Don't label our girls "easy", say angry convent schools
I was an IJ girl for 10 years, and so were some of you who read this blog. So let me know what you think.
Sunday Times article tarnished our image: CHIJ chairperson
Wednesday • September 20, 2006
Ansley Ng
ansley@newstoday.com.sg
ELEVEN convent schools in Singapore have threatened legal action against Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) for an article that allegedly defamed convent schoolgirls.
Today has learnt that a lawyer's letter has been sent to the media company on Monday, demanding an apology and costs and damages to be paid for a "defamatory" article that was published in last week's Sunday Times, which described convent girls as being "easy" with members of the opposite sex.
Three days ago, The Sunday Times, the weekend edition of The Straits Times, published a story titled "Singapore A-Z … once more, with feeling", a "tongue in cheek" look at Singapore icons and subjects which coincided with the recently-launched Singapore — the Encyclopaedia.
Under the alphabet "I", the newspaper ran a short description of "IJ girls", term for girls who study in CHIJ (Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus) Catholic mission schools.
"IJ girls" is a generalisation for girls who study in CHIJ schools and who like to hem their school uniforms real short, wear their belts real low on their hips, and are allegedly easy when it comes to the opposite sex," a paragraph read.
A cartoon above the paragraph also showed a girl in blue lighting up a cigarette.
"Singaporeans perusing our pages should note that this is done in tongue-in-cheek," one part of the article read.
According to sources, a letter of demand was sent to SPH on Monday, asking for an apology to be published in this weekend's edition of The Sunday Times.
It also demanded that costs and damages to be paid to the Infant Jesus Board of Management, which manages the 11 schools.
The board comprises 14 members, including two nuns, eight former students and four men, who are linked to the schools.
The story upset many alumni and parents and the board members were believed to have received more than 50 phone calls and email messages of complaint between them.
Yesterday, The Straits Times letters pages published a letter written by Donne Marie Aeria — the board's chairperson — rebutting the story.
Ms Aeria called the article "an ill-conceived idea and done in bad taste".
"Was there a need to tarnish the image of thousands of students, past, present and future, including girls as young as six years old in Primary 1, with an image that they are 'allegedly easy when it comes to the opposite sex'?" Ms Aeria wrote.
"It has caused much distress, pain and embarrassment to ladies of all ages, that hail from our CHIJ schools."
There are currently about 16,000 girls studying in the 11 primary and secondary CHIJ schools.
SPH declined to comment when contacted.
Aljunied GRC MP Cynthia Phua, who studied in CHIJ Secondary School (Toa Payoh), called the generalisation "insensitive".
"Eleven schools are all wearing the same uniform. It's too much if you see one case and generalise," said Mrs Phua, whose daughter is studying at CHIJ Primary School (Toa Payoh).
"If (The Sunday Times) wants to stick to its comment, they should clarify who their sources are."
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Sunday Times article tarnished our image: CHIJ chairperson
Wednesday • September 20, 2006
Ansley Ng
ansley@newstoday.com.sg
ELEVEN convent schools in Singapore have threatened legal action against Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) for an article that allegedly defamed convent schoolgirls.
Today has learnt that a lawyer's letter has been sent to the media company on Monday, demanding an apology and costs and damages to be paid for a "defamatory" article that was published in last week's Sunday Times, which described convent girls as being "easy" with members of the opposite sex.
Three days ago, The Sunday Times, the weekend edition of The Straits Times, published a story titled "Singapore A-Z … once more, with feeling", a "tongue in cheek" look at Singapore icons and subjects which coincided with the recently-launched Singapore — the Encyclopaedia.
Under the alphabet "I", the newspaper ran a short description of "IJ girls", term for girls who study in CHIJ (Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus) Catholic mission schools.
"IJ girls" is a generalisation for girls who study in CHIJ schools and who like to hem their school uniforms real short, wear their belts real low on their hips, and are allegedly easy when it comes to the opposite sex," a paragraph read.
A cartoon above the paragraph also showed a girl in blue lighting up a cigarette.
"Singaporeans perusing our pages should note that this is done in tongue-in-cheek," one part of the article read.
According to sources, a letter of demand was sent to SPH on Monday, asking for an apology to be published in this weekend's edition of The Sunday Times.
It also demanded that costs and damages to be paid to the Infant Jesus Board of Management, which manages the 11 schools.
The board comprises 14 members, including two nuns, eight former students and four men, who are linked to the schools.
The story upset many alumni and parents and the board members were believed to have received more than 50 phone calls and email messages of complaint between them.
Yesterday, The Straits Times letters pages published a letter written by Donne Marie Aeria — the board's chairperson — rebutting the story.
Ms Aeria called the article "an ill-conceived idea and done in bad taste".
"Was there a need to tarnish the image of thousands of students, past, present and future, including girls as young as six years old in Primary 1, with an image that they are 'allegedly easy when it comes to the opposite sex'?" Ms Aeria wrote.
"It has caused much distress, pain and embarrassment to ladies of all ages, that hail from our CHIJ schools."
There are currently about 16,000 girls studying in the 11 primary and secondary CHIJ schools.
SPH declined to comment when contacted.
Aljunied GRC MP Cynthia Phua, who studied in CHIJ Secondary School (Toa Payoh), called the generalisation "insensitive".
"Eleven schools are all wearing the same uniform. It's too much if you see one case and generalise," said Mrs Phua, whose daughter is studying at CHIJ Primary School (Toa Payoh).
"If (The Sunday Times) wants to stick to its comment, they should clarify who their sources are."
posted by Jean.Chua at 11:50 AM
6 Comments:
well here is my take
It is NEVER okay to say that a group of girls are easy. First of all, it's not true. In my opinion there is never a reason to portray a stereotype in a public forum like that. Unlike those Mr Kiasu characters, there is nothing endearing about being easy. besides, there is already enough prejudice against women in this world, and the media has no business in perpetuating that, even if it is meant to be tongue in cheek. Not to mention it is not the fucking business of anyone to put such a label on any person pulicly. Find something better to do.
I agree.
On the one hand, it's almost a sort of dubious honour that we IJ girls have been canonised as something "uniquely Singaporean" (but then again, who asked them????). On the other, it's just plain offensive.
I would rather the paper go do its real job better than pick on easy targets.
I read the letter in the Forum page. Whoa. I think it's quite bad to tar all IJ girls with the same brush! I'm all for not overdoing political correctness, but unless the encyclopaedia was a satirical/humorous publication, which I suspect it is not, it is not appropriate to say something like that.
How can anyone write such a irresponsible thing!? I don't think it is in anyway funny (what tongue in cheek!)to label girls from these convents as "easy". Obviously the writer has never had a daughter.
I feel offended. Almost violated!
Yes, I suspect the entry was written by some young girl who thought she was being funny. But like Andrea said, it didn't look like it was satirical coz it really wasn't funny at all.
I was offended and upset by that article. Am glad that someone is doing something about it.
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