New weekly ST column will offer help in answering some of the
burning questions parents have about their child’s education.
When The Straits Times launched its weekly education special
in April last year, it received unsolicited questions from
parents concerned about their children’s education.
The questions were along the lines of: ‘Is my child
normal?’, “What school should I choose for my
daughter?’ and ‘How can I help my son do well
under the new syllabus?’
Next Monday, a new column called Ask the Expert will attempt
to answer some of these questions.
The experts are school principals, child psychiatrists and
career guidance counsellors from the universities and polytechnics.
They include consultant psychiatrist Ng Koon Hock, Tao Nan
principal Tony Tan, St Andrew's Secondary principal Belinda
Charles, Pat's Schoolhouse director Patricia Koh and Mr Anthony
Woon, the director of academic services at Nanyang Polytechnic.
The experts will offer help in such areas as choosing a tertiary
course, studying for examinations and identifying learning difficulties
in children.
Each week, the column will feature one or two questions from
members of the public, along with replies from the relevant
authorities in the fields.
Parents like administrative executive Maggie Chua say they
are looking forward to having an advice column. The 36-year-old
mother of an eight-year-old boy said: 'For first-time parents
like me, parenting is just like an experiment; we just go
step by step and hope for the best. Along the way, we have
tons of questions, but nobody to ask. We ask other parents,
but they might not be the best people. At least with the new
column, we're assured of getting some expert advice.'
Parents are not the only target of the column. Students and
teachers are welcome to write in, too.
Most teenagers find themselves in a quandary when trying
to decide between going to a junior college and a polytechnic
after the O-level examinations, said Mr Woon. He added: 'Often,
they don't know much about the courses available at polytechnics
and which ones they should take. Usually, we advise them to
weigh both their interests and their eligibility for a course
when making their decision.'
Mr Woon sees the column having a 'multiplier effect'. He
explained: 'Although only one question may be answered each
time, the effects are multiplied because other people, besides
the one who asked the question, will read the answer. So even
those who have questions but may not be comfortable in asking
them will still benefit.' |
