STRONGER, TOGETHER

Good parent-teacher relationships can boost a child's confidence and holistic development

- Venessa Lee

Amid the buzz of starting the new school year, perhaps one resource for helping students thrive may be overlooked.

Good parent-teacher relationships can boost a child's confidence and holistic development, say parents and educators interviewed by The Straits Times.

Education Minister Chan Chun Sing has spoken about the need to "establish boundaries" for educators.

For instance, teachers should not be expected to respond to work-related messages outside school hours, except in emergencies, Mr Chan said at the Ministry of Education (MOE) Schools Work Plan Seminar in September 2024.

Teachers and parents share tips on how to build and maintain a productive, professional relationship to help children and teens overcome the challenges they may face in school.

1. RAISE CONCERNS EARLY

Office manager Sasha Iqubal, 35, was concerned that her child Marisha Michael would have difficulty adjusting when she entered Casuarina Primary School later than her Primary 1 cohort, at the beginning of Term 2 in 2023.

The family had lived for two years in Bali, Indonesia, where Marisha - the eldest of her three daughters and who is now eight - had gone to an international school.

Ms Sasha flagged her concerns to the lower primary year head Ho-Tan Chay Shwan ahead of her child's entry into the primary school in Pasir Ris.

Mrs Ho-Tan showed Ms Sasha and Marisha around the school in person in March 2023 before the girl became a pupil there, and galvanised the support of Marisha's other teachers, whom Ms Sasha also spoke with.

Mrs Ho-Tan says: "I wanted to assure them that I could be the contact person should they need any help. It was also to allow Marisha to have a look at her classroom, and to let her know that the environment is inviting and conducive to support her learning. I briefed the form teachers to give the child more time to adjust and, more importantly, for her to enjoy school.