Ms Cham Bei Qing
In my life’s journey, education is a constant feature that has been a succession of opportunities.
I have had the opportunity graduate from the National University of Singapore with a Bachelor of Arts in English Language (Highest Distinction Honours), from which I have gained a profound wonder at the complexities of human existence and our negotiation of our lives. It has expanded my horizons by, ironically, focusing my sights on the intricate patterns of communication – taking the chance to look more carefully at what in the bustle of everyday life is often missed.
With MOE, I have so far had the opportunity in my short career to teach at 4 schools. They have not spanned the full range of the education system, but each of them, with their own practices, culture and context, has furnished me with an additional lens on education through which I gladly see that difference need not be disparity.
Now, having freshly emerged from the Postgraduate Diploma in Education programme at the National Institute of Education, I find myself presented with yet another great opportunity – the opportunity to teach at Eunoia Junior College. Few will have the privilege to be able to say they were present in the infancy of an institution, and could be around to nurture it and witness its growth in greatness and goodness.
Few, also, have the pleasure of directly interacting with the young hearts and minds that will be our future. The above is about my education, but also about the education of my students: to me, a good education cannot engage only the mind; it must also capture the heart through a love for learning and a love for others.
In education, I find an opportunity to play a part in providing to students the opportunities that have been presented to me, and to help them discover the heart to seize them.