The Petition

Please take the time to read this.

You should know what you are signing.

Everything written here is factual, and based on input from one of the members of the VAC/VEC, that is, the Victoria Advisory Committee. The basic premise for the switch to Co-ed is to keep VS sustainable, as an academic institution, since you all know we’ve been going down consistently over the last 5 years.

The Need?

An evaluation done by a team of educational specialists predicted academic trends in VS over the last 5 years; apparently the school is on a downward spiral, and ultimately unsustainable. Typical slippery slope argument; our last batch pulled us back from band 3 to band 1 in the rankings, but this has been declared inconclusive evidence of a trend reversal by the VAC. But what is has done is buy us some time. The details on how, when and at what level of detail this prediction was performed at, is currently unknown. Amongst those who did this review are Mr. Ang, Mrs. Chan (principal, VJC, and thus VAC secretary), and experts from Hwa Chong Institution.

The Argument

Mr. Ang posits that we need to bring in girls into the school because 1) girls will raise the academic standard of the school in and of itself (statistically, it is true that girls do better) and 2) bringing girls into the system is the given pre-requisite for IP (integrated program) to continue, or VJC will not accept partnership in IP with VS since it is deemed to be the ‘weaker partner’. This move is supported by Mrs. Chan, who does not support IP with VS, but in her capacity as secretary of the VAC, advocates that we bring in girls into VS anyway because she is concerned for our welfare. Mr. Ang also advocates IP as imperative to keep us sustainable.

The move for Co-Ed is spearheaded by Dr. Ong Chit Chung, Chairman, Victoria School & Victoria Junior College Executive & Advisory Committees, and MP for Jurong GRC. He has also indicated that a joint-IP with TKGS or Cedar (the way TCHS and NYGH are doing IP with HCI) is out of the question and MOE has told us not to interfere with them, because it would be unfair to force them into a union under VIP just so our IP programme can take off.

What we need to do

Hence, the crux of the issue is how to keep VS sustainable academically. The proposal to become a co-ed school is premised upon the evaluation that VS is academically unsustainable.

We posit that we not only need a mass petition to signify to the school administration that there is no ground support for their proposal, but also that we know what the problems with the system are, are what can be done to make VS sustainable ultimately. Be it school culture, teachers, better attitudes or a more efficient administration, speak up.

Hence what we are looking for is a counter-proposal, an evaluation of the problems and how to solve them, to deal with the very roots of the issue. Co-ed is the thing that made us all worked up, but do not lose sight of the chief issue at hand. We need to make it clear that we have a culture to preserve, that it may be intangible but not worth any less than the tangible aspects just because we cannot quantify them. We need to tell those who say they want to preserve and save the school to know that they save nothing if they rob us of identity. Without results we would be Siglap Link secondary; we’re agreed that that’s unacceptable. With results but as another anonymous mixed school, we are nothing.

To all Victorians; you know what is good about and what is wrong with the system. Email comments and ideas to the webmaster. The Review Committee meets within 4-5 weeks time, to discuss the OVA’s official stand on the issue (no statement has been issued so far) if you have something productive to contribute, if you can stand in front of the VAC and tell them why Co-Ed is a mistake, you should let us know. Again, email the webmaster.

Victoria Thy Sons Are We.

Lin Hong Xuan, 4C
Graduated in 2003