8 May 2008

BPC

In the Singapore Statutes,
Under "Children & Young Persons Act",
Chapter 38, Section 50,
power of parent or guardian to bring
child or young person before juvenille court
it states that,
[ (1) Where the parent or guardian of a child or young person proves to a Juvenile Court that he is unable to control the child or young person, the Court, if satisfied —
(a) that it is expedient so to deal with the child or young person; and
(b) that the parent or guardian understands the results which will follow from, and consents to, the making of the order,

may order the child or young person —
(i) to be placed on supervision under the supervision of an approved welfare officer or of some other person appointed for the purpose by the Court for a period not exceeding 3 years; or
(ii) to be sent to an approved home for a period of not less than 2 years and not more than 3 years.
[20/2001]

(2) The provisions of section 49 (5), (6) and (7) shall apply, with the necessary modifications, in respect of an order made by the Juvenile Court under subsection (1) as they apply in respect of an order made by the Juvenile Court under section 49 (1).
[20/2001]

(3) The Juvenile Court may, on the application of the Director, a protector or the parent or guardian of any child or young person in respect of whom an order under subsection (1) has been made, vary or discharge the order if the Court is satisfied that it is in the best interests of the child or young person to do so. ]-http://statutes.agc.gov.sg/non_version/html/homepage.html

Now, this whole chunk of information,
may give you deeper understanding on
the subject of 'beyond parental control'

but, who's to decide whether the child
had intentions to go against his parents
or whether the child knew of what was
the consequences that he had to face
besides the common nagging, grounding, etc.

recently, an article was published,
on the 19th of march, 2008,
on the New Paper,
sensationalising the common use of
this particular law, albiet too common perhaps,
saying that the youngest victim of such
reckless use of the nation's legislation
was only 7 great years of age.

his crime; not liking school and refusing
to go to school. now, tell me, how many
of us like it on the first year of primary school?
look at the vast amounts of little faces tearing
on the first day of school and tell me that they
love the school to bits on their first entry to school.
if you can do that, perhaps you had better recieve
a slap on your face. think about your own experience.

if the judgement of him, being beyond control is
left to the decision of the mother, then can i just
say, that parents growing awareness of such
a law is leading to the abuse of the legislation.
there is no law that leaves the child a chance to speak,
even if the childrens' society tries to resolve
parent-child conflicts, the child may not know
how to react and end up appearing rebellious,
leading to settlement in the Juvenille Court.

this section of the Singapore Statutes, should be
repealled or maybe changed to remind parents
that perhaps, the best way to bring their children
up is to take responsibility.

nowadays, parent might lack time to communicate
with their kids, leading to misunderstandings,
and without trying to sound their child out,
they resort to taking refuge in Law,
are parents really making the right choice
by giving up chances to bond with their child
and shaping the child's character?
if a child can so easily become incorrigible in the
eyes of the parents, are the parents really placing
in enough efforts? or are they just seeking
an easier way out than to take sole onus of their
child's behaviour?

Is the government really helping family conditions
by allowing parents to use BPC as a threat or worse,
as a way to push the responsibilities of raising and
morally educating ther children to the government?

i stand for this vague and overused
legislation to be repealled or at least changed
to question the parents' own efforts in trying to
reach their kids instead of questioning the kids
in their ability to conform to orders of their parents
kids have picked up the individualistic mindset
of the current society and it is up to the parents,
not the government to find a way to get them
to listen to their parents.

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