Shower Room Meals - SK Seri Pristana

I suppose this school, SK Seri Pristana, is well-known by now. All it took was a post in facebook, and it has turned into a media storm overnight.

First, the people involved:

The Facebook post that started it.

The parent, Guneswari Kelly, who made that post.

She posted the pics of school kids having their recess break in the shower room. Apparently, she was brushed-off by the school staff when she raised her displeasure with them. 

The Headmaster: Mohamad Nasir Mohd Noor

The reason he gave was that there the canteen was closed for renovation works (which was later revealed to be a minor work involving the replacement of a door). Meanwhile, the students were told to use the shower room for their meals.

The improvised shower room.

According to the official explanation, this place has been in use since March because the canteen was too small to accommodate all the students.

The Deputy Minister of Education and Higher Learning II, P. Kamalanathan

The Deputy Minister visited the school and tried to diffuse the issue with the reasons above. The Headmaster and Minister have apologised. Unfortunately, not everyone buys the official story and  some quarters demand tough action to be taken against the Headmaster.

Well, I think this event has been over-sensationalised. It is understandable that most parents would react very emotionally when learn about news like this.

The real issue here is the poor choice of location. There is no doubt that the Headmaster made a bad decision. Going by the scores of reports online, I do think that the school tried to cover up their mistake, because the reasons given by them does not quite tally with the parents' version of events. Isn't it standard practice to inform all the parents if there are any special arrangements such as this beforehand?

 Anyway, the general perception is that of racial prejudice and discrimination. Nobody knows for sure if it is indeed true, except the Headmaster & the PTA. There's talk that the students were told to use that shower room for their recess break only recently, at the start of the fasting month. If it is true, then it is indeed insensitive. 

Where did these kids have their meals during the fasting months in the past 2 years?

Also I do not think it is fair to blame the parent who posted the pics for causing this predicament. She only posted it in her facebook and it went viral. It's the media and politicians that picked it up and turned it into this controversy. And if it is true that the school ignored the parents' complains earlier, then the school have themselves to blame too.

 Anyway, the Headmaster and even the Minister have already apologised early on... and the students can now use the canteen again...

Recess! their favourite time during school hours!

 
 However, it doesn't end there... Apparently, certain people, and certain politicians, do not want this to end...

Various groups support school headmaster

Several groups, including an Umno branch, threw their support behind the SK Seri Pristana school headmaster. 

SUNGAI BULOH: Four out of five banners put up on the fence at the front portion of the school show support for the SK Seri Pristana headmaster, Mohd Nasir Mohd Nor.

The most prominent banner is by the Taman Seri Pristana Umno branch. It has a photo of the teachers breaking fast in the same shower room used by the students.

On the banner is written:“Kami bersama SKSP” (we are with SKSP). The banner also says “ Cikgu Nasir… u r the bezzz!!!!”.

Another banner was from a Facebook support group.

It reads “Seluruh warga pendidik SK Seri Pristana…kami sentiasa bersama anda…teruskan mendidik anak bangsa” (To all the teachers of SK Seri Pristana… we are always with you… continue to educate our children).

Two other banners were from the Seri Pristana Youth’s Association and an online advertising firm respectively.

The banner by Sri Pristana Youth’s Association reads “Awas… Fitnah!!!… Tak Bertamadun… SK Seri Pristana = Mangsa” (Beware…Slander!!!. It’s uncivilised… SK Seri Pristana is the victim)

The banner by the advertising firm Letak.my stated “We fully support En. Mohd Nasir Mohd Nor, SKSP teachers and their staff. Gratitude teaches us to appreciate the rainbow and the storm”.

Nevertheless, there was one banner that warned the school administration on their actions, claiming that the school is being watched.

The banner read, “Berhati-hati dengan tindakan anda…anda diperhatikan” .....

...Meanwhile renovation work at the school canteen has started. Workers were seen working on the canteen area to expand the canteen size to accommodate all 1,300 students.


Source

DAP now wants action against Seri Pristana HM for allegedly intimidating students

The Ipoh Barat MP referred to media reports that said the headmaster had taken photographs of pupils whose parents had allegedly lodged complaints against him, saying this was unacceptable and warrants immediate action.

............The Ipoh Barat MP referred to media reports that said the headmaster had taken photographs of pupils whose parents had allegedly lodged complaints against him, saying this was unacceptable and warrants immediate action........

.............“In fact, five days ago, Guneswari Kelly, who had exposed the whole controversy revealed that her daughter was depressed as a result of being bullied by both her classmates and teachers since the photographs went viral,” Kula Segaran added.........

............According to media reports, mechanic Kumancan Veeriah, also a parent of a pupil there, said Nasir had gone to the school, while he was on leave last week, and had taken photographs of some non-Muslim students whom he suspected had leaked the news that they were told to have their meals in the school changing room, which is near the toilets........

Source

It has turned into a political circus...

There are many ways to solve problems. Does it always have to be confrontational? It takes two hands to clap... Usually, it's the innocent that will suffer... in this case, sadly, the kids. I think after this, there will be a high degree of uneasiness among the teachers, parents and kids in that school.

It was such a small issue.

1. Parents not agreeable to location.
2. Complain to school.
3. School change location. 
4. Problem solved.

This mess started at point no. 2.

So, what did we learn from this episode? 

The lesson learned is that not everyone likes to eat in the shower room. And if one decides to put other people's kids there, ask their parents first!

 :)