It takes a village to raise a child

Parents show they care through messages such as these along the school corridors.

For Ngee Ann Secondary School, raising a child is a task that involves the entire community. As principal Mr Adrian Lim, explains, "One of the characteristics of an effective and quality school is good parental involvement. The school's job is to pull parents in and help them understand how they can help. The more we involve the parents, the better their child will behave and perform."

The task of roping in parents to be active partners begins with each Sec 1 cohort. First impressions matter, so the school hosts a breakfast session to welcome parents as new members of the community. The event certainly resonated with Mdm Geraldine Chia, whose daughter is now in Sec 2. "I was really attracted by the warm invitation," she says. "From then on, I decided to be more involved."

The Parent Support Group also organises events for family bonding, such as this prawning event.

There's a wealth of options for parents who want to help. Regular Meet-The-Parents sessions and monthly PSG meetings allow parents and teachers to forge common ground on issues related to their children's education. The school also organises workshops on topics such as cyber wellness to equip parents with knowledge of the risks and challenges of social media tools such as Facebook. At events such as Racial Harmony Day, parents chip in to inculcate desirable social and cultural norms as well as man food stalls selling fare from different cultures. Students also benefit from the hindsight of parents who share about their respective expertise and experiences during Career Seminar Day.

Parents hosting students on Chinese New Year.

Mdm Tan Hiang Lee, whose son is in Sec 2, recalls how parents took part in a 15-hour challenge to celebrate the school's 15th anniversary. "In 15 hours, we made more than 15,000 origami boxes," says Mdm Tan of the event, which was one of several activities that together helped raised $37,000 for the Tampines East Citizens' Consultative Committee Welfare and Education Fund. "What a wonderful way of reinforcing the idea of caring for the community as you celebrate your achievements."

"Many parents would like to know what goes on in their child's class but have no way of figuring out how to go about doing it," adds Mr Lim. "Our school provides many opportunities and platforms for parents of diverse backgrounds to step forward and participate."

Giving back to the community

Parents and students are involved in community work together - here students show elderly how to make lanterns.

Another notable feature of the school's PSG is the tendency for many parents to continue as 'alumni'. As Mdm Gina Lim, whose daughter is in Sec 4, states, "We bond with our children and with the other parents too. The friendship lasts even after the children graduate."

When asked what drives her commitment to the PSG, Mdm Jamie Lin laughs. "I see it as 'giving back' time to the community," she says. "We help out as 'extra hands and legs' and chaperone the children during school outings. Some of us plan activities for families and others help out in school projects."

Mdm Linda Tang, whose son is in Sec 2, decided to join the group even before her son entered Ngee Ann Secondary School. "To me it is a chance to keep tabs on my son in school, bond with other parents and understand how other families work," she explains. "My son used to be awkward about my involvement but now he is very open and shares with me his activities at school."

Community work is undertaken by both parents and children, here volunteering at a home for the elderly.

Despite the extra demands on their busy schedules, the costs of additional commuting and even having to take leave from work, many parents feel the sacrifice is well worth it. "I feel that the teachers really make a lot of effort," says Mr Peter Teo, whose two children study at Ngee Ann Secondary School. "Sometimes, the meetings even run till 9 or 10 pm! As parents, we should chip in and help where we can."

Summing up what her peers feel about the PSG, Jesselyn says, "Initially, I was going, 'why why why must you be involved in school?'" But she declares, "Now it is much easier to share stuff with my mum because she has better idea of what is going on. And I can talk to her about issues and she can bring them up with teachers as well. I think parents join school activities because they care very much for their children. My mum is much more involved in my life now, and I'm quite happy about it."