Student with cerebral palsy collects PSLE results after beating fear of school with a little help from friends

SINGAPORE — When Durkeswaran Krishnan enrolled in Pioneer Primary School in 2013, he feared that his peers would look down on him due to his medical condition.

Durkeswaran, who is known as Durkes to his friends and family, has spastic diplegia, a form of cerebral palsy which affects his muscles in the lower extremities of his body. The 13-year-old has difficulty walking and relies on his crutches to move around.

Recalling his first day of school, he said: “I don’t usually talk to new people and when I entered my class for the first time, none of (my classmates) were like me, so I was scared.”

However, his fears proved to be unfounded, and on Thursday (Nov 21), Durkes proudly walked up on stage with his crutches to receive his Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) results from his principal.

He was accompanied by three of his best friends — or “blood brothers” as he called them — who have supported him throughout his years in primary school.

Durkes was one of more than 40,000 students here to receive their PSLE results on Thursday.

The PSLE is an annual national examination that is taken by students at the end of their primary school education before they progress to secondary school.

The Ministry of Education said that of the 40,256 Primary 6 students that sat for the PSLE this year, 98.4 per cent are assessed to be suitable to move on to secondary school. Of these, 66.3 per cent are eligible for the Express course, 21 per cent for the Normal (Academic) course, and 11.2 per cent for the Normal (Technical) course. The rest may re-attempt the PSLE if they wish or apply to Assumption Pathway School or NorthLight School for “a more experiential and hands-on learning approach”.

WHEELCHAIR-BOUND UNTIL HE WAS SIX

Speaking to TODAY after the release of the results, Durkes' mother, Ms Nangai Supramaniam, 47, said that unlike other children who begin to crawl within their first year, her son had not been able to crawl until the age of four.

Even after an operation to help him walk, Durkes was wheelchair-bound until the age of six.

The fifth child and only son, Durkes is quiet and reserved during family functions, keeping to himself in a corner while his cousins play.

“When I ask him why he doesn’t move around, he says he does not want others to notice his condition,” Ms Nangai, who works as a cashier, said.

Durkes with his parents Nangai Supramaniam, 47, and Sethuraman Krishnan, 53. Photo: Nuria Ling/TODAY

It was only at the urging of his kindergarten teacher, who had noticed that Durkes was good at his studies, that Ms Nangai considered enrolling Durkes into a mainstream primary school.

Even then, she enrolled him half a year late because she was concerned about how he would do everyday things that other primary school students take for granted.

These included travelling to school on public transport, walking from one classroom to another and even buying food from the canteen. Ms Nangai also had fears about how he would be accepted by his peers.

CRUTCHES NOT A BARRIER

However, Durkes surprised his parents, emerging to be a different person in school. The couple said that his friends have made all the difference.

“He loves his school because of his friends with whom he shares his feelings. He wants to go every day. Even if there is heavy rain, he will insist on attending his tuition classes in school, too,” Ms Nangai said, referring to tuition classes held by self-help group Singapore Indian Development Association.

Durkes said that his friends are “as close as family” and they have made his primary school journey a “fun and cheerful” one.

They helped him navigate through the crowded canteen and held him on rainy days when his crutches had less grip on slippery floors.

When he had to be admitted to the hospital for asthma attacks or fever, which could occur two to three times a year, they took down notes in class and gave them to him so that he could keep up.

Durkes, who was lauded for pushing himself to his limits by Pioneer Primary School’s principal Lee Wai Ling on Thursday morning, has not let his physical disability get in the way of trying new things.

He has been active in school activities, and he told TODAY that he even tried his hand at archery as an after-school activity this year, managing one shot on target.

This was on top of other school activities he joined, such as a tour of Chinatown, the National Education show and a visit to the Science Centre.

However, Durkes let on that he could take part in certain activities but not others.

For instance, he was left out of his school’s three-day camp for Primary 5 students, attending just the campfire night on the second day. He had felt lonely being the only student in the classroom while all his classmates were away on camp.

His condition has gotten in the way of his exams as well. Last year, he was forced to sit for his English comprehension examination a day later than his classmates because it coincided with his weekly physiotherapy session at KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital.

BIG DREAMS FOR A SMALL GUY

Armed with his PSLE grades now, Durkes has lofty ambitions for his future.

The computer-game enthusiast said that he developed a desire to drive cars after playing computer games which simulate driving. He told TODAY that he wants to sell cars designed to be driven by people with disabilities such as himself.

When asked what excites him the most about going to secondary school, Durkes, who will be in the Normal (Academic) stream, said that he is keen to join a co-curricular activity related to infocomms and robotics.

PSLE graduates will learn which secondary schools have accepted them a month from now. Submissions for Secondary 1 postings will close on Nov 27.

Seeing that he would have to adjust to a new school environment, his old fears on being accepted despite his medical condition are returning to haunt him.

“I’m scared about finding friends. Not many people may want to volunteer to help me.”

However, having made it through primary school, Durkes is a little bit more confident that he can make new friends. He plans to make the first move on his first day of secondary school so that others can get to know him better.

While he is not sure if he will get a group of friends as supportive as his “blood brothers”, this may be a start.