Daily Lesson from Life 13 April 2009

"Mon, Apr 13, 2009 AsiaOne - Scholarship bond: A burden for some

Scholarships have long been considered a prestige awarded only to elite students. The bond that accompanies this award is also an "obligation" that students are expected to fulfill, and bond-breakers are usually not looked upon too kindly nor favourably.

According to an article in my paper, a scholarship is often seen as a stepping stone to better opportunities in one's career. However, reality is often more complicated.


That seemed to be the case in the reported suicide of Capt (Dr) Allan Ooi, who jumped to his death in Melbourne. Capt (Dr) Ooi, who was a Singapore Armed Forces doctor, was reported to be unhappy in his job and felt weighed down by his bond. Frustrated by the perceived helplessness of the situation, he chose death as a solution to his problems.

What happens when reality is far from one's expectations? my paper spoke to three ex-scholars who chose to pursue their ideals by breaking their bonds, to find out more.


Is there a way out for scholarship-holders?"

This is a follow through from Dr. Allan Ooi's demise. The 3 ex-scholars basically expressed that when the initial expectations and the reality differed beyond a tolerable limit, something has to give!

Lessons for me are:

1. if scholars won the scholarship when they were very young, say 18 years old, and they found out that what they thought they wanted to study or the type of career they like to have differed greatly from their initial expectations, there must be a way for both parties to consult and decide the best way to part company. It is useless to keep the person around when the heart and mind are somewhere else!;

2. yes scholars must be held to a higher standard of expectations, they must be accountable and responsible for their choices. At the same time, when the choice were made at the tender age of 18, could there not be room for misjudgement or change in expectations later? It will be reasonable if the scholars have responded pro-actively and given of their best in whatever they were supposed to do, there must be room for consultation and negotiation for an amiable parting of way;

3. unless the majority of the scholars reneged on their scholarship bonds, I do not see a risk of most scholars breaking bonds due to change in expectations later on in their life! Do we have empirical proof to show that the main concern of scholars repudiating their obligation in abundance? I don't think so. If it is indeed the case, then perhaps our scholar screening and selection process need to be re-examined and improved upon!

I read some condemnation of scholars who wanted to break their bonds as disloyal and irresponsible, for me these are secondary. If the scholars can contribute positively to society in whatever capacities they are in AFTER breaking their bonds, I think our society gained overall. It is only scholars turned their back on their sponsors by pursuing purely self-gratifying acts that we need to be alarmed.

p/s: The Thai government and the armed forces have started enforcing laws and orders in Bangkok with force. Some were injured and some properties were damaged. I hope it will not spin out of control and more bloodshed ensued!