The Assumption Pathway School, which takes in students who have failed the PSLE at least once, saw its first batch of graduates last month. Stacey Chia looks at how the school of 'second chance' motivates students - starting with making sure they show up for classes.
The Straits Times, 2 May 2012
WHEN a student said he skipped school because he could not wake up in the morning, Ms Suzaina Koh did something unexpected.
She turned up at his house the next morning to wake him up.
Up to three times a week after school, she also spends hours of her free time visiting the homes of students who failed to turn up for classes.
In fact, Ms Koh, who teaches English at the Assumption Pathway School (APS), has never had a day with full attendance in her three years with the school. 'They are often the same two or three students with no motivation to attend school,' said Ms Koh, 36.
Sometimes, teachers - and even the principal - have had to scour popular hangouts, such as the HDB void decks, to look for students if they were not at home.
While other schools focus on helping students score more As or win medals in competitions, getting students to even show up for classes is a challenge at APS.
It is one of two specialised schools here for students who have failed their Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) at least once. The other is NorthLight School in Dunman Road.
APS also takes in students who have dropped out of secondary schools.
The Upper Bukit Timah school, which was set up in 2009, saw its inaugural batch of graduates last month.
Eighty-one students received their certificates in vocational training in areas such as electrical servicing, food preparation and hairdressing.
About half of them have moved on to courses or traineeship programmes at the Institute of Technical Education (ITE), while others have found employment.
However, 38 students did not complete their two- or three-year courses.
Absenteeism and students dropping out of school are two key concerns, said APS principal Wee Tat Chuen, 41. Last year, only three-quarters of the students achieved at least an 80 per cent rate in attendance.
'We want to tell them that it's not okay to choose when not to come to school, that it is important to wake up every day and make the choice to attend school,' said Mr Wee, who is the former vice-principal of NorthLight School.
That involves teachers getting to the root of why students are not showing up for classes, he said.
Sometimes, the reason is simple.
He recalled the case of a student who did not attend school for a few days because his shoes had been stolen and he had no money to buy a new pair. 'A group of teachers made a trip to his place and then took him out to buy a pair of shoes, he went back to class and was never absent after that,' he said.
But it gets complicated in some cases, especially when it involves family problems. 'These issues had been there way before the students joined us,' he said.
To address the problem, the school has set up a parent support group, which will be looking at providing families more help from this year.
Making sure that students complete their course is another challenge. About 19 per cent of the first batch dropped out. A large proportion of them were formerly from mainstream secondary schools.
This year, the school roped in four full-time social workersto help teachers reach out to families that were most at risk of pulling their children out. About 50 per cent of APS students are on financial assistance and 20 per cent come from single-parent families.
While some are worried that such specialised schools may 'segregate' students from those from mainstream schools, APS teachers say some students benefit from such an environment.
Mingling with their peers with similar profiles, for instance, helps to build up their confidence, said APS maths teacher Kelvin Ang. And the teacher-student ratio of about 1 to 20 means that teachers can devote more attention to students.
Final-year student Seah Seng Huat, 16, is a good example. The teen, who is dyslexic, said he never knew he had the ability to design until he enrolled in APS. The teenager, who failed his PSLE, said APS has built up his confidence and given him the chance to try new things.
'I failed, I fell, but I will still climb up,' said Seng Huat, who intends to go on to ITE.
But for some, the stigma associated with such schools may be a problem. To create an opportunity for students to mix with their peers and others from outside the school, APS organises activities such as competitions with other schools and work-attachment programmes at places such as technology company Bosch and Regent Hotel.
But such programmes do not always work, said maths teacher Mohamed Ali.
Fights have broken out supposedly because others mocked the APS students during sporting activities, he said.
'We can make them trust the world, but does the world trust them?' he asked.
The root of the problem, said Mr Wee, is still self-esteem. 'Settle that and the rest will come, they will be able to interact well with others.'
Looking ahead, Mr Wee said the school is also looking at ways to meet its target of getting at least 40 per cent of its cohort into the ITE. Last year, about 35 per cent made it.
But he was quick to point out: 'Ultimately, it is not just about having more students going to ITE, but exploring which pathway is best for them.'
Expelled student makes good
FOR Harry Tu, being accepted by Assumption Pathway School (APS) was a huge relief.
The 17-year-old was expelled from a secondary school in the western part of Singapore at age 13 for having tattoos. After that, no other school he approached was willing to take him in.
Harry, who joined APS this year, should graduate this year with an Institute of Technical Education (ITE) Skills Certificate in desktop publishing and design.
Students who join from mainstream schools generally have to spend two years at APS, but an exception was made for Harry based on his good performance and attitude.
'When I entered APS I found the classes boring,' he said. But within just a few months, Harry is beginning to change his tune. 'I didn't think I would be interested in designing, but it might be something that I would want to pursue,' he said.
Although the school is mainly for those who fail the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE), it takes in other students like Harry on a case-by-case basis. It also takes in students from mainstream schools who feel that vocational training is more suited to them.
APS principal Wee Tat Chuen said the school is a second chance for many students.
Compared to many of his classmates, Harry is more academically inclined. He was streamed into Normal (Academic) after the PSLE.
'It was awkward when I first joined the class in their final year, but we have become closer,' said Harry. He added that at times he helps his classmates with English and mathematics.
He said that while a more academic path was his goal before, his main priority now is to get a qualification at ITE, although he does not rule out the possibility of taking the O levels in future.
'At my age, I'm just really glad that the school has taken me in and given me a chance,' he said.
WHEN a student said he skipped school because he could not wake up in the morning, Ms Suzaina Koh did something unexpected.
Up to three times a week after school, she also spends hours of her free time visiting the homes of students who failed to turn up for classes.
In fact, Ms Koh, who teaches English at the Assumption Pathway School (APS), has never had a day with full attendance in her three years with the school. 'They are often the same two or three students with no motivation to attend school,' said Ms Koh, 36.
Sometimes, teachers - and even the principal - have had to scour popular hangouts, such as the HDB void decks, to look for students if they were not at home.
While other schools focus on helping students score more As or win medals in competitions, getting students to even show up for classes is a challenge at APS.
It is one of two specialised schools here for students who have failed their Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) at least once. The other is NorthLight School in Dunman Road.
APS also takes in students who have dropped out of secondary schools.
The Upper Bukit Timah school, which was set up in 2009, saw its inaugural batch of graduates last month.
Eighty-one students received their certificates in vocational training in areas such as electrical servicing, food preparation and hairdressing.
About half of them have moved on to courses or traineeship programmes at the Institute of Technical Education (ITE), while others have found employment.
However, 38 students did not complete their two- or three-year courses.
Absenteeism and students dropping out of school are two key concerns, said APS principal Wee Tat Chuen, 41. Last year, only three-quarters of the students achieved at least an 80 per cent rate in attendance.
'We want to tell them that it's not okay to choose when not to come to school, that it is important to wake up every day and make the choice to attend school,' said Mr Wee, who is the former vice-principal of NorthLight School.
That involves teachers getting to the root of why students are not showing up for classes, he said.
Sometimes, the reason is simple.
He recalled the case of a student who did not attend school for a few days because his shoes had been stolen and he had no money to buy a new pair. 'A group of teachers made a trip to his place and then took him out to buy a pair of shoes, he went back to class and was never absent after that,' he said.
But it gets complicated in some cases, especially when it involves family problems. 'These issues had been there way before the students joined us,' he said.
To address the problem, the school has set up a parent support group, which will be looking at providing families more help from this year.
Making sure that students complete their course is another challenge. About 19 per cent of the first batch dropped out. A large proportion of them were formerly from mainstream secondary schools.
This year, the school roped in four full-time social workersto help teachers reach out to families that were most at risk of pulling their children out. About 50 per cent of APS students are on financial assistance and 20 per cent come from single-parent families.
While some are worried that such specialised schools may 'segregate' students from those from mainstream schools, APS teachers say some students benefit from such an environment.
Mingling with their peers with similar profiles, for instance, helps to build up their confidence, said APS maths teacher Kelvin Ang. And the teacher-student ratio of about 1 to 20 means that teachers can devote more attention to students.
Final-year student Seah Seng Huat, 16, is a good example. The teen, who is dyslexic, said he never knew he had the ability to design until he enrolled in APS. The teenager, who failed his PSLE, said APS has built up his confidence and given him the chance to try new things.
'I failed, I fell, but I will still climb up,' said Seng Huat, who intends to go on to ITE.
But for some, the stigma associated with such schools may be a problem. To create an opportunity for students to mix with their peers and others from outside the school, APS organises activities such as competitions with other schools and work-attachment programmes at places such as technology company Bosch and Regent Hotel.
But such programmes do not always work, said maths teacher Mohamed Ali.
Fights have broken out supposedly because others mocked the APS students during sporting activities, he said.
'We can make them trust the world, but does the world trust them?' he asked.
The root of the problem, said Mr Wee, is still self-esteem. 'Settle that and the rest will come, they will be able to interact well with others.'
Looking ahead, Mr Wee said the school is also looking at ways to meet its target of getting at least 40 per cent of its cohort into the ITE. Last year, about 35 per cent made it.
But he was quick to point out: 'Ultimately, it is not just about having more students going to ITE, but exploring which pathway is best for them.'
Expelled student makes good
FOR Harry Tu, being accepted by Assumption Pathway School (APS) was a huge relief.
The 17-year-old was expelled from a secondary school in the western part of Singapore at age 13 for having tattoos. After that, no other school he approached was willing to take him in.
Harry, who joined APS this year, should graduate this year with an Institute of Technical Education (ITE) Skills Certificate in desktop publishing and design.
Students who join from mainstream schools generally have to spend two years at APS, but an exception was made for Harry based on his good performance and attitude.
'When I entered APS I found the classes boring,' he said. But within just a few months, Harry is beginning to change his tune. 'I didn't think I would be interested in designing, but it might be something that I would want to pursue,' he said.
Although the school is mainly for those who fail the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE), it takes in other students like Harry on a case-by-case basis. It also takes in students from mainstream schools who feel that vocational training is more suited to them.
APS principal Wee Tat Chuen said the school is a second chance for many students.
Compared to many of his classmates, Harry is more academically inclined. He was streamed into Normal (Academic) after the PSLE.
'It was awkward when I first joined the class in their final year, but we have become closer,' said Harry. He added that at times he helps his classmates with English and mathematics.
He said that while a more academic path was his goal before, his main priority now is to get a qualification at ITE, although he does not rule out the possibility of taking the O levels in future.
'At my age, I'm just really glad that the school has taken me in and given me a chance,' he said.
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