Wednesday, November 7, 2007

Latest Proposed letter to the School - Yet to be sent as of Nov 8th 2007

From: The Concerned Parents of GIIS Malaysia Students
To: Manoj Nair
Board of Directors
GIIS Malaysia

Dear Sir,
Re: Request for Management Attention to Resolve Fundamental Issues Faced By Parents
There are many reasons why we, the parents of GIIS Malaysia students enrolled our children in your school but perhaps the most pertinent of them all is that we share the vision of GIIS "To nurture the best and brightest GLOBAL students into men and women, who will be leaders of distinction committed to spirit of excellence, through high quality education imparted by globally experienced and caring teachers".
We would like to direct the attention of GIIS Malaysia management to issues that are a cause for concern related to transportation, security, class size and others. Until recently, we utilised the school appointed Parent Support Group (PSG) who moderated between parents and the school management.
We recognise the efforts of PSG who sacrificed time and energy to raise key issues through forums such as the GIIS Parent Meeting (GPM) as well as through informal channels such as e-mails and face to face communications.
It has come to our attention that the formally appointed Parent Support Group (PSG) has recently resigned (The attached e-mail is referred).
The issues raised by PSG in their resignation e-mail are resonated by many parents. In most professionally run schools, the Parents Teachers Association (PTA) is used as a formal channel to raise and resolve common & critical issues.
We, the paying parents of students in GIIS, feel neglected as we do not receive the appropriate attention of a private professional establishment of this stature. We do however understand the pressures felt by the Management of GIIS Malaysia in the last 1 year of the school start-up. As we now begin to settle into a routine, we sincerely hope that GIIS Malaysia school management will provide us this much needed forum with suitable follow up action to resolve key concerns.

Attached herewith are the following:
1. A letter from a group of parents stating key issues that require solutions
2. Selected minutes and somewhat vague responses from the recent GPM sessions
The front page of GIIS Malaysia site states
‘As a forward-thinking and academically ambitious school, with a strong international dimension, GIIS strives for an innovative and imaginative academic curriculum. Our academic life is complemented by attentive pastoral care and full and wide-ranging co-curricular and extra-curricular programmes.’
We expect that GIIS Malaysia lives up to this promise and allows us an avenue to express our concerns and thoughts in view of reaching a solution or minimally, a roadmap for a solution. It is critical that in these early years of formation, GIIS Malaysia demonstrates that it is clearly ahead of the rest of the pack of education systems in Malaysia so that the school establishes itself as a permanent, long term educational entity in Malaysia. We firmly believe that we all play a role in achieving this goal.
We would be grateful if a clear and positive response could be given by 1st week of December 2007.
We append with this letter, a list of signatures from a group of Malaysian, Indian & other Foreign parents that demonstrates our resolute and unity on this matter.

Thank You.
The Concerned Parents of GIIS Malaysia Students
c.c. Chairman, GIIS

12 comments:

Monica said...

I am full supporting this letter.
Monika Ramasamy

sashi said...

Hey there everyone! This is a great start-up but more parents' attention should be chanelled here. Great work on starting this blog. A big slap on the back to the initiator! What would be the next step after the letter has been drafted? There doesn't seem to be any response from many parents...in fact hardly any. How do we harness the support in a concrete fashion?

Anonymous said...

We support this letter.

Harith & Sashi Menon

Anonymous said...

Has the letter been presented? Can we get to know the reaction or response of the school?

Anonymous said...

I am sorry if I sound rude and lacking in culture but don't you feel that the school totally lacks transparency and is unresponsive?? We still do not know as to why Mr.Gopalakrishnan left.Lot of things that were promised has not happened. The classrooms are so small and the number of students so high! And now GIIS is talking of a second school? Shoud they not run the first school properly, before attempting to make more money by starting more schools....

puvanesvary subrayan said...

I fully support this letter. Has the letter been submitted to the school or still pending?

Anonymous said...

As the new campus is confirmed now, it would be paramount to bring our letter forward to the principal and management asap. Unfortunately there are only three signature so far in the blog. The idea is to sign it with your support and name. One parent expressed to me her difficulty in using the blog, perhaps that is one reason. It is to show that with a new campus, we would expect the class-size to drop down to international standards and also to deal with other areas expressed in the drafted letter. So please could you make an effort to sign. One parent suggested to get a group of parents, preferably fathers as well, to personally bring the letter to the principal or director.

Lets get moving, the letter was drafted sensibly, quickly and efficiently, now we just have to bring it to the attention of the management either personally or through the intranet.

Anonymous said...

This is a good initiative and we should effectively act so that we don't end up like Singapore GIIS parents.I mean, when it grows too big, it will be difficult to bring quality and secondly when the school is too big 'you and I' do not matter.The attention you get when you are fewer, you will not get later. This is already happening. In fact, the first two or three meetings principals and admission team from here and Singapore were even fussing over our snacks, offering it to us personally, bringing cups of coffee to us. Now even those principals have left GIIS. So if we don't get ourselves heard now, it will be difficult later

Anonymous said...

The GIIS KL parents have to get their act together and force a response from Mr.Manoj and Chairman. Otherwise, we will also be left voiceles and unheard like Singapore GIIS parents. A look at their blog and petition shows that GIIS does not care much for education once admissions are done. We can't allow this to happen as we have pulled our children out of MOE schools and paid heavy sums as registration and deposit. Make the school respond and committ adn publish this on this blog.

Anonymous said...

Hi

Was the represention passed on? What is the response? Can we get an update,please?

Anonymous said...

Can we have updates on this? Has the representation been made? Have the school authorities taken heed of the suggestions and observations made? Classes are getting over crowded and having taken the kids out of their earlier school, we are getting very worried. We would like the school's response.

Anonymous said...

I am afraid this is becomming one more venture which starts with a lot of promise but no follow up. The good natured volunteer parents who have spent so much time and energy and started this should compel the school to listen and respond. When the school started there was so much promise about bringing teachers from India. We ahev only four and five and they are also unhappy. Of course, there are,in addition all the other issues listed in this blog. Is the school going to answer all this???