Friday June 22, 2012

High school suspends girl for wearing miniskirt

MALACCA: A Form Five student has been suspended from school for one week for wearing a miniskirt during a charity event held outside the school.

Stephanie Tan Joo Sing of the Methodist Girls' Secondary School here has been barred from classes between June 18 and 25 after she was alleged to have smeared the reputation of the school following the “indecent” attire incident in March.

The Parent-Teachers Association chairman Chua Hong Pioh has defended the move by the school, saying the action was not unprecedented.

He said the school had also acted similarly in 2008.

Following the 2008 case, he said the school had issued a directive which outlined that there must be proper dress worn during events, including external ones that were linked to the school.

State Education, Youth and Sport committee chairman Datuk Gan Tian Loo said he would only comment after he had heard from both sides.

Businessman Tan Eng Hock, the girl's father, said the suspension was unwarranted and that the allegation was an embarrassment to his family.

“I would have been the first to tick her off if she had dressed sexily,” said Tan, 51, here yesterday.

Stephanie, the third of four siblings, had been seen crying often since the suspension, he said.

He said he was shocked to hear about the suspension after a picture of Stephanie receiving a trophy and certificate from the Malacca Leo Club appeared in the newspapers.

“How could a girl accept it when she is accused of exposing herself before a crowd?” he asked.

His daughter was a straight A student, he added.

Stephanie, who is the school's Leo Club leader, claimed that none of the teachers who attended the event had complained about her dressing on that day.

Instead, she was praised by the teachers for her efforts in organising the event.

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