Little girl requests S'pore Catholic Archbishop pray for her to enter CHIJ Primary Toa Payoh

What makes a good school, a good school?

Guan Zhen Tan | July 15, 2019, 06:30 PM

The primary school registration process is a daunting one for both parents and their children.

It's not uncommon to hear of the great lengths some parents go to just to ensure that their child is able to get into the school of choice.

Asked Archbishop to pray for her primary school of choice

Some may seek answers through their faith, as one young girl did recently.

She approached the Singapore Catholic Archbishop William Goh for holy assistance during a Confirmation Mass on July 13, an incident that has since been shared to Facebook:

Goh is the fourth Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Singapore and the appointed Archbishop of Singapore since 2013.

Passed a note

In his post, Goh wrote that a young girl ran up to him while he was taking photos with participants and their loved ones during Confirmation Mass on July 13.

The girl, whose name is Jacquelyn Goh, passed a handwritten note to the Archbishop and asked for him to pray that she would be accepted into CHIJ Primary Toa Payoh.

The handwriting on the note did not appear to belong to a child though.

A popular school

That particular primary school, which is part of the Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus family of schools, has consistently been one of the more popular choices for parents in Singapore.

A thread on KiasuParents, which is a forum for, well, kiasu parents, highlighted that the CHIJ school in Toa Payoh is appealing because it is an all-girls school and has a spiritual environment.

Good school not one that's popular or has good academic performance

Goh empathised with the girl's situation, noting that "all parents want their children to study in the best school".

However, the Archbishop questioned what makes the best school, asking if it's just because it is "popular and has good academic performance", or if it should be based on "integral formation" instead of focusing solely on academic knowledge and skills.

Goh's Facebook's post also highlighted the need and importance of Catholic schools maintaining a Catholic environment, allowing children to develop themselves not only academically, but also morally and spiritually.

Here is his post in full:

Primary 1 School Registration

The time is here again for primary 1 school registration. Not only parents but their children are also anxious about their successful placement in the school of their choice. I was at a Confirmation Mass last evening and whilst busy taking photos with the confirmants and their loved ones, a young girl ran towards me and passed me this note, asking me to pray for her that she would be accepted as a student in CHIJ Primary School. All parents want their children to study in the best school.

But what is the best school? Is it reducible to one that is popular and has good academic performance? Is this the only criterion that matters most? Or should it be based on integral formation and not merely academic knowledge and skills?

Equally important, our Catholic Schools need to provide a Catholic ambience, a Catholic community that lives out the Catholic ethos where our children will not just succeed academically but are formed integrally, including their human, moral and spiritual development. Without which, any form of academic success will be a failure because the child fails to become the person God wants him or her to be and is unable to fulfill his or her vocation in life. In the final analysis, happiness is when we become people who are deeply in love with God, passionate for life, for meaning and purpose, for love and relationships, and for service to our brothers and sisters.

Top image adapted via Archbishop William Goh's Facebook post