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Reflections of a parent on son’s O-Level feat

When the O-Level results were released last week, our son was unusually silent upon returning home before he revealed the truth about his performance (“Record 84.3% pass 5 or more subjects in last year’s O-Levels”; Jan 12).

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Cathryn Sim-Chew Lay Hwa

When the O-Level results were released last week, our son was unusually silent upon returning home before he revealed the truth about his performance (“Record 84.3% pass 5 or more subjects in last year’s O-Levels”; Jan 12).

Six distinctions, with a score of 11 points, was a feat for him. On reflection, I realised there were three key reasons for this leap. The first came in the face of adversity at home.

My husband was one of the victims of the raw fish saga in 2015. He was admitted thrice to two hospitals, had a cochlear implant surgery and was hospitalised for 43 days.

He is still suffering from profound hearing loss owing to Group B streptococcus-induced meningitis. Consequently, he was made redundant last year in May.

Since then, our three teenage children, including our 16-year-old son, have tried in their own ways to make sense of what had happened and the hard truth that their father was no longer able to be the breadwinner.

Secondly, being in an independent school that advocates a different way of thinking, with an emphasis on reflection, paid off finally. Our son reflected on his below-par academic performance and our financial constraints, and had us engage a tutor for his weakest link, chemistry.

The third reason was support from the family. A few weeks before the examinations, we saw a new spirit in our young man. He sprang into action and started vigorous revisions, something he had never done for his studies.

All I did was to wake early on the days of his papers to ensure breakfast was ready, along with a cup of freshly brewed kopi-O, which he had requested to keep him awake.

Of course, by then, prayer had become as natural as breathing for his parents. His two siblings also encouraged him.

In times of adversity, we will indeed rise up, especially when there is a supportive school and family to bring out the best in our children.

Our greatest satisfaction in this parenting journey to date has been to see our son experience his own academic breakthrough at his tender age.

It shall be a reminder that will spur him on later in life when he faces other adversities. Tough times truly never last; they only make tough people tougher.

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