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Tag: teachers

  • Indranee Rajah: Heroes Of Sabah Quake And Singaporeans’ Reactions A Reminder Of What It Means Be Part Of Singapore Family

    Indranee Rajah: Heroes Of Sabah Quake And Singaporeans’ Reactions A Reminder Of What It Means Be Part Of Singapore Family

    Being Singaporean

    On this National Day of Remembrance, it was brought home to me once again what it means to be Singaporean.

    This day was for us to remember those who died in the Sabah quake -Terrence (the teacher), Daanish (the adventure guide) and Peony, Ameer, Emilie, Matahom, Rachel and Sonia (the students), while we hope against hope for Mohammad Ghazi and Navdeep Singh who are still missing.

    At the SEA Games, we scored golds, including getting our first ever netball gold yesterday, and breaking the 50m freestyle record today.

    Happiness mingled with sadness.

    I visited Sonia’s wake today. I was touched by her family’s strength and fortitude. Her parents mourned her death but they also celebrated how much she achieved in her young life. They said to know her was to love her.

    In their grief, they generously remembered others, making it a point to tell Minister Heng Swee Keat and myself how much they appreciated the support from the principal and teachers of TKPS, as well as the MOE team in Sabah, with an especial word of thanks for DS Lim Boon Wee, and to the SAF for bringing them and Sonia home.

    Her mum said Sonia was an avid netball player. She played Wing Defence. She had attended the first few matches of our national netball team in the SEA Games to cheer them on before leaving for Sabah and was sorry that she was going to miss the netball final because of her trip.

    Her uncle told me that our national netballers came to see Sonia today. They came to show their support for family of the girl who had supported them. They gave Sonia the hexagonal light medallion from the SEA games pack, signed with their names – so she now has her own SEA games netball “medal”. Their thoughtful gesture and solidarity for Sonia meant a lot to the family.

    Also attended Terrence’s wake this evening. CNA reported a parent as saying that Terrence had “helped a bunch” before going back up again to help others. His selflessness saved others. His family can be proud of him, even as they mourn him. Friends, NS mates, ex-students, teacher colleagues, neighbours and relatives were all there to lend support the family.

    This reminded me anew what it means to be Singaporean – strength,courage, duty, kindness – and being there for each other, in joy or sorrow, good times and bad. This is what it is to be part of the Singapore family.

     

    Source: Indranee Rajah

  • TKPS Student Survivor: Teachers Were Heroes

    TKPS Student Survivor: Teachers Were Heroes

    Emyr Uzayr, one of the Tanjong Katong Primary School students that survived the earthquake in Sabah last week, returned to Singapore early Sunday morning (Jun 7) and is now in the high dependency ward at the KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital. He has been seeing a steady stream of visitors since his return, including the Education Minister Heng Swee Keat on Sunday evening.

    “He is recovering, even with the fracture on his skull,” said his father Sadri Farick. “We are not going to proceed with the operation because there might be risks. We are just going to leave it (to heal) naturally because we have been advised by the neurosurgeons.”

    According to Emyr, one of his teachers, Mohamed Faizal, who recovering from his injuries, had used his body to shield three of the pupils from falling rocks and boulders on Mount Kinabalu during the earthquake. The other teachers on trip include Mr Terrence Loo, who was among seven from the school who died, and Mr Mohammad Ghazi, who is still missing.

    Mr Sadri paid tribute to the teachers for their selfless acts. “They went two or three miles, helping them, shielding them, taking the hits, even with a broken skull and bones, they still brought them down 7 kilometres in blocked paths,” said Mr Sadri. “To me and most of the parents I’ve talked to, we owe it to the teachers.

    “For the others who have perished, I know for the late Mr Terrence, he did help a bunch and he went up again. He’s a real hero and as for Mr Ghazi, who is still missing – undeniably – I was told by some of the kids that he helped and he went up back again,” he said.

    “All the students said they are very nice teachers. They would stay behind after school hours and work about 13 hours a day for the children and loved their job.”

     

    Source: www.channelnewsasia.com

  • Heroic Teachers And Guide Should Be Awarded Singapore’s Pingat Keberanian (Medal Of Valour)

    Heroic Teachers And Guide Should Be Awarded Singapore’s Pingat Keberanian (Medal Of Valour)

    Dear Editors,

    We now hear from the parents that the teachers and guides on Mountain Kinabalu were the true heroes. Despite their injuries and without regard for their own safety, they used their bodies to shield those children under their care. This is heroism of the highest order and sadly some have paid the ultimate price. The least we can do for those teachers and the guide should be to award them with Pingat Keberanian posthumously.

    “The Pingat Keberanian (Medal of Valour), instituted in 1987, is a Singaporean decoration awarded to any person who has performed an act of courage and gallantry in circumstances of personal danger.”

    It will be a fitting award for these heroes who did everything they could to protect fellow Singaporeans. We salute them.

    These teachers should be honoured and remembered for their selfless acts so that our younger generation may learn what it truly takes to be a great teacher – not just in school but in life.

    Josie Lam
    A.S.S. Contributor

    Source: www.allsingaporestuff.com

  • Sabah Quake: Faces Of The Tragedy

    Sabah Quake: Faces Of The Tragedy

    Monday, June 8, has been declared a Day of Remembrance for the victims of the Sabah earthquake.

    Six pupils and one teacher from Tanjong Katong Primary School are confirmed to have died. The Singaporean adventure guide who was with them on a school field trip also died.

    Quake Victims

    Source: www.straitstimes.com

  • Sabah Earthquake: Singapore Students, Teachers Missing

    Sabah Earthquake: Singapore Students, Teachers Missing

    Eight students and two teachers from Tanjong Katong Primary School (TKPS) who were on a school trip to Mount Kinabalu were uncontactable after a 6.0-magnitude earthquake struck Sabah yesterday (June 5).

    They were among a total of 29 students and eight teachers from TKPS on the excursion. In a statement issued at about 9pm, a Ministry of Education (MOE) spokesperson said others had been accounted for.

    “We are continuing efforts to contact the remaining (students and teachers). Parents have been informed and kept updated on the situation,” the spokesperson said.

    Fifty-eight students and eight teachers from two other schools — Fuchun Secondary and Greenridge Secondary — were also on Mount Kinabalu when the quake occurred. They were safe, and arrangements had been made for them to return to Singapore, said the spokesperson.  They arrived at Changi Airport after midnight yesterday. MOE officials were at the airport to receive the students and teachers. In a statement issued at about 12.30am, MOE said arrangements were being made to fly the families of students and teachers who were unaccounted for to Kota Kinabalu this morning.

    Education Minister Heng Swee Keat told TODAY: “A team of MOE officials and our teachers and counsellors will be together with the team , and will be together with the parents to give our utmost support. We are also working with the Malaysian authorities to give every assistance possible to continue with this operation.”

    “It is a very difficult time for the parents and …  a very difficult time for everyone.”

    The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) has despatched a Crisis Response Team (CRT) to Sabah to help Singaporeans there. Singapore’s High Commissioner in Kuala Lumpur has also contacted Malaysia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs to offer support.

    The quake struck near the mountain around 7.15 am yesterday, jolting a wide area of Sabah. Tremors were felt as far as the northern Kudat and Kota Marudu districts, and Beaufort in the south.

    Since news of the quake broke yesterday morning, parents and relatives continued to stream in to TKPS throughout the day. The Malaysian media reported that two bodies, believed to be of a local guide and a 12-year-old female Singaporean student, had been recovered from Mount Kinabalu. When TODAY visited TKPS, parents and relatives were seen going in and out of the school premises deep into the night. Some had been there since morning, waiting for updates.

    A parent, Mr James Ho, said: “For 12 hours, all we saw were teachers, the principal comforting us (and) giving us food. But beyond the school, we are not seeing any help.”

    Another parent, Mr Sadri Farick, said he had been informed that his son Emyr Uzayr, who is in Primary 6, had been found with leg injuries, but there were no details. “We got news from one of the boys that there were boulders dropping in front (of them) and (their path) was cut off. I’m very upset by the information and resources we’re getting.”

    Primary 6 student Emyr Uzayr was rescued with leg injuries, according to his father Sadri Farick. The extent of his injuries is not known. Photo: Sadri Farick

    Posting on Facebook at about 10.40pm, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said: “We are doing all we can to reach them and I really hope they are alright.” Mr Lee said that the authorities had contacted their Malaysian counterparts yesterday afternoon to offer support and help. “My thoughts are with those affected by the earthquake, and their families,” he added.

    About half an hour later, Education Minister Heng Swee Keat also posted on Facebook: “Our hearts and thoughts are with the families of the students and staff of Tanjong Katong Primary School… We will do all we can to find the missing students and teachers in Mount Kinabalu.”

    Mr Heng, who visited TKPS at close to 1am, added that MOE staff are in touch with the families of these students and teachers.

    Foreign Minister K Shanmugam also took to the social networking site, saying that he had been monitoring the incident. He also outlined the efforts by his ministry to provide assistance to Singaporeans in Sabah. “My thoughts and prayers are with all those affected in the disaster,” he said.

    MFA said that there are more than 100 registered Singaporeans in Sabah during the earthquake. As of 7.30pm yesterday, the ministry has contacted the majority of them and they were safe.

     

    Source: www.todayonline.com