Mr Khoo’s daughter is in Primary 4 this year and he has been very involved in his child’s education since she was in kindergarten. Though his daughter has transferred to another school, he remains an active member of the PSG.

The right school and the right support

Speaking from the perspective of a parent, Mr Khoo connected quickly with the audience with his lively stories and practical tips. He identified a few factors to consider in choosing a primary school: distance, mother tongue language, the child’s interest, the school’s identity and special needs.

He elaborated on these points with real-life examples. For instance, on the issue of distance, he related how as a child, he had to get up very early to travel a long way to school. That eventually affected his studies, as he would be tired by the time he got to class. His lively anecdotes drew much laughter from the audience.

In preparing for primary school, he reminded parents that besides helping children become familiar with the new environment, it is also important for them to understand routines and be given certain specific instructions, such as the school drop-off and pick-up points. Mr Khoo related how he had found two children who were left stranded in school. When asked why they did not board their school bus, they replied that no one had told them to! The moral of the story? Parents should not assume that young children will always know what to do, not even if the task appears to be simple.

In addition, developing schooling skills like organising one’s school bag, buying food and asking for help or permission are also essential for a child in school. Mr Khoo stressed that parents play a critical role in imparting life skills to enable their children to survive in school and beyond, and he encouraged parents to be actively involved in this process.

Mrs Pryke encouraged parents to instill children with a positive mindset about going to school.

Primary School Education and Primary 1 Registration

The last speaker for the seminar was Mrs Wai Yin Pryke, Principal of St Andrew’s Junior School. Her topic was, naturally, “The Primary Education System and Registering Your Child for Primary One”.

Mrs Pryke touched on the purpose of primary education before addressing specific programmes which some parents had concerns about. For example, with respect to the Learning Support Programmes (English or Math), she assured parents that there was no need to worry if their children were placed on such programmes, as it does not mean that their children would ultimately fair badly.

She also explained the benefits of subject-based banding, which has replaced the EM3 stream in Primary 5 and 6 since 2007. With the change, pupils can now do a mix of standard and foundation subjects, depending on their strength in each subject. Lastly, Mrs Pryke spoke about the Pri 1 registration process, explaining to the audience how the registration works and what each of the phases means.

Mrs Pryke’s expertise and clear, engaging style of presentation resonated well with the audience, who paid rapt attention as she discussed the various aspects of primary school education. She peppered her presentation with real-life examples of students that the parents in the audience could relate easily to.

Parent Mrs Gullapally appreciated the insights and knowledge shared by the various speakers.

Mrs Lim, a parent attending the seminar, was anxious about registering her daughter for Pri 1. “I was stressed out since last year due to all the stories I heard. I think choosing a school is a very big deal for us. That’s why I felt stressed. Even my colleagues share the same anxiety. But after hearing the speakers, I feel better,” said the mother of two daughters aged 5 and 3.

During the Q&A session, a parent asked about ways to deal with children who refuse to go to school. Mrs Pryke said that any learning that young children do should be fun and not stressful, and cautioned against hothousing children. She added that parents sometimes unknowingly paint school in a bad light by making comments such as “If you’re so naughty, wait till you go primary school and see how the teacher punishes you!” Parents should avoid such remarks and instead help children look forward to school; this will reduce the likelihood that they will have to deal with school-refusal issues later on.

Many more queries from parents surfaced during the Q&A session, which Mrs Pryke and Mr Khoo addressed. Their expert opinions and personal experience did much to reassure parents who were anxious about sending their children to the primary school.

Mrs Geetha Gullapally, whose children are aged 5 and 18 months respectively, afterwards reflected how she had benefited from the seminar. “The talks have been useful because it helps us understand what the child wants and what we can do to help the child to learn. We also learn how to communicate with the child,” she added.

With plenty of good advice available, parents can help to make their child’s journey towards primary education a meaningful and exciting one. After all, it’s just their first step into a brave, new world!

Read Schoolbag.sg's previous features on “Choosing the Right Primary School” and “Preparing and Supporting Your Child in Primary School”.