal's decision to
tell the police.
'Possession of pornographic materials is an offence under the law and the
students' statements indicated to the school that the problem was more
extensive than initially thought,' it said in a statement issued last night.
Schools, it said, are not required to inform or consult parents before they
act against a student, including reporting him to the police.
The principal, Miss Chamb Cherk Ing, made a police report on Feb 9 after
learning that 17 Secondary 2 boys in the co-ed school had watched
pornographic VCDs.
It all began on Feb 4, when a teacher confiscated a VCD from a Secondary 2
boy, which was found to contain pornographic images.
The next day, the school tried to contact the boy's parents but was
unsuccessful.
On Feb 6, another student was found to be involved.
The school managed to contact his mother.
By the end of that day, the school found that a total of 17 students were
involved.
Last Monday, while the school investigated, all 17 students were made to sit
outside the general office 'for several hours', according to the MOE.
The students were asked to write and reflect on what they had done.
The principal finally made a police report later that day.
The school then informed the boys' parents of the matter.
Three students were later questioned at a police station and released, one
of them on bail.
MOE said that the school should have let the students have meal breaks
during those hours that day.
It chided the staff for responding 'inappropriately' to the boys' requests
for a break so they could eat and drink.
The boy who was hospitalised has Hirschsprung's disease, and his parents had
told the school about this condition.
According to The New Paper, the walls of his intestines may fuse together if
he is deprived of food and drink.
The ministry said that the school should also have explained the situation
to the parents more effectively, when it called them in on Feb 9.
When contacted last night, Miss Chamb, the principal, said: 'I have kept all
teachers and students informed about the events as they unfolded.
'We must admit where we have gone wrong, and now look at how we can
improve.'
All the 17 students involved are back in class and are being counselled.
---
MOE: School right to make police report over porn VCDs
18/2/2004
But it should not have denied the boys food and drink while they
investigated the matter for seven hours, says ministry
By Jane Ng
KENT Ridge Secondary was right to call in the police when it found out that
some students had been viewing pornography on VCDs, but it should have
'handled the situation better', the Education Ministry said yesterday.
RUSHED TO HOSPITAL: This student, who has Hirschsprung's disease, was helped
by his father and taken to NUH after the school had deprived him of food and
drink for seven hours on Feb 9. -- THE NEW PAPER
In particular, it said, the staff should not have denied the students food
and drink while the school spent several hours investigating how widespread
the porn problem was.
The New Paper reported last week that most of the boys, one of whom has a
medical condition, had no food or drink for about seven hours.
The boy was warded in the National University Hospital for a night on Feb 9.
This, and the school's decision to involve the police without telling the
boys' parents first, infuriated the parents when they were eventually called
in.
But the ministry made it clear that it backed the principal's decision to
tell the police.
'Possession of pornographic materials is an offence under the law and the
students' statements indicated to the school that the problem was more
extensive than initially thought,' it said in a statement issued last night.
Schools, it said, are not required to inform or consult parents before they
act against a student, including reporting him to the police.
The principal, Miss Chamb Cherk Ing, made a police report on Feb 9 after
learning that 17 Secondary 2 boys in the co-ed school had watched
pornographic VCDs.
It all began on Feb 4, when a teacher confiscated a VCD from a Secondary 2
boy, which was found to contain pornographic images.
The next day, the school tried to contact the boy's parents but was
unsuccessful.
On Feb 6, another student was found to be involved.
The school managed to contact his mother.
By the end of that day, the school found that a total of 17 students were
involved.
Last Monday, while the school investigated, all 17 students were made to sit
outside the general office 'for several hours', according to the MOE.
The students were asked to write and reflect on what they had done.
The principal finally made a police report later that day.
The school then informed the boys' parents of the matter.
Three students were later questioned at a police station and released, one
of them on bail.
MOE said that the school should have let the students have meal breaks
during those hours that day.
It chided the staff for responding 'inappropriately' to the boys' requests
for a break so they could eat and drink.
The boy who was hospitalised has Hirschsprung's disease, and his parents had
told the school about this condition.
According to The New Paper, the walls of his intestines may fuse together if
he is deprived of food and drink.
The ministry said that the school should also have explained the situation
to the parents more effectively, when it called them in on Feb 9.
When contacted last night, Miss Chamb, the principal, said: 'I have kept all
teachers and students informed about the events as they unfolded.
'We must admit where we have gone wrong, and now look at how we can
improve.'
All the 17 students involved are back in class and are being counselled.