What you are going to read is a sad tale from the land I call the land of wonders, Wonder Land. Most of the 'wonders' that I am going to mention happened in a school, which I will call Wonder School. Before the present principal took over, Wonder School was a very peaceful place where the teachers and students work and learn together and had a wonderful time. But all these disappeared when the new principal (Number 1/N1) took over late last year. She actually started off very well. She introduced new ideas for the betterment of the school. At the same time, however, she did something not so good regarding the purchase of certain things (a very sensitive topic indeed). Tsk, tsk, tsk naughty her. Since she was still new she had to get approval from the senior assisstant (Number 2/N2). So, N2 being an honest person naturally did not want to release payment because things were not done according to procedure. N2 was unhappy with the way N1 did things, and all these eventually came to the knowledge of the Board of Directors (BOD) and PTA. N1, under the advice and guidance from her twin (small fry - SF) - a viscious teacher of Wonder School - started a 'war' with N2. So begins the saga...
The BOD and PTA are all on the side that is doing the correct thing, N2 because they are the ones who will be coming out with whatever monetary aid for the school. Naturally, they went and appealed to the people who are of higher authority (HA) at the state level but HA who are supposed to be neutral chose to side N1 knowing very well that what she did was wrong. Why? To save their reputation (face) and all because of their arrogance. They refused to admit that they had actually promoted the wrong person to be principal. So, BOD and PTA had to fight their case at the national level with the people from the ministry. All the evidence of wrongdoing by N1 were submitted to them. While they were waiting for word from the people there, things were happening at Wonder School.
SF wanted an amount of money (RM) to finance her Dance Club as they had made some new dance clothes for the members. Where to get the RM? Since the PTA AGM was coming up, N1 and SF came up with a plan, that was, to get some innocent people to sit on the board so that they could manipulate them. They even threatened some new teachers (verbally-face to face or through the telephone and even tried calling them till the middle of the night) and asked them to vote for their candidates. Otherwise ... Well, when it is not something that is good, God sees. Immediately, the BOD and PTA came up with a strategy to counter N1 and SF's plan. N1 said that there shouldn't be any politicking involved but she was the one who started it all. Of course, all the teachers are adults and can think for themselves. So you can guess the outcome of the AGM.
Their next plan was to get the RM through the teacher's day concert. Once again God intervenes. Some of the students refused to pay for the concert and some parents telephoned N1 for explanation. Their fingers started pointing in the wrong direction. They blamed N2 and some other teachers for instigating the students. Therefore, to punish everyone concerned N1 cancelled the teacher's day celebration for the school. Needless to say, the students were devastated and tried to appeal. Alas!
A meeting was set up and all parties concerned were to meet at the ministry to trash things out and to find a solution to all these mess. While awaiting the outcome, HA got N2 transferred out followed by two other teachers. Rumours were that a few more would follow suit and eventually the whole staff would be gone and be replaced by new ones. Well, who can take things lying down.
Things have happened and some parties have gone to the press and even the TV station. The last I heard was the fight was not over yet for all parties. As I see it, the victims from this outcome would be the innocent students and teachers as when two giants fight...
All these would not have happened if N1 had admitted to her mistake. Also if she had not listened to SF, things would have been different. As I see it, SF and her greed is the cause of N1's downfall. If only they were not so selfish, if only they had put the needs of the students of the whole school ahead of everything, if only...
jennyiyan's recollections...
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