Just because a child did not start well, it does not mean that he cannot end well,” Mrs Chua Yen Ching, Director for Curriculum Planning and Development at the Ministry of Education (MOE), expressed and emphasised this belief in an email interview with the bilingual, bi-monthly educational magazine EduNation.

“Students have uneven strengths. Though they may not have done well academically they do have talents in other areas like sports and the arts. Every student has opportunities to experience a range of programmes and the teachers will help students to identify their interests and strengths. Every student is valued for who he is and the teachers will help him to redefine success and see failure differently. When he experiences failure, he can either give up or learn from his mistakes and persevere. If he goes for the latter, he will experience a breakthrough and not a breakdown,” she said.

Mrs Chua was NorthLight School’s (NLS) first principal. The School was established in 2007 and was the first school established in Singapore to specifically take in students who have failed their Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE). Mrs Chua, together with her team of teachers, as well as staff from MOE and the Institute of Technical Education (ITE), developed a curriculum that provides students with a strong foundation in character education, firm academic fundamentals, and a taste of vocational education. The nurturing and inviting learning environment has helped students regain their self-confidence and made them determined to make a difference to their families and society.

Design of the Curriculum Must Give Students a Sense of Achievement

Mrs Chua pointed out that all students learn differently. If teachers are able to match their teaching methods with the learning styles of their students and help them see meaning in their learning, the students’ interest in their studies will be sustained. Teachers from NLS and Assumption Pathway School (APS) know their students well and they have developed a number of innovative pedagogies that resonate with their students who are mainly kinaesthetic and visual learners. Besides the cognitive aspect, the schools also conduct programmes that enhance the students’ social emotional learning.

During its conceptualisation stage in 2006, Mrs Chua and her team referred to a variety of literature and research as they developed NLS’ curriculum framework. Once finalised, it had three main features: character education, basic academic skills formation, and vocational training. The first of these strengthens the students’ self-awareness and social emotional competencies. This is because they need to know how to manage their emotions, make informed decisions, and be responsible for the decisions they make. There is also a set of core values which provides the students with a moral compass. The second feature instils the literacy, numeracy and information-communication skills that are necessary to successfully engage with the vocational modules. The third, vocational education, will make the students employable, and prepare them for work after graduation.

“It was the first time such a curriculum had been developed for this group of students and the teachers were very aware that they needed to be dynamic and prepared to fine-tune and make adjustments along the way. Many opportunities were provided to allow the students to experience small successes that boosted their confidence level for further learning,” said Mrs Chua.

Parents and Community as Supportive Partners

NLS has become a beacon of hope for the many parents of children whose futures once seemed bleak. In 2008, a number of these parents wrote their stories down, as a way of commending the teachers for their patience in helping to turn their children’s lives around. These have subsequently been consolidated into a book titled Heartwork@NorthLight, and presented to the School as a gift on Teachers’ Day. Mrs Chua said that it was a touching moment for all the staff.

When other stakeholders saw how the children had turned around, they could identify with NLS’ mission and many became partners of the School.

One of these was a baker who used to deliver his first batch of buns every day to the students who did not have any money for breakfast. Another was a doctor who provided free medical consultations for NLS students, and then there was a group of 40 cab drivers who volunteered to take the children who were unwell home for free. Many companies also came forward to offer attachments so that the students could apply what they had learnt in school to a real workplace. One student from NLS’ first batch completed his NITEC course with ITE, went on to do National Service and then found a job at the company, Home-Fix — the same company where he had done his industrial attachment when he was in his final year in NLS. He told Mrs Chua that to many Home-Fix might be just a DIY hardware company but to him Home-Fix is like a family.

Assets to Society

Most of the students from the first two cohorts from APS and NLS have completed their ITE Skills Certificate, and subsequently their NITEC course with ITE. A few of them are currently pursuing their diplomas in the polytechnics, something which they might not have expected when they failed their PSLE. The rest have found employment and are contributing to their families and society.

“It is heartening to see how education has been a social leveller for many of these students and that many of them are seeing their aspirations become a reality,” Mrs Chua said.

Translated by: Kwan Cheurn Hsi

她说：“每个孩子都有不同的长处和优点。即便他们的学术成绩不够好，不表示他们在体育、艺术或其他方面没有才华。我们要做的是让每个学生有机会接触各种课程和活动，教师在旁辅助他们从中发现自己的优点和兴趣。我们重视每个学生的价值，教师协助他们重新界定成功的意义，也指导他们以不同的态度看失败。一般人面对失败，有两种反应：一是放弃；二是记取教训，再勇往直前。选择后者的人，迎接的是突破而不是崩溃。”

林艳卿是北烁学校的创校校长。北烁学校是新加坡第一所录取小六会考不及格生的学校，于2007年创办。林艳卿及北烁教师团队，以及来自教育部和工艺教育学院的人员开发的三年及四年课程，从品德教育、基础学术教育和职业技能教育，以及打造温馨和关怀的学习环境等多方面来恢复学生的自信心、发挥潜能并掌握就业技能，成为社会有用之才。

课程要设计得让学生有成功感

林艳卿指出，每个孩子都有不同的学习方式。如果教师的教学法能配合学生的学习方式，协助他们看到学习的意义，这样就能引起学生的学习兴趣，还能持续不断学习。北烁学校和圣升明径学校的教师非常了解学生，通过观察这一群触觉和视觉较强的学生，研发和设计出不少让学生喜欢的创新教学法。除了灌输知识，还有好些课程能加强学生的社交技能和情绪管理，把学生最好的素质带动出来。

2006年中，筹备建校之初，林艳卿和同事翻阅了不少研究不同教学法的论文，之后把课程规划成三个领域：一是品格教育，二是学术教育，如英文和数学，三是职业技能教育。品格教育要加强学生的自我意识及掌握和管理社交能力，学习如何作决定并为自己作出的决定负责。学生必须遵守一套作为道德准则的核心价值观。学术教育是打好坚实的英文听说读写、数学计算和电脑资讯的基础来学习职业技能。职业技能教育则是为学生毕业后到社会工作，懂得如何在职场应用所学，做好准备。

她说：“这个新课程是第一次为这群学生设计，所以教师都理解需要不断作出修订和调整。课程设计的其中一个要点是要让学生经常有‘我能做得到’的成就感，以此来提升他们继续向前学习的自信心。”

家长和社区通力合作

北烁学校让很多彻夜难眠，以为孩子前途暗淡的家长突然发现曙光，看到孩子变好。为了感激这有魔术般力量的学校，他们在2008年，写出一篇篇感激的文章，褒扬北烁教师的耐心帮助，撰述自己的孩子进入北烁后，有了怎样的转变。家长们把文章汇集成为一本名为《北烁学校的心灵工程 Heartwork@NorthLight》的书，作为教师节的献礼。林艳卿说全校教师拿到这份礼物时，都备受感动。

社区有心人士看见北烁改变了孩子们，也与北烁的办校目标有了共鸣，纷纷为北烁贡献力量，成为北烁的合作伙伴。

学校附近面包店的烘焙师，每天一早把面包送来，让没钱买早餐的学生充饥；附近的医生，为学生免费看病；一群有40人之多的德士司机，免费载送身体不好的学生回家；还有不少企业为学生提供实习机会，让他们亲身体会在职场实地工作的经验。其中一家企业HomeFix，最终还聘用了北烁一名到工艺教育学院读完NITEC课程的毕业生。这名学生对林艳卿校长说，这个企业让他感到家的温暖。

社会有用之才

北烁学校和圣升明径学校的学生，在校期间取得工艺教育学院技能证书（ITE Skills Certification），毕业后到工艺教育学院修读国家工艺教育局证书（NITEC）课程，最近更有学生升读理工学院的文凭课程。这些成就是他们在小六会考不及格时想都不敢想的。没有继续读书的学生则找到工作，能够有钱养家，每个人都成为社会有用的人。

林艳卿为此感到欣慰。她说：“教育的确能推动社会流动力，使社会变得更平等。很多学生已经看到梦想成真。”