During the first week of school, a parent volunteer was assigned to each of the eight Pri 1 classes. Stationed in the classrooms, these volunteers acted as assistants to the teachers, helping to console crying pupils or to bring the pupils to the toilet. In one instance, a boy soiled his shorts, and the parent volunteer got him a new pair from the general office and helped him to change into the clean uniform.

At recess, the parent volunteers were around to guide the Pri 5 pupils, who were acting as buddies to Pri 1 pupils for the first time. Every Pri 1 pupil had his or her own Pri 5 buddy, who helped introduce the Pri 1 pupils to the canteen and showed them what food was available at each stall. With the parent volunteers’ help, the Pri 5 pupils could more confidently help their younger schoolmates.

Parent volunteers obtain new uniforms for pupils who accidentally soiled themselves.

These tasks may appear simple, but the presence of the parent volunteers made a significant difference to the Pri 1 pupils. Starting out in an unfamiliar environment with new teachers and hundreds of other pupils may cause some uneasiness for some children, and the parent volunteers were a source of comfort.

“Auntie Beng Choon is friendly and nice. She brings us to the toilet and back to the classroom when we are done. She also helps the teacher to collect books from us,” said Pri 1 pupil Sonia Jaswan of one parent volunteer.

“Auntie Mariam is very nice to all of us; she helps the teacher to take care of us,” added her fellow Pri 1 pupil Chan Shi Hui.

Pupils and teachers were not the only ones who appreciated the help of the parent volunteers. The parents of Pri 1 pupils too were grateful for their presence. “The parent volunteers helped to ease the children's minds when some of them said they had forgotten to bring the things they had been told to pack. This is very assuring for us parents because going to a new school can be an overwhelming experience for some young children,” commented Shi Hui’s mother, Mdm Goh Yen Yen.

“Here’s the toilet” - a parent volunteer bringing a Pri 1 pupil to the school washroom.

Formed officially in 1999 with 30 members, the PSG now has over 100 members. Besides directing traffic and helping Pri 1 pupils, PSG members are involved in several programmes in school. Some of these include helping the librarian manage the library and recommend books to pupils, running the Learning Support Programme where parents help pupils with reading difficulty, and assisting with annual celebrations like Racial Harmony Day, Teachers’ Day, Children’s Day, as well as ad-hoc events such as field trips and excursions.

PSG member Mdm Mariam Lim finds being a parent volunteer a rewarding experience. “I am grateful for the opportunities given by the PSG and the school to enable us to participate in the lives of the students,” she shares.

Mrs Jane Koe, chairperson of the PSG, has three children aged 22, 20 and 15, who were formerly pupils of Ngee Ann Primary School. Explaining how she first became involved, she said, “When my eldest son was in Pri 1, there was an opportunity for parents to assist in the reading programme and being a homemaker, I volunteered.

“This gave me the chance to work with the principal, teachers and pupils and I’ve found great satisfaction in being a member of the PSG. Many young parents now approach me with their concerns for their young children and I share with them my experiences and that of other PSG members. The PSG has become my network, my reference as well as my outlet to contribute back to society.”

Mrs Cheng Huey Teng, principal of Ngee Ann Primary School, sums up the importance of the PSG, saying, “The school is fortunate to have a very active PSG that constantly devotes time, energy, resources and expertise to support our school programmes. Education is a joint responsibility and a shared adventure; to achieve full results, close collaboration between school and home is essential.”