Andrew Loh / Deputy Editor
Supermarket chain, NTUC FairPrice, is asking for donations of used primary and secondary school textbooks from Singaporeans. In a press release, FairPrice said the aim is “to relieve the financial burden of needy families by providing free second-hand textbooks for lower-income families.”
Called the FairPrice Used Textbooks Project, and first launched in 1983, the project “has collected more than 1.5 million used textbooks and helped over 110,000 needy students” over the years, FairPrice said.
“Amid the economic downturn, FairPrice is glad to play our part to rally the community to help needy students meet their textbook needs,” said its Group CEO, Mr Tan Kian Chew. “We appeal to the public to donate their old textbooks generously. We hope that the FairPrice Used Textbook Project will continue to help needy families reduce school expenses.”
This year, four schools will be taking part in the “annual community initiative” for the first time. They are Yio Chu Kang Secondary School, Swiss Cottage Secondary School, Saint Anthony’s Canossian Secondary School and Zhang De Primary School. Together with students from Montfort Secondary School, Anderson Secondary School, Dunman High and Hwa Chong Institution, they will collect, sort, store and distribute the textbooks to the needy.
“By engaging students as volunteers, the project also encourages volunteerism and promotes the spirit of community service,” FairPrice said.
From now till 30 November 2008, the public can make their donations at all NTUC FairPrice supermarkets and hypermarkets across the island.
Details of distribution of the books will be announced in early December. For enquiries on the project, the public can call the Used Textbooks Project hotline at 6424 7505 or email utp@fairprice.com.sg
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How interesting. The public donate the textbooks and NTUC gets the credit.
NTUC does contribute to the process of collecting, transporting, sorting and distributing the books to the needy.
It is a good deed, just that the certain institutions and leaders have lost our respect after how far they have removed from the people.
But this is an example of how PAP monopolises the welfare channels, though NTUC, PA and the PCF. It is nevertheless still PAP hegemony. This looks good on the surface, but it is detrimental strategically in our political realm.
Agree, PAP monopolises the welfare channels and every key social institution.
Since NTUC is rich and the government is all about money , can I sell my son’s textbook for 3/4 of original price to NTUC ? Isn’t the government tell us that there is no free lunch. How come asking the public to provide free lunch and charity to NTUC ?
I rather give the textbook to opp party to distribute to the poor than give to a bunch of dishonest and crappy clown’s profit organisation !
May I know if opp party accept such textbook distribution for free ?
Gosh, how come even something like this can be politicised? This is a charitable initiative meant to benefit the less fortunate.
how about helping the worker
Party instead? NTUC is rich with gahmen backing, moreover some Papa shoe polisher will help them out.
give me a 5 Daniel. Great man think alike!
6)
Exactly, it still go to the needy but credit not to PAP. Buggie union
Err.. excuse me, but WHAT function does NTUC shoulder, when these textbooks are solicited FOC as Donations from the Public?
Why don’t NTUC allow the lower incomers to sell their children’s old textbooks (without Tax)? This way, they wil be TRULY helping two groups; the Needies, and the Low Incomers.
Why must ask for FREE handouts when they themselves, DO NOT believe in Free Lunches????
I see a Hippo-hump….
On second thought;
Doesn’t this sound and look like Organ Donation as well?
Everything is Donate Donate Donate, when it comes their duty to provide some form of Care (lets avoid the word Welfare) for the people of Singapore.
But when it comes to raising GST and Taxes, they sternly stand by their reasons that it is to fund Public Welfare. What Welfare? When all they ever do is ask for public to donate, and people to help themselves?
Collected Taxes and GST for WHAT??? And for WHOM?
And so when public questions, they come up with figures. But where’re the breakdowns of those figures, and where or who are there to attest to what they have received in terms of Care (or the dirty Welfare word)?
After giving out those figures, were people allowed to further pursue the matter in question? No, usually it means PERIOD.
WHEN is all this Top Down tyranny going to STOP???
Next time, there is a fire, the fire brigade comes and they instruct public to all contribute a bucket of water to douse the fire while the fire brigade stands and watch over the operation.
how come even something like this can be politicised? – chorus (#6)
Because the success of this activity would reflect well on PAP.
Oh my, it’s not easy being the government. If they screw something up, like the Lehman Brothers incident, they get lambasted by the people. When they do something to help people, they get lambasted as well.
Because the success of this activity would reflect well on PAP.
- Donaldson Tan
And what’s wrong with that, may I ask?
16) Jackson Tan
Because the success of this activity would reflect well on PAP.
- Donaldson Tan
And what’s wrong with that, may I ask?
Why do you even think that remark by DT is wrong.
I think DT only stated a very clear fact. It brings credit to PAP.
Why do you even think that remark by DT is wrong.
I think DT only stated a very clear fact. It brings credit to PAP.
- gemani
Because implied in his reply (which is in response to another comment), is that “reflecting well on PAP” is inappropriate. Unless, of course, I’m reading too much into that simple sentence.
18) Jackson Tan
I am not sure but the feel I got was that he found the article interesting. I thought he was just thinking out loud.
The follow up comment was in response to a question by ‘chorus’ . And it is a fact isn’t it? It brings credit to PAP. I don’t see anything wrong what.
16) Jackson Tan on November 14th, 2008 10.36 am
…… When they do something to help people, they get lambasted as well.
I believe people lambast them because they are controlling everything and preventing others from do something to help people.
Ask this question:
How come CASE, NTUC, PA are all lead by PAP people?
The fact that the success of this NTUC initiative would bring credit to the PAP is already politicising welfare in itself, plus it doesn’t help that PAP attempts to prevent others from doing something to help people. This is also politicising welfare. If PAP truly cares for people, it cannot take credit for such community action. Otherwise, this is just exercising soft power on the population.
“Oh my, it’s not easy being the government. If they screw something up, like the Lehman Brothers incident, they get lambasted by the people. When they do something to help people, they get lambasted as well.”
That is what happen when the government lose the respect and trust of the people. Even the corrupted Chen ShuiBian also need to buy supporter’s vote !
Worse, the government tell us NO FREE LUNCH, and if it is too good to be true then it is. So we citizen just apply the wisdom of the government so why blame the citizen. The gov has to eat their own words.
And it is a fact isn’t it? It brings credit to PAP. I don’t see anything wrong what.
- gemani
Hmm alright. I suppose I must’ve read too much into it.
sarek_home, Daniel:
Okay, maybe I’m highly nuanced in my political stand: if NTUC pulls off a charitable deed, and since NTUC is pretty much a welfare arm of PAP, I think NTUC and, to some extent, PAP, deserves some credit.
Of course, I’m seeing NTUC as part of PAP. I don’t see it as a union for workers.
Also, I’ve been pondering about politicisation of welfare. Isn’t that happening all over the place, all the time? I mean, in other democracies, you may have a capitalist-aligned party against a socialist-aligned party. Typically, the socialist one will have broader welfare policies… so in true democracies, isn’t welfare a political matter? Ah well, I don’t know…
Okay, maybe I’m highly nuanced in my political stand: if NTUC pulls off a charitable deed, and since NTUC is pretty much a welfare arm of PAP, I think NTUC and, to some extent, PAP, deserves some credit. – Jackson Tan
Credit is due when PAP exceeds expectations and not when it is merely doing its job.
Credit is due when PAP exceeds expectations and not when it is merely doing its job.
- smallvice585
I beg to differ, but I respect your opinion. :)
I beg to differ, but I respect your opinion. :) – Jackson Tan
Your opinion is one that encourages complacency among PAP. Precisely because PAP is our nation’s political leader now, we must uphold PAP to the highest standard. Is it such a surprise that PAP today is so detached from the People, and vice versa?
This discussion gets wierder and wierder. Would everyone pls think before saying only negative things about national institutions, just because you don’t like it that PAP is still in power at the end of the day and you think they deserve nothing but condemnation no matter what they do?
1) NTUC and PAP govt are 2 different things. If you set up a trade union or any other public organisation, you would have to be regulated under some law. In order to operate without problems, you’d have to develop a good working relationship with the govt. So to you, this means that anybody who cooperates with PAP, is run by PAP? So that means that if you support the WP, you are controlled by them la! People will give credit here to NTUC, but NOT to PAP.
2) There was someone in the NTUC who wanted to help the needy students with this plan. Stop treating NTUC (or PAP or anything else) like it’s just one single-brain monster! It’s made up of people like you & me!
3) The total costs of this project include:
1. The cost of the books.
2. Administrative costs (people planning & coordinating)
3. Logistical costs (buying of bins for collection, transport to warehouse, warehouse storage space, transport to distribution, food for volunteers etc)
4. Manpower costs (collection, sorting, distribution)
All these costs go to the beneficiaries FREE. 1. is borne by the public, 2. & 3. are borne by the NTUC, and 3. is borne by the student volunteers. So pls don’t say that NTUC doesn’t deserve credit! Even if they are doing this to improve their image, they still pay time & money & the needy still get the books!
4) I think, looking at the way some of you talk, you won’t support this project just because it’s by NTUC. And if you supported a similar one by opposition parties, it’s not because you want to help the needy, but cos you want to spite the govt and act like faithful opp supporters! That’s just disgusting! Everything you say is just political, & nothing to do with real sympathy for the needy!
5) and by far the most ridiculous: since when are the people prevented by the govt from doing charity by themselves, even independently from NTUC or other large institutions? Go & see, how many independent charities & non-profit organizations there are in SG. Since when are CASE, NTUC, PA etc run by PAP people? Just because they’re big, just because they cooperate with the govt, doesn’t mean they belong to PAP! Many many people are PAP members, the leaders of those institutions may have joined PAP, but unless they are MPs or ministers, they are not “PAP men”. Collecting books for charity is being ‘detached from the people”? Then what is not?
Daniel Chiang (#27)
See for yourself:
http://www.ntuc.org.sg/ntucunions/abt_ntuc_pap.asp
Dear Daniel,
In fact, without smallvice585 showing us the link it is already a fact that PAP is Union and Union is PAP.
You have to get this right. Set aside the hate of PAP, we may want to discuss LOGIC. Just think about it how many GLC we have? Do you know Singapore Government is actually the biggest employer in Singapore? Some of the biggest organisation are CAAS, SIA, PSA, ST etc.
Tell me this Daniel, can your (Pay-roll) boss be your Union leader?
Daniel
I can understand your frustration that people don’t want to help here. However, that does not mean they do not want to help fellew Singaporean!
If TOC want to organise some event like that, I do believe a lot of people here would support the cause. I think in TOC we can curse and swear, but we need to respect other opinion.
In fact, PAP has been sugar coated most of the policies for many years. Read the newspaper you will find “Guidelines” which is always used by the Government.
Do you know what a “Guidelines” is? Meaning you can choose not to follow as long as you can explain your way out (In short, legal liability is very flexible). Their most common tactic is “You can see it and feel it, but cannot touch it”.
“By engaging students as volunteers, the project also encourages volunteerism and promotes the spirit of community service,” FairPrice said.
I think it’s more of coercion rather than volunteering .. if not compulsory, then for the CIP hours.
i went there to see not much Sec 1 books, they havent sort out
Aiyo…. After all, it is to help the poor. Well, I think NTUC should get a tap on their shoulder because they have think of such an brilliant idea to help the poor, For those who say they can do it, then do and show the residences. NTUC is more happy to pass the co-ordination of free textbook to you. You dare to take the challenge???
I repeat this: This is a worthy project and good for the environment because it’s recycling.
What is NOT good for the environment is the ridiculous book list given to primary pupils: Activity Books A and B, then Textbooks A and B, then Work Books A and B …for almost EVERY subject. On some pages, there are just two questions esp maths. It’s purely money-making. Just as bad at secondary school.
- – – Pity the poor tropical rainforests in Indonesia and elsewhere – – -
i have KG boy. i want to know where is this year NTUC old book sale
i have 2 primary sch boys. Can i know where to get this year NTUC used books for sale. Thks
A good deed indeed is a good deed, whoever be the actor it is the deed that counts and not the colour or weight of the subject. Just because NTUC or PAP doesn’t promote “free lunch” one cannot belittle their good deeds.
Whenever somebody or an organisation do something good, we should think how we can contribute to it or can do more than what they do. Everybody can find fault with any one, those who throw stones on NTUC or PAP should know that they too are not perfect!
For those finding faults, I would like to quote the words of Amelia Earhart, who once said that “Better do a good deed near at home than go far away to burn incense”
So I would like to tell them that better do a good deed than finding fault with others!
those of you who did not hv good things to say about NTUC/PAP, etc…obviously u do not hv any children, or are financially strapped or care about the environment(recycling).
bec Whoever is putting in the initiative, money, time, effort into organising and carrying the project out year after year cares about all that.
EVEN if they dont – WHO CARES!!! most important is that we singaporeans are helping our own people after all.
what hv YOU done to help? and could u have managed something this size benefitting so many? – give your comments to those who queue up at 6am to collect their books and see what they tell u !
Can someone tell me where to make the old textbook donation? Please give me the address. Thanks.
I agree with Sam, Crimson, Jaffs, BD. Why criticise a good act that is benefitting the needy and forests? Have we ourselves done enough to help the needy? It’s easy to drop afew coins or even a cheque as a donation once in a while. But there are so many needy out there. Try being a volunteer to needy families for some time. You will certainly be more appreciative. Would u prefer to be a citizen of some war-torn country like afghanistan? Or would you choose to be grateful as a singapore citizen? Be honest. Criticism should be constructive. To throw a bomb at a deed of kindness just makes u seem the darker person. We should think deeper and self-reflect before complaining/critisizing. And i certainly support the idea of school students taking turns to help with the distribution work as it is one precious opportunity to do good. NTUC or not. PAP or not. Children these days lead very sheltered and pampered lives, thinking only about themselves most of the time. My two children, 8 and 6 years old, help to sort out trash at the recycling station monthly. The money generated from the sale of the recycleables goes to help needy families or run the charity foundation. And it is only so little that my family is doing, compared to other volunteers.
Hi i will like to know where & when will i be able to get the free text books.thks