A heartening letter in yesterday's (30 October) Forum:
'Hopeless case' now manager in top bank
I was delighted to read the Saturday special report, 'No dead end' (ST, Oct 27), on the Institute of Technical Education (ITE).
When I was an ITE student, I used to curse and swear when I went to school in the awful ITE uniform, ever conscious that I would be seen as a 'hopeless case'.
Today, I am a manager in one of the world's top financial institutions.
Apart from all that was written in the papers, I would like to share with readers how ITE gave its students many opportunities to develop their leadership skills and confidence, opportunities not available in secondary school or polytechnic. It developed in students academic and soft skills needed in the working world. ITE had workshops on public speaking that gave me the opportunity to speak and built up my confidence. I also had the chance to be the emcee for some award ceremony when I would probably have been last on the list had I been in secondary school. Being a vice-president of the concert band gave me the chance to fly to Australia with my ITE mates for a band performance, which was like a dream come true.
I applaud and thank my lecturers, especially Mr Aaron Tang, who made me realise that I actually had leadership qualities. Mr Tang showed us how dreams could come true, when he went all out to raise funds to make our Australian trip happen. This gave us hope and allowed us to rise to the occasion.
A few of my schoolmates were involved in four to six ECAs, yet they scored fantastic results. What does this show? ITE has a unique educational system, and with it a unique and passionate team of lecturers who go the extra mile to make our dreams come true.
We students may have been less academically inclined, less attentive, more playful and lacked guidance during our younger days but our lecturers understood us and made things happen for us.
Tan Sock Hua (Miss)
Actually, I think the ITE uniform, at least the uniform of the ITE near me, looks pretty cool.
But, moving away from my instinctive trivial thoughts, obviously, there is more to ITE than meets most eyes. Well done, to the letter writer and others like her, as well as their teachers.
Hopefully, we will see more young people who are not on the conventional educational route prove themselves. That would say something about the quality of the education system here, more so, perhaps, than students' brilliant performance in math and science competitions.
'Hopeless case' now manager in top bank
I was delighted to read the Saturday special report, 'No dead end' (ST, Oct 27), on the Institute of Technical Education (ITE).
When I was an ITE student, I used to curse and swear when I went to school in the awful ITE uniform, ever conscious that I would be seen as a 'hopeless case'.
Today, I am a manager in one of the world's top financial institutions.
Apart from all that was written in the papers, I would like to share with readers how ITE gave its students many opportunities to develop their leadership skills and confidence, opportunities not available in secondary school or polytechnic. It developed in students academic and soft skills needed in the working world. ITE had workshops on public speaking that gave me the opportunity to speak and built up my confidence. I also had the chance to be the emcee for some award ceremony when I would probably have been last on the list had I been in secondary school. Being a vice-president of the concert band gave me the chance to fly to Australia with my ITE mates for a band performance, which was like a dream come true.
I applaud and thank my lecturers, especially Mr Aaron Tang, who made me realise that I actually had leadership qualities. Mr Tang showed us how dreams could come true, when he went all out to raise funds to make our Australian trip happen. This gave us hope and allowed us to rise to the occasion.
A few of my schoolmates were involved in four to six ECAs, yet they scored fantastic results. What does this show? ITE has a unique educational system, and with it a unique and passionate team of lecturers who go the extra mile to make our dreams come true.
We students may have been less academically inclined, less attentive, more playful and lacked guidance during our younger days but our lecturers understood us and made things happen for us.
Tan Sock Hua (Miss)
Actually, I think the ITE uniform, at least the uniform of the ITE near me, looks pretty cool.
But, moving away from my instinctive trivial thoughts, obviously, there is more to ITE than meets most eyes. Well done, to the letter writer and others like her, as well as their teachers.
Hopefully, we will see more young people who are not on the conventional educational route prove themselves. That would say something about the quality of the education system here, more so, perhaps, than students' brilliant performance in math and science competitions.
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