So regardless if one pays their school fees or not, the public school should NOT discriminate or bar the student from education, unless if it is a private school.
But is Republic Polytechnic a public school?
RP relies heavily on IT (info-tech).
Laptops are compulsory for all students. If a student couldn't afford one, he/she needs to apply for a laptop loan which requires lots of paperwork and verification. If not, the student has to go to the IT helpdesk every morning to lend the laptop for the day and return it at the end of the day.
Well, I know a few classmates who couldn't afford laptops, thus they have to loan it from the school. The weird thing about the school-property laptop is, the laptops are labelled with a rather huge attention-grabbing sticker: "PROPERTY OF REPUBLIC POLYTECHNIC".
I was awed by it. It is quite discriminating to them as anyone who sees that will know the student has loan the laptop from school, thus assuming that the student is needy/poor.
I have no negative opinions on that, but feel rather awkward.
And there were times when my classmates failed to pay their school fees in time, and they were later restricted from accessing the school's website (to download the materials to learn for the day) and internet. And since they are restricted from accessing the school's website, they could not download the required materials or do the necessary work for the day UNTIL the student pays the school fees.
Well, that's something I do not understand at all.
But don't get me wrong. I know that schools need to receive school fees from the students so that they can pay their administrative cost, bills, and so forth. But to bar a student from accessing the school's website and internet is quite unethical, in my opinion. I believe the school should not be doing this.
I know Republic Polytechnic is a public school, but why is the system behaving as if it's a private school?
What is your opinion?
