No half day for schools today- MOE

ONE Chinese New Year tradition will be broken at many schools today - it will be a full day at class, with lessons as usual.

In most years, the last school day before Chinese New Year has been a two-hour affair with no lessons. Instead, many schools stage concerts and other events to celebrate the occasion.

But this year, because the eve of Chinese New Year falls on Sunday, the Ministry of Education (MOE) sent a directive through the cluster superintendents to their schools, saying they should operate at normal hours as it is not the eve of a public holiday.

In an e-mail reply to The Straits Times yesterday, the MOE said the granting of time off on the eve of major public holidays for students and staff celebrating them is based on the same practice as in the Civil Service.

'Since Friday is not the eve of Chinese New Year, schools would not be expected to grant time off for students and staff,' a spokesman said.

Despite this, some schools are going ahead with plans to celebrate Chinese New Year.

Many junior colleges contacted by The Straits Times said they would end their day at 11am or noon, doing away with lessons in the afternoon.

At St Andrew's Junior College, for instance, students will be dismissed at 11.45am, after its Chinese New Year concert ends.

Temasek Junior College, meanwhile, has lined up five hours of festivities to celebrate both Chinese New Year and Singapore's successful bid to host the Youth Olympic Games.

Independent schools such as Raffles and Hwa Chong institutions, which have autonomy over such decisions, will also have a shorter day: They will have a two-hour celebration before students are dismissed.

Said a Hwa Chong spokesman: 'We have a longstanding tradition of early dismissal to allow students to visit their primary schools to greet their former teachers. We want them to follow the Chinese saying of not forgetting their roots - yin shui si yuan (when drinking water, remember the source).'

Most other schools, however, will abide by the MOE's guidelines.

One exception: CHIJ Primary (Toa Payoh), which has declared a half day. It says it is doing so to celebrate its good showing in last year's Primary School Leaving Examination.

Its principal, Madam Magdalene Chin, declined to comment, but The Straits Times understands that pupils will be dismissed at 10.30am.

Other schools contacted say there is no reason to have a half day.

What they will do instead is to include a two-hour Chinese New Year celebration, usually a concert, within school hours.

Boon Lay Secondary vice-principal Charles Chan said it is not just lessons that will continue as scheduled, but co-curricular activities as well.

'There are quite a few Fridays taken up by public holidays this year, so even the few hours of curriculum time are important - things can get done in that time.

'Some students may not be in the mood for lessons. But it's how you set the tone. We have lessons first, then the party comes after that,' he said.

Perhaps predictably, students were the most disappointed by the MOE ruling.

Jonathan Tan, 14, a Secondary 2 student at Balestier Hill Secondary, spoke for most when he said he was looking forward to having a shorter school day so he can spend some time with his friends.

'We usually go out if there's a half day. It's always nice to leave school early. It's a pity this year's Chinese New Year's eve is on a Sunday,' he said.