The article is about Yuan Ching Secondary School, a neighborhood school in Jurong, has had a rather bad school reputation. People thought Yuan Ching secondary is full of gangster students. The principal of Yuan Ching switch the focus to academics. Now Yuan Ching has made a turnaround. With passionate and dedicated teachers and helpers from the public, Yuan Ching is slowly improving to a better school with better disciplined students and better results. The Principal and teachers went around the neighborhood, places where Yuan Ching students usually hang out, after school to check if any students happen to misbehave or causing any trouble. The vice principal, Mr. Gomez, went to Jurong Point Shopping Centre, Jurong Entertainment Centre and Jurong Superbowl for support. He request for their assistance by reporting truancy. Police from Jurong West Neighbourhood Police Centre and Jurong Police Divisional HQ, visits the school twice-weekly. They ate in the canteen and patrolled during dismissal hours, looking out for gang activities, tardiness, loitering and truancy. Members of the public also actively helping out by reporting, misbehaviour, untidiness and truancy. The efforts of the educators and community has been paid off. The PSLE cut off point has increased by twenty. The discipline of the students has also improved. More students are now willing to put Yuan Ching as their first choice of school.
I personally think that the principal and the teachers have made a very big effort in salvaging the schools reputation. They have done more then what is expected of a normal teacher in school, they have gone an extra mile to help the school and help the students. The community played a big part as well. If not for the reports for the truancy and misbehaviour, the teachers and principal might not know what their students have done outside school. Due to everyone’s passionate help and support, Yuan Ching Secondary School is able to become a better school in such a short time. They have been very successful in changing the school. I hope such efforts will extend to more schools.
