Partners in education

"My stint in Chennai encouraged me to explore new possibilities in teaching and enriching young minds," says Mrs Pannier, who is also the subject head for Tamil/Malay Language. For instance, she noted that Indian pupils addressed their teachers as "Aunties", which encourages a closer bond between them.

Pupils practise the Tamil language through role-playing in class.

Moreover, the Chennai schools believe that teachers and parents must work together to shape the pupils' characters and impart the right values. So the schools offer various avenues for teacher-parent communication, such as regular meetings and the use of a Parents' Suggestion Box; parents whose children are in lower primary are also invited to sit in for lessons.

As for school discipline: "Caning is not allowed," reveals Mrs Pannier. Instead, a student's misbehaviour is recorded with a black mark. Collecting 10 black marks will lead to serious punishment, such as being barred from the term assessment or suspension from school.

Schools use a diary, which is kept by the pupil, to chart the individual's progress throughout the year. It also updates parents on the pupil's daily tasks and activities, in terms of academic subjects, behaviour, social skills and personal presentation/etiquette as well as school events and activities. Bukit Panjang Primary School has picked up this idea, rolling out pupils' diaries in school this year.

Bukit Panjang Primary School pupils trying out the local mode of transport in India.

Creating a stimulating environment

The language teaching methods that Mrs Pannier observed in Chennai are similar to those being used in the Singapore schools, such as role-playing and starting each lesson with a sentence comprising a "focus" or thematic vocabulary item related to the topic of the day. Taking a leaf from these, Mrs Pannier now begins each lesson with a proverb, such as "a friend in need is a friend indeed" and "look before you leap". This reinforces academic learning and encourages reflection.

"For topics related to Mathematics and IT, Heymath.com provides a valuable repository of resources for educators and pupils," shares Mrs Pannier. "The schools I visited in Chennai have created an account for each pupil so that the child can go online any time for self-learning."

"Pupils are also exposed to a range of subjects such as nature studies, general knowledge and computer science from as early as four years of age, so they grow up in a highly enriching environment," Mrs Pannier points out. "For instance, pupils in Pri 2 learn about the human digestive system in detail!"

Performers from Bukit Panjang Primary School's performing arts group interact with Indian pupils on Cultural Night in Chennai.

Academic subjects aside, the Chennai schools also pay attention to other areas of a child's development. They run mental wellness programmes like yoga and tai-chi during curriculum time, swimming lessons to promote physical health and sportsmanship, and Adolescent Education lessons to instil values and a sense of responsibility in their pupils.

Needless to say, Mrs Pannier returned from Chennai with a fresh perspective on teaching. Besides the new teaching approaches she has introduced at Bukit Panjang Primary School, she also organised a cultural immersion and exchange programme for her performing arts CCA group in June 2008, when they visited Velammal Matriculation High School for four days on MOE's internationalisation programme. "My trips have
rejuvenated me with the vigour to try out innovative teaching practices," she affirms.