My thoughts on the cyberbullying article on KRC (and its responses)

[xewyne]

There's been a lot of drama on KRC lately, revolving around Choon's latest article on cyberbullying. I'll do my part to repost it here. http://kentridgecommon.com/?p=15519Read more... )

Comments

[forochel]

ksljgsdg sorry!!! )))): I'm...not actually surprised? remember all those newspaper kerfluffles with those GEPers who were like "get out of my elite, uncaring face"? I think it's symptomatic of the same problem. you probably do get bullying! but we (UCL) have dedicated welfare officer in the union and a paid staff member who deals with bullying and harassment, and there's usually disciplinary action taken against people who don't uphold the equalities and diversity part of the union - a president of a union society got thrown out because of something to do with that. there's much more of an institutional stand against discrimination and, this might be relevant to the problem being discussed in NUS, lower income students do get more loans and bursaries to help them out.

by original source I meant the closed fb group! because I don't doubt the author of the article (choon hwee?) picked the most inflammatory comments.

I agree! and all of what you said, in the last line there, is why I think meritocracy is something that *hasn't* been achieved yet in Singapore. I cannot believe that it just so happens that most of the smart kids come from middle to high income families.

[xewyne]

Haha, ya that was my senior in RG who said that actually... >_> Wow @ UCL's institutional stand! Yea my friend did some sociology fieldwork where they recorded responses from kids being counseled... they care a lot more about welfare and student psychological health in the US and UK, it seems, than in Sg (which is kinda like natural-selection).

Ohh yea, I don't doubt as well that there are more benign comments on that group. There are great people in USP la, some even defended her etc. It's just the handful of really nasty commenters zz

Totally agree, it's no coincidence huh! Haha that's why I guess I particularly love meeting people who weren't from rich families or elite backgrounds, who are still incredibly brilliant and smarter than some who were so privileged. My boyfriend is one of these people haha. Neighbourhood school, parents were musicians, played soccer with mats all. Talks like some professor/encyclopaedia of genius -.- I often tell him he should have been in GEP. But yea we need to throw people from different strata of society into the mix. Mess things up a little! Also should not be trying to exclude people from different classes...

[forochel]

your boyfriend sounds like an incredible person! the school system has something to blame for that, I guess -- the segregation of 'good' schools from 'neighbourhood' schools etc.