M'sian Parents Call Out Schools For Holding Expensive Graduation Dinners In 5-Star Hotels
"The whole situation is just emotional blackmail," said actress Adrea Abdullah.
By May Vin Ang — 30 Jan 2024, 05:24 PM
A woman recently started a discussion on social media after she observed how Malaysian schools are holding graduation ceremonies for their students in expensive hotels
Actress Adrea Abdullah recently took to social media to vent her frustration with the current "trend", which she deemed as unfair to parents who cannot afford to pay for their children's attendance.
"It doesn't make sense! It's seriously unfair! Do you agree that primary and secondary schools should have graduation lunch or dinner at four or five-star hotels, where they would charge about RM150 to RM200 per student? It's crazy!" she wrote in her caption.
In a seven-minute video, Adrea questioned the need for such luxurious events and the unnecessary financial pressure it places on some parents
"It costs RM200 for the student to attend, and RM150 for each of their parents, so that's a total of RM500, you know?
"And what will people say if the parents only pay for the student to go? 'Oh why didn't their mother come? Why didn't their father come? Pity the boy,' the other parents will say.
"The whole situation is just emotional blackmail," she said.
She claimed that many headmasters and teachers want to show off their schools on social media by holding their students' graduation ceremonies at fancy hotels.
"Can they think? Not all parents can afford it or have good jobs. Secondly, some parents have many children and other commitments, how can they spend RM200 just like that?" she questioned.
The 47-year-old mother-of-one told Harian Metro that her sister encountered the situation, and she has also seen several friends face the same issue
"This is persecuting the parents who can't afford it! It's such an unnecessary burden. Why not just hold the graduation ceremony at a community hall or in the school itself, so that it won't be expensive?" she asked.
Adrea added that government schools organising such an event is "cruel" as students from poor family backgrounds would feel discriminated against when they cannot attend their own graduation.
She hoped that the matter will be addressed by the Education Ministry, or at least discussed among teachers and parents in their respective schools before the event is organised.
Her video garnered close to four million views across Facebook and TikTok, where countless parents agreed with her comments
"I agree, this is absolutely ridiculous. It's not even if we can afford it, but it's just not needed," said a parent, who added that they would also need to spend additional money on appropriate clothes for the graduation.
"I'm speaking based on my experience in the last few years. Now, I just tell all my children 'no'," they said.
A netizen said, "I agree with what she said. I work at a hotel, and even I was surprised when I saw kindergarten children... When I asked a teacher why they were at the hotel, they said it's to celebrate the kids. But to me, those children would have been happy anywhere."
Another parent commented, "My daughter's experience was even sadder. She didn't attend the prefects' dinner at a hotel, so they gave her award to someone else."
"I really wonder how a teacher could make a decision like that. I hope the ministry will intervene and not let the situation get worse. There are enough teachers who enjoy organising ceremonies in hotels, so the schools will continue to do it," they added.
