School counsellor Mr Agus recalls that Andrew would be “absent from school for many, many days.” After the school called his parents, Andrew would show up for a day, then disappear again the next day.

Worried about Andrew’s attendance and that he might mix with bad company and get into trouble, the school decided to act to bring him back to class. Mr Agus discovered that Andrew was suffering from very low self-esteem. “The child was lacking in home support and care and love,” he says, noting that at times, Andrew would appear in school wearing the same uniform for days.

Principal Mr Ng Yeow Ling managed to speak to Andrew’s parents and suggested that they turn to social services for help. After some initial reluctance, they agreed to let Andrew stay at a boys’ home where he could receive regular care from guardians, who would oversee his schoolwork and personal development.

Making a change

Now Andrew faithfully attends classes every day. Because he missed so many school days last year, he is repeating Primary 4. “On our part, we ensure that he attends every activity required of him and give him encouragement and motivation,” says Mr Agus, who has managed “to built a good rapport” with Andrew and learn about the personal difficulties he faced at home.

Behind Andrew’s progress is a team of big-hearted staff at North View Primary.

One might think Andrew is a stereotypical pai kia (“bad kid” in Hokkien) who is rude and defiant of authority. But this is far from the truth, according to his maths teacher Ms Florence Siow. “I wouldn’t have thought him different from any other child,” she states. “He was like any one of our students, and in fact I found him very responsible and responsive.”

Ms Siow also describes Andrew as a reliable boy who performs errands for her diligently, as well as an ardent learner. “Most of the time he will be answering questions in class, to the point where sometimes I have to tell him, ‘Andrew, please let others try first’,” she remarks. “And he’s willing to help other students, and the other students take him as one of their own - there’s no discrimination or segregation.”

Like Ms Siow, school counsellor Mrs Agnes Seah was also struck by Andrew’s behaviour. “I had expected someone who’s very ah beng,” she recounts of her first encounter with Andrew. “I was quite touched when I saw him at the home, as his father did not visit him and he felt that no one cared for him.” She learnt that he had to cope with loneliness and a feeling of neglect as his family did not bring him home during holidays or weekends. “I asked him how he managed, and he said it was difficult but he is becoming used to it,” shares Ms Seah.

The little things matter

Together with his form teacher Ms Jenny Lai, Ms Seah and Ms Siow have taken pains to raise Andrew’s spirits and support his efforts to stay on track. Apart from planning surprises like a birthday celebration, they also advise other students not to laugh at Andrew but to understand his situation.

“When we sense that certain things might affect his thinking or behaviour, we will counsel him,” says Ms Lai. “We use a lot of positive reinforcement to make sure he knows we love him a lot and make up for the lack of emotional support that he’s unfortunately experienced.”

Andrew is making strides in his classes and hopes to join CCA activities like guitar and badminton in the future. “In Science, he made a marvellous improvement compared to last year, when he was bogged down by problems,” says Ms Lai with pride. “He’s a very intelligent boy.”

As she looks forward to his academic progress and many years of fruitful studies, Ms Lai credits Andrew with having the mental strength to overcome his personal challenges. “He has taken a very big step and is willing to let go of the past and move on,” she says, “If all of us here were willing to support him but he’s not willing to cooperate, I don’t think we could be here today - he has worked very hard on himself!”