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 NorthLight Shares...
Azri's Story - Another personal account to show that when given the opportunity, every student can shine.
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 Since its founding in 2007, NorthLight School has been giving hope to students who are not eligible for mainstream secondary schools because they failed in their PSLE. These personal stories are extracted from Heartwork@NorthLight, a tribute to the school’s passionate and hard-working teachers by parents and guardians of NorthLight students.
Each story is a testament to the power of the NorthLight belief that given the opportunity, every single student can shine.For more information on Northlight School, visit www.nls.edu.sg
“Ayah, I’ve set the alarm.â€
“K. Goodnite Azri.â€
A typical scene you might say. But I beg to differ.
There was a time when Azri dreaded going to school. He made all sorts of excuses when he was asked to go to bed early. As his father, I had to give him a lot of encouragement to get him to go to school.
You see, Azri is special. At the age of five, when most boys his age would be outdoors running and shouting, Azri would be in his room watching Disney cartoons. He was a quiet child and kept mostly to himself. He only started talking at six, and this caused the family a lot of anxiety.
When he was in kindergarten, I sent him to KK Hospital for speech therapy as the kindergarten teacher said Azri was too quiet and had difficulty interacting with the other children in his class. Dr Tan, the speech therapist, said Azri was a normal boy who was just taking his time in developing his capabilities. I kept telling myself that Azri was like any other child; he just needs time to develop his capabilities.Unfortunately our society cannot wait; the environment is very competitive and he cannot take his time to develop.
Azri had difficulty fitting in into his primary school. After school, I had to coax him to do his homework or to revise his work. It took a lot of effort to make him understand his lessons, and an even longer time to make him complete his homework. Every year, his examination results were disastrous. Although he tried very hard, his marks were always poor. It was painful for me to see how he struggled. I knew Azri needed a lot of encouragement and perhaps a different way of learning.
When he failed his Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) for the second time, he was downcast. I comforted him and told him not to give up.
When NorthLight School opened in 2007, it was a godsend. At last, a school for Azri and others like him. What these children need is for people to believe in them. They need many opportunities, and this is exactly what NorthLight provides.
Because my job takes me away most of the time, I could not be present during the school orientation,. One of the teachers, Mr Jali Sawi, kindly showed me around the school when I asked to look around on a different day. I was greatly impressed with the school’s facilities and the sincere effort shown by Mr Jali. At once, I knew NorthLight School would be the school for Azri, the normal boy who is taking his time to discover his capabilities.
His enthusiasm in preparing for school every day shows how the teachers have made Azri enjoy school and how they have allowed him to discover his potential.It is a joy to see students learning and to see how committed they are. I’ve also seen how they help one another too. I know Azri must do his part in the learning process and I am doing my part to help him achieve his dream. The journey has just begun and it will be an interesting one.
My family would like to express our thanks to the Ministry of Education for starting NorthLight School.
We would also like to express our deepest gratitude to the dedicated teachers of the school for helping students like Azri see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Razali Ahmad, Father of Azri (2T1)
Would you like to read another true story? Shu Ren's Story
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