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Login11 convent schools threaten legal action against SPH
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http://www.todayonline.com/pda/143587ag.htm
Don't label our girls 'easy', say angry convent schools
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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If they are not easy, y the rolling of skirts? Y the hanging outside school with grp of boys?
Since when i was in sec sch, which was 13 yrs back, IJ girls have given an impression to me that either they are very easy to hook up or they are probably les. it has been the IJ tradition for all these yrs. Come on man, if those board of comittee doesn't want their sch to be given such names, then they would probably have to really start educating their girls to becoming nuns.
i wouldn't say all of the IJ girls are like this but at least 70% of them are like what was being described in the papers.
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chij girls always give me that 'easy' impression. When people mention CHIJ, there will be some tinge of excitement among the boys, saying that most of them are chiobus and les.
I think the description in the article are somewhat true but may not necessarily represent the whole chij girls' behaviour so it's no wonder that the schs are not happy.
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Journalists are clever at writing to prevent getting sued.
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
Note the word generalisation. They have already generalize everything, so it can't be true. Threaten legal action? SPH wins.
If the board wants to sue, let it be lor...
I'm not the one paying when they lose...
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hmm...if that cynthia phua say we are generalizing all 11 schools...then there must be certain truth about the comment that convent girls are easy with guys...so many people agree...there must be truth in it...
and yes...judging from personal experience...they are pretty easy going with guys and have plenty of les...
and they like to sit with their leg open big big!
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