The little munchkin's completed his special lessons for his dyslexic condition today... well, I shouldn't be saying 'completed' since we could continue with the lessons but basically, the 1-year contract ended today.
I'd just like to say that the hassle dealing with the principal and only teacher for that establishment was terrible... and up til now, I can't really say if all that was worth it.
Actually, seeing the little munchkin improved so well in the middle of last year's school term was a pretty good feeling... he achieved good results and was promoted to a better class, instantly, making us all determined to let him finish the 1-year duration. But being in the mercy of the principal, who very well knows how much parents like us are in need of professional help due to the lack of educators in this line, the entire year was truly a duration filled with nothing but negative energy between both of us and her.
The most part is being so upset that we are treated like fools with lower than 100 points IQ, and the experience left us feeling short-changed, all the time...
... from her frequent mc's (taking medical leave) and not wanting to replace the classes (bear in mind, classes are only 3 times a week, each lasting one hour only) but when I queried her on this, apparently it is stated in the contract that she is allowed 14 days medical leave in a year!;
... her incessant change of mind - first she'd tell you there is only a vacant slot in so and so days for so and so timing, and after a few months, she'll tell you she doesn't have time to eat lunch (is that really my problem?) and that you should send your kids another day and another time to her convenience! After discussing back and forth, you are forced to agree to her timing because you have no other choice and she will then tell your husband that his wife has 'agreed' to the new timing;
... her calling you to pick up your kids before class ends because your asthmatic kid has 'flu' (when it is not flu, stupid!) because in her exact words - she has low antibody and gets sick easily as she is allergic to vitamin c and will not recover easily. And... those classes will not be replaced because it is YOUR fault that your kid has 'flu'...;
... her calling your husband and telling your husband that you are rude because you made a remark that 'she is so weak that she gets sick so easily' when none of us in the family (not even my younger 6 year-old niece) got sick with the little munchkin's sinus;
... that one time during the public school holiday and tlm was tagging along his atok to Terengganu for my cousin's wedding, the principal denied any replacement class but when she cited a meeting with the 'kementerians', she actually said there was a slot available for Friday, a day where she doesn't have ANY classes;
... and many more points, where it just gets too stressful to list them down.
To her, everything is covered under the contract, which if you were to read it before signing it, there's nothing harmless in it, until something really occur and you will realise that the words were carefully put and chosen, to her advantage. You know, there'll be those clause where it sounds very general in any contracts (best example is that agreement you'd click 'I Agree' before downloading any online programmes... there are just so many stuff put in it but one doesn't really apply them all when using the internet), except that in this one, the clauses will really be applied.
Granted, she must be the most accessible, highly qualified person to be helping out kids like the little munchkin but knowing that you have so much power, one's head can grow so huge... especially when parents pay around RM25k a year for the kids that truly need help, and for a parent who's unemployed for 8 months+ but could still continue paying for quality education, you can only imagine how hard I've worked.
I was introduced to her by a friend. Through my research on this topic, it was initially more convenient to send the little munchkin to her since I was still working then, and I had to ask my mom's help to send him to the school in TTDI, KL. We made sure to arrange the schedule properly so that my other 2 nieces are well taken cared for as well.
My friend who recommended her to me, mentioned that many parents pull out their kids from the school way before their supposed duration as the principal is apparently an outspoken person and parents sometimes do not like it when others try to teach them how to deal with their own kids. When you think about it, you'd really wonder why parents would do that if they really want the best for their kids, right?
Little did I know that after 2 months sending the little munchkin there, those parents probably pulled their kids out because this woman is a freaking liar. Yes, she'd teach what she's supposed to teach your special kids, but there will be so many little little incidents where she'd escape what you expect out of her. And on top of it all, I realised that she's the one who's supposed to pay us parents as our kids are actually used as her 'experiment' for her thesis. Furthermore, as there are no specific timeline for specific syllabus to be taught, you wouldn't know if your child has learnt all he's supposed to learn throughout the one year since your child has a short attention span and could only concentrate for a certain duration, usually only managing a few tasks or assignments.
I should be happy that the little munchkin has shown marked improvements but that is also due to personal coaching at home, using the tools that the one learnt from reading the little munchkin's homework.
I have been resenting the fact that we pay her so much but that she didn't really fulfill the end of the bargain, all covered very well in the contract. For me, I was only thinking of the best for the little munchkin because as a mom, I only want the best for him and I worry so much about him especially with his impending UPSR this year. Although many people told me that it is not compulsory for him to take the exams, I would still like to know how much he's learnt and how much he understands things. Plus, we need professional evaluation of him from time to time so that we could help him in his future education years, and hoping that the public school he goes to would understand what he is going through too.
We parents, with special kids like this, do not have that much choice in this country. Our education system is also pretty much of a dinosaur age... even a poem in a textbook was plagiarised from a plagiariser (you would understand the poem if you had been following last year's news on a model/actress turned writer/plagiariser). And, everything is being politicised nowadays, no thanks to greedy, arrogant clowns we have in politics. Who's really taking care of the needs of the increasing number of special kids if they still can't bloody make the Maths and Science in English to work properly? In the little munchkin's school alone, there are 3 others who's just like him but their parents are unable to do anything about their special needs.
I'm just glad that the entire ordeal is over, with the last straw in her getting to my nerves today - she bloody dared give me a post-dated cheque for the advanced 2-month fee included in the deposit, when the cheque was supposed to be due last Monday (she clearly is very well aware of this since she gave her word to the one). I could report this to the necessary law enforcers if I really want to make hell for her but I am just too tired to deal with such an obnoxious character. I've so much pent-up anger all for the sake of getting help for the little munchkin since the last 12 months and I would like to get off this negative energy. Shoo! Boo!
Now, all we would do is to continuously stimulate him with those tools that the one has figured out from the little munchkin's previous homework and we're hoping that he would keep improving. I cannot put such high expectations on him but I do want him to be successful in the things he likes to do. That's what the one and I are hoping... for him to be able to be independent and not burden others in the future.
For friends who've asked me about this school, I would say, try asking around and getting involved in our national dyslexic association. They have their flaws but they would also be able to help a little (if not much) and you don't go home feeling cheated from your hard-earned income. Of course, one must have time for all these. Otherwise, others will take advantage of your shortcomings.
I have nothing else to say about that woman but I do remember one of her pathetic tale, telling us that she was once threatened to be beaten by a group of men who waited in front of her school because they were either jealous of her success or because they couldn't stand that a single woman can understand so much about children. Now, if I were to have already been thru this ridiculous experience with her when this story was told to me, I would say that those guys may have been sent by some parent to get back that non-refundable RM10k deposit after feeling short-changed.
I'm glad that it's all over and as the one said to me earlier while we were chatting via google talk, "dah no more of this unnecessary stress and trauma".
I'd just like to say that the hassle dealing with the principal and only teacher for that establishment was terrible... and up til now, I can't really say if all that was worth it.
Actually, seeing the little munchkin improved so well in the middle of last year's school term was a pretty good feeling... he achieved good results and was promoted to a better class, instantly, making us all determined to let him finish the 1-year duration. But being in the mercy of the principal, who very well knows how much parents like us are in need of professional help due to the lack of educators in this line, the entire year was truly a duration filled with nothing but negative energy between both of us and her.
The most part is being so upset that we are treated like fools with lower than 100 points IQ, and the experience left us feeling short-changed, all the time...
... from her frequent mc's (taking medical leave) and not wanting to replace the classes (bear in mind, classes are only 3 times a week, each lasting one hour only) but when I queried her on this, apparently it is stated in the contract that she is allowed 14 days medical leave in a year!;
... her incessant change of mind - first she'd tell you there is only a vacant slot in so and so days for so and so timing, and after a few months, she'll tell you she doesn't have time to eat lunch (is that really my problem?) and that you should send your kids another day and another time to her convenience! After discussing back and forth, you are forced to agree to her timing because you have no other choice and she will then tell your husband that his wife has 'agreed' to the new timing;
... her calling you to pick up your kids before class ends because your asthmatic kid has 'flu' (when it is not flu, stupid!) because in her exact words - she has low antibody and gets sick easily as she is allergic to vitamin c and will not recover easily. And... those classes will not be replaced because it is YOUR fault that your kid has 'flu'...;
... her calling your husband and telling your husband that you are rude because you made a remark that 'she is so weak that she gets sick so easily' when none of us in the family (not even my younger 6 year-old niece) got sick with the little munchkin's sinus;
... that one time during the public school holiday and tlm was tagging along his atok to Terengganu for my cousin's wedding, the principal denied any replacement class but when she cited a meeting with the 'kementerians', she actually said there was a slot available for Friday, a day where she doesn't have ANY classes;
... and many more points, where it just gets too stressful to list them down.
To her, everything is covered under the contract, which if you were to read it before signing it, there's nothing harmless in it, until something really occur and you will realise that the words were carefully put and chosen, to her advantage. You know, there'll be those clause where it sounds very general in any contracts (best example is that agreement you'd click 'I Agree' before downloading any online programmes... there are just so many stuff put in it but one doesn't really apply them all when using the internet), except that in this one, the clauses will really be applied.
Granted, she must be the most accessible, highly qualified person to be helping out kids like the little munchkin but knowing that you have so much power, one's head can grow so huge... especially when parents pay around RM25k a year for the kids that truly need help, and for a parent who's unemployed for 8 months+ but could still continue paying for quality education, you can only imagine how hard I've worked.
I was introduced to her by a friend. Through my research on this topic, it was initially more convenient to send the little munchkin to her since I was still working then, and I had to ask my mom's help to send him to the school in TTDI, KL. We made sure to arrange the schedule properly so that my other 2 nieces are well taken cared for as well.
My friend who recommended her to me, mentioned that many parents pull out their kids from the school way before their supposed duration as the principal is apparently an outspoken person and parents sometimes do not like it when others try to teach them how to deal with their own kids. When you think about it, you'd really wonder why parents would do that if they really want the best for their kids, right?
Little did I know that after 2 months sending the little munchkin there, those parents probably pulled their kids out because this woman is a freaking liar. Yes, she'd teach what she's supposed to teach your special kids, but there will be so many little little incidents where she'd escape what you expect out of her. And on top of it all, I realised that she's the one who's supposed to pay us parents as our kids are actually used as her 'experiment' for her thesis. Furthermore, as there are no specific timeline for specific syllabus to be taught, you wouldn't know if your child has learnt all he's supposed to learn throughout the one year since your child has a short attention span and could only concentrate for a certain duration, usually only managing a few tasks or assignments.
I should be happy that the little munchkin has shown marked improvements but that is also due to personal coaching at home, using the tools that the one learnt from reading the little munchkin's homework.
I have been resenting the fact that we pay her so much but that she didn't really fulfill the end of the bargain, all covered very well in the contract. For me, I was only thinking of the best for the little munchkin because as a mom, I only want the best for him and I worry so much about him especially with his impending UPSR this year. Although many people told me that it is not compulsory for him to take the exams, I would still like to know how much he's learnt and how much he understands things. Plus, we need professional evaluation of him from time to time so that we could help him in his future education years, and hoping that the public school he goes to would understand what he is going through too.
We parents, with special kids like this, do not have that much choice in this country. Our education system is also pretty much of a dinosaur age... even a poem in a textbook was plagiarised from a plagiariser (you would understand the poem if you had been following last year's news on a model/actress turned writer/plagiariser). And, everything is being politicised nowadays, no thanks to greedy, arrogant clowns we have in politics. Who's really taking care of the needs of the increasing number of special kids if they still can't bloody make the Maths and Science in English to work properly? In the little munchkin's school alone, there are 3 others who's just like him but their parents are unable to do anything about their special needs.
I'm just glad that the entire ordeal is over, with the last straw in her getting to my nerves today - she bloody dared give me a post-dated cheque for the advanced 2-month fee included in the deposit, when the cheque was supposed to be due last Monday (she clearly is very well aware of this since she gave her word to the one). I could report this to the necessary law enforcers if I really want to make hell for her but I am just too tired to deal with such an obnoxious character. I've so much pent-up anger all for the sake of getting help for the little munchkin since the last 12 months and I would like to get off this negative energy. Shoo! Boo!
Now, all we would do is to continuously stimulate him with those tools that the one has figured out from the little munchkin's previous homework and we're hoping that he would keep improving. I cannot put such high expectations on him but I do want him to be successful in the things he likes to do. That's what the one and I are hoping... for him to be able to be independent and not burden others in the future.
For friends who've asked me about this school, I would say, try asking around and getting involved in our national dyslexic association. They have their flaws but they would also be able to help a little (if not much) and you don't go home feeling cheated from your hard-earned income. Of course, one must have time for all these. Otherwise, others will take advantage of your shortcomings.
I have nothing else to say about that woman but I do remember one of her pathetic tale, telling us that she was once threatened to be beaten by a group of men who waited in front of her school because they were either jealous of her success or because they couldn't stand that a single woman can understand so much about children. Now, if I were to have already been thru this ridiculous experience with her when this story was told to me, I would say that those guys may have been sent by some parent to get back that non-refundable RM10k deposit after feeling short-changed.
I'm glad that it's all over and as the one said to me earlier while we were chatting via google talk, "dah no more of this unnecessary stress and trauma".
4 comments:
after reading the whole post, I really feel for you guys. Mmg hati batu person ni, she knows she is taking advantage of her customers yet she gets away with it as she has a monopoly. Good riddance ! Hopefully, you don't cross her path again.
I know what i;m gonna say is not the right thing to do. But I don't think it will harm anyone if u mention the name of the school or the company of the that principal..At least , others will be warned about this evil person who cheated on other's hard earned money.
Tak payah lah hard up sangat dengan dia. She really needs to learn that she is nothing without her client.
If what Arch is doing more effective, then continue the job well done. You can also do some research on your own on the teaching method for dyslexic child. I have seen some books on it. Will try and get hold of one from here.
Kesian Little Munchkin. He is such a lovely boy and you guys have done well.
ome,
yeah. and she shouldn't either.
emly,
actually, dear... i've given lots of hints. just type the keywords on google search and her establishment is listed within the first page itself. impressive website and all tapi indah khabar dari rupa.
muzeju,
thanks, babes.
Post a Comment