This picture of Cass attending an online Math class during the pandemic popped up in my Google Photos today. I can hardly believe it has been six years. She was in Primary 6 in this picture.
It was the height of the Covid pandemic, and we were all confined to our homes. Schooling was uncertain, and like many children, my girls were initially delighted that they didn't have to go to school. Instead, lessons moved online, and they attended virtual classes for more than a year.
While online learning worked well for some students, it wasn't easy for many others. There were countless distractions at home—online games, chatting with friends, taking naps, wandering off to do other things, or simply losing focus in front of a screen. I must admit that all three of my girls struggled with these temptations at one point or another. I hated Roblox so much back then as Cass was always hooked on this online game. She could multi-task so well - shifting from online class to Roblox simultaneously.
Cass, who is now 18, often tells me how much she disliked online classes. She found it difficult to concentrate and has since declared that she never wants to study online again, even if some universities still offer that option. She much prefers being physically present in a classroom.
The transition from Primary 6 to Form 1 was not an easy one for Cass. After being accepted into Kuen Cheng High School—a school that is not easy to get into—she suddenly told me that she did not want to study in an Independent Chinese High School. Respecting her wishes, I accepted an offer from her former feeder school, a national secondary school in our neighbourhood.
However, during the pandemic, things became even more challenging. For an entire month, Cass refused to attend her online classes. She kept to herself and ignored me, and no matter how hard I tried, I could not get through to her or understand what she was going through. As a mother, it was a worrying and frustrating period.
Then one day, she walked up to me and quietly said, "Mummy, I want to study at Kuen Cheng High School." I was overjoyed. I immediately contacted the school and had a lengthy discussion with the person in charge. By God's grace, everything worked out, and Cass was accepted back into the school. I made her promise that she would not change her mind again.
What happened next surprised me. The following year, she was awarded a full bursary by the school, covering her entire year's fees. Even more remarkably, the bursary was renewed year after year after fresh applications, and she remained a bursary recipient all the way until Form 5. Looking back, I believe it was God's provision and a reminder that sometimes our children simply need time to find the path that is right for them.
In less than a month, Cass will begin her Pre-U studies, and I couldn't be prouder that she has been accepted into this university. Looking back at all the challenges she has overcome—from the uncertainties of the pandemic to finding her own path in school—I am amazed by how much she has grown.
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