Absent, but not forgotten

As students on Leave of Absence return to school, a girl relates how her friends and teachers stood by her through the two weeks when she was away.
By secondary school teacher, Goh Hong Yi.

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For 13 year-old Huang Wenyao, a student in Nan Hua High School, Chinese New Year was a time to meet and catch up with her relatives in China. Although her family was concerned about the outbreak of the Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19),
they did not change their travel plans as their hometown in Guangdong was far away from Wuhan and had no reported cases at that time.

However, upon her return to Singapore, the Secondary 1 student found out that she would not be allowed to go back to school immediately. As a precautionary measure to contain the spread of COVID-19, the Ministry of Education announced on 27^th January that all students returning from affected countries have to go on Leave of Absence (LOA) for 14 days.

“I did not feel sick at all, but I was very worried,” she recalled. “Two weeks was a long time! What if I cannot catch up after that?”

Learning continues at home

Thanks to her teachers, Wenyao did not have to worry for long.

Every day, her form teacher, Mr Raymond Teo, called to check on her well-being and update her on what her class was doing. Using the Student Learning Space (SLS), an online learning portal, she could access learning packages assigned
by the different subject teachers. The online lessons included PowerPoint slides, quizzes, as well as videos to complement what is in the textbooks. Wenyao soon found herself to be busy with the different activities. Some teachers would also use email
or instant messaging platforms to send her questions. She would then take a picture of her work and send it back for feedback.

Although nothing could replace the lessons and the interaction with her teachers and classmates in school, Wenyao
felt that home-based learning can be effective as well.

“I spent about 2-3 hours on SLS each day and then I would work on the assignments. I especially liked the videos that were included. It was also convenient to ask the teachers questions online. In class, I would be too shy!”

The value of friendship

During the two weeks, Wenyao and her family made sure they stayed at home. They only left the house when they had to buy food. It would have been rather dreary for a teenager to be stuck at home, but luckily for Wenyao, her friends were determined to
make her feel included.

 

Wenyao (centre) with the group of close friends who supported her through the two weeks of LOA. From left: Chua Xu Wen, Jisu Yun, Nuwairah Foo, and Chin Xie Yu

“It felt really strange when Wenyao wasn’t here in class!” Xie Yu, one of Wenyao’s close friends said. “We chatted on Whatsapp every day though, and a few of us played some games with her on our mobile phones as well.”

Of course, it was not just fun and games. Wenyao would also take pictures of the questions she did not understand and ask for help. The girls would then discuss and work out the solutions together.

The girls’ parents were also aware that they have a classmate who was on LOA. While concerned, they were not overly worried as they understood that LOA was just a precautionary measure and most affected students were not in contact with the virus.

“In fact, my parents actually reminded me to show concern for Wenyao and make sure she does not feel lonely,” Nuwairah said.

Returning to school

Happily, Wenyao and her parents were healthy and ready to return to school and the workplace at the end of two weeks.

Her friends could not be more excited. In fact, they camped at the staircase outside their classroom on the morning of her return, intending to give her a surprise welcome.

“I went up by another staircase though,” Wenyao giggled as her friends burst into laughter. “They were so upset that I spoiled the surprise – I had to go down and do it again!”

Besides her friends, she was also very thankful to the teachers who went the extra mile to ensure she did not lose out because of her absence. Even after her return, a few teachers arranged to see her after school to help her understand what she had missed.

One week has passed since then, and Wenyao is confident that she has caught up.

“Actually, we just had our Geography test today,” she said. “And I found it quite manageable really!”

On the future

As the COVID-19 situation evolves, there is a chance that more students may have to miss school to ensure the safety of others.

Vice-Principal of Nan Hua High School, Mr Melvin Kong was glad to see that students like Wenyao coped well during the Leave of Absence.

“The students on LOA are actually being socially responsible and the school will try our best to support them,” Mr Kong said. “I am also really glad to see that her classmates cared and rallied around her!”

 

They have known each other for only a month, but these girls know the value of friendship well.

Wenyao herself remains confident about the future.

“Although there are many cases in Singapore now, there are also many patients who have recovered,” she said. “I think we can trust the doctors here to do their best. If we do our part and practise good hygiene, we can continue with our
lives as usual!”

 

To read more stories about how students have coped with returning to school after being placed on LOA, you can head here to read Jyotsnaa Jayashanker from Xinmin Primary’s story, or here to learn some of the measures schools developed to keep their students engaged during LOA. You can also take this link to find out how one teacher used technology to continue teaching while being placed on LOA herself.