Should Football Club Commitments Be More Important Than Representing School?

As a parent whose son recently took part in the National School Games (NSG) football tournament, I was disheartened to see one of his teammates – a talented player on the Sailors Elite Scholarship Programme – miss two crucial fixtures because he was representing the club in an overseas competition.

- Tan Cheen Ming

I was told by a school leader that the school had no authority to prevent his absence, as the player was under contract with the club.

In the past, the NSG was treated as a key commitment, and exceptions were rare. Students who sought permission to skip matches for external engagements had to justify their absence, with national duty being one of the few acceptable reasons.