LIFE Training
It’s apparent that schools must concentrate on developing young people with prospective with limited resources.  ,
However, being rejected for a CCA can be disheartening. I wonder what happened to those students who chose a secondary school especially because they were interested in a particular CCA that college offered. After all, MOE does advise parents of PSLE students to look into “schools that offer CCAs and learning programs that can nurture your child in their areas of interest and develop their potential” ( ).  ,
My younger daughter was one of 12 chosen out of about 50 applicants, but she was disappointed for two of her test groupmates who weren’t chosen. She did finally get shortlisted for the entrepreneurs world.  ,
No one is any less qualified or worse as people if they are not chosen, I told her, just like I told my older daughter: No one is any less qualified or worse as people. Failures are a part of existence, and shouldn’t be taken individually – however, they’re options for our kids to learn resilience and adaptability, characteristics that may go a long way later in life.  ,
I likened their knowledge to work discussions: Often we leave thinking we aced them, only to eventually find out we didn’t get the job. Several factors beyond our control are at play, from changes in the company’s getting coverage to the presence of stronger individuals, and also plain luck.
What matters is how our children react to these losses. They may pick themselves up and attempt to do something new or take a different way.  ,
Finally, all roads lead to Rome – or in this situation, a successful secondary school education. These encounters may help them become stronger and more organized for challenges in the future.
Vivian Teo is a freelance writer, children’s book publisher and proprietor of a parenthood and lifestyle website.