"I can't take it anymore. this question has bugged me for far too long. I am hoping that someone can provide a reasonable answer. Why is it that RV is so against BGRs? I can understand that perhaps it is true that Y1 to Y4 students are not quite matured to handle BGRs, but Y5 and Y6? I tried to find any sociological, psychological, ethnographical, whatever-ical study that conclusive proves that BGRs at the ages of 16 to 18 (inclusive) is detrimental to the person's development. I couldn't find any. At all. All I found are general claims and assertions without any scientific and statistical backing.
But this is what I do know. I have friends in RI(JC) who are couples. I have friends in HCI who are couples. I have friends in Dunman High who are couples. Some are still in those schools, some have graduated. By and large, they are doing/did well for studies. Yes, even those who broke up before taking their A-Levels. In fact, some actually did better AFTER they got together. And I even know of a few couples who got together in JC, stayed together through NS, uni, getting jobs etc etc and then got married. For those who say that those are the exceptions to the rule, I challenge you to prove it with statistical significance. I doubt anyone can.
And if you look at schools which doesn't clamp down on BGRs the way RV does, eg RI(JC), HCI, NJC, VJC, and perhaps even Dunman High and compare the A-Level results of their students and their students performance in other areas with RV, I'm sure you won't be able to attribute any difference to their policy on BGRs amongst their students aged 16+ to 18+.
Also, shouldn't we trust that RVians have grown and matured enough after 4 years in RV to be able to have a somewhat proper romantic relationship with someone of the opposite gender? But if that's not the case, if we can't trust RVians to have grown up and matured enough after 4 years in RV to do so, then it really begs the question, what have the teachers been doing? Isn't it the duty of teachers and the school to prepare students for life (and not just the A-Levels)? Isn't being able to have a proper romantic relationship part of life? So if even after 4 years in RV, teachers don't trust RVians to be matured enough to have a proper BGR, doesn't that just reflect really badly on the teachers themselves, that they don't trust that they have done a good job?
So, if
(a) there aren't any scientific proof that BGRs from the ages of 16 to 18 have significant adverse effect on the education and development of students.
And
(b) RV teachers probably have done an alright job in inculcating values and providing pastoral guidance to RVians, then, shouldn't the school adopt a light touch on BGRs? Not saying that RV should encourage BGRs, but perhaps just inform parents (and let the parents decide. If the parents approve of the relationship, hey... who's the school to say no?), provide some advice, warn of any actions that may lead to really undesirable consequences and counsel further as and when necessary. Why such a heavy hand?"
