By: MARIA ALMENOAR
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Caption: DEDICATION AND CARE: Mrs Foo teaches the Montfort pupils badminton as part of the MJZest programme she started, under which they can earn prizes.
Source: SPH

These five teachers beat 1,150 peers to the prestigious President’s Award for Teachers, which they received from President SR Nathan at the Istana last night. They each had their own reasons for becoming a teacher and their own way of carrying out their job, but what connects all of them is a passion and dedication to teaching - they all go beyond the call of duty. Maria Almenoar looks at why they have been honoured for being at the top of their field, and why they received nominations - even from students they have chided.

Mrs Shirley Foo, Montfort Junior School

LEXUS Quek spent a good part of Primary 4 receiving an earful from his form teacher, Mrs Shirley Foo.

The Montfort Junior School pupil did not do his homework and talked in class.

But the self-confessed naughty boy, now in Primary 6, thinks the “lectures” were the best thing she could have given him.

“She never gave up on me. She forgave me every time and gave me extra lessons if I didn’t understand something,’’ he said.

Mrs Foo, 34, was presented with the President’s Award for Teachers because of her caring and giving spirit.

She said: “A teacher wears many hats. We can’t differentiate between being someone who imparts knowledge and being a counsellor and leader.’’

Asked to cite a rewarding moment in her career, she said she once boosted the self-confidence of a pupil with low self-esteem.

“He had trouble with his schoolwork, but was a very talented cartoonist. I encouraged him to continue drawing,” she said.

The child produced a full sequence of stories, which she had printed and bound into a book - a book which is now used by the school’s Primary 1 classes for English lessons.

The boy and his parents felt very encouraged, she said.

She also started the MJZest programme, in which soccer balls and other sports equipment were left out during recess.

Pupils who tried these sports or picked healthier food options were awarded “points”, which could be exchanged for prizes.

Echoing a point made by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in his Teachers’ Day Rally speech on Thursday, Mrs Foo said: “No child should feel left out or left behind.’’