Couple caught behaving intimately at playground
Yet another student couple has been caught behaving intimately in public, based on latest photos contributed to citizen journalism site STOMP on Jan 12.
Inappropriate teacher-student relationships may be the hot-button topic recently, but girl-boy relationships among students have always been a point of contention among parents and educators.
More than a simple question of should they or shouldn't they be in relationships at such a young age, students in uniform have been caught in public displays of affection on more than one occasion, leaving a bad taste in the mouths of those who witnessed them.
In one such case last year, a pair of underaged teenagers in uniform were spotted making out on the rooftop of an HDB carpark. Another couple was also snapped kissing and hugging while sitting on a breakwater at East Coast Park. This happened on a weekday afternoon, prompting the observer to question why they were there, instead of going home after school.
Photos of students in uniform getting intimate in public have been appearing on STOMP more than a year ago, courtesy of contributors. But are their actions getting more brazen?
A latest post on STOMP by a reader featured two students kissing and behaving intimately at a playground in front of her block of flats. Said the resident: "I saw two students behaving intimately at the foot of my block. The guy was groping the girl. I couldn't believe my eyes." According to the resident, the students carried on behaving in the same manner for at least two hours, moving across different areas of the deserted playground.
Are the increasingly common public displays of affection a sign of shifting values among the young?
In a 2010 news report, educators that the New Paper spoke to noted the trend of students being more open in public and said that it is "irreversible". They also blamed the media for the change in attitude. While before, students may be caned for getting caught making out in public, now they may get let off with just a warning, said one teacher.
