Office politics ~ start them young...

She's all motivated today...and seemed somewhat relieved. Today she'll walk into her school grounds in her new set of uniform...no more the light blue baju and dark blue sarong. It's back to the white and turquoise ensemble for her, and a couple of other friends. Last week, she made up her mind, typed her resignation letter and handed that to the PK HEM. As her mum, I have had listened to her reasons, her frustrations, her demoralised tones.

Last week, I read her letter and gave it some minor pointers. The least I could do. She had indicated her intention to step down many months ago but we asked her to give this responsibility another go. I supposed the situation became worst or it did not get better. Furthermore, as a self-study student with no tuition except for Math, she is finding it a challenge to balance homework, revision and her responsibilities as a school prefect, and one with a portfolio to boot. Over the months leading to this decision, she had lost some weight and had had pimples break out even when it was not 'that' time of the month!

One reason for her decision had to do with relationships between senior and junior prefects.  She grieved about how senior prefects particularly girls always pick on junior prefects, use harsh words to tell them off when minor mistakes were made, rant on and on about the mistakes in every meeting even though the 'culprits' had repented. She was one of those who had gone through the humiliation. She shared an experience of a fellow junior prefect who was chided simply because he scored 'only' 7As in his PMR last year. Meetings were either called for or cancelled at the very last moment, and used by these seniors as a public humiliation forum!

The PK HEM asked her to reconsider, even refusing to accept her resignation citing the letter of appointment (Watikah Perlantikan) as an excuse for her not able to resign. She responded that she will return the letter if that being the case. Even the senior who was one of the 'bully' was sent to talk her out of the decision. But her mind has been made. Her resignation take effect 11 May 2014. Heck, she had already scheduled a day for us to get her her non-prefect uniforms and shoes so she could turn up in school as a 'normal' student come Monday, 12 May 2014.  

And so it was that today, she walked out of the house a normal student but full of pride and happy. Yet, while I couldn't be happier for her, I also know the other reason that she now seems to be taking non-academic involvements 'lightly'. And that pains me whenever I think about the matter. But that is another story to tell...

Meanwhile, let's end this piece in good faith. Not being a prefect does not mean good things will not come her way, for those are the plans of Allah swt.

I