Preteen Friends - Challenges for Youth

Glenn, Andrew and Aaaron - Friends and Tuition Mates

My younger son Andrew will turn 12 this year, as this is the key year where all children in Primary 6 will take the Primary School Leaving Examination,he is undergoing tuition 5 days a week for Math,Science,English and Chinese and diligently practising the past years' exam papers in preparations for this key exam in October. The current environment which youth are exposed to in Singapore and many parts of the world are plentiful and complex. I highlight a few :

a) Much heavier study workloads
b) Accessibility of computer games, dating sites, pornography through mass media like the Internet and handheld devices
c) Breakdown of marriages leading to single parent households or patchwork families
d) More competitive playing field due to foriegn scholars and permanent residents attending the local schools
e) The unstable economic situation due to the Global Financial Crisis, leaving some families with lesser incomes due to one or
both parents losing jobs,and henceforth changes in family lifestyles and spending habits.

There was a touching story today in the Straits Times whereby a family had to live on the streets because the parents were unable to make good the mortgage payments and the 2 children, a boy and a girl had to drop out of school,somedays with barely anything to eat, when there father was retrenched as a hawker stall assistant and their savings ran dry. There are probably hundreds if not thousands of such cases where the situations are not as dire but are 'nearly there'. That means to say, everything has to cut back, holidays, dining choices,pocket money, the little touches that one is used to. It is tough especially on the young ones,having to experience hunger at such a young age.

Fortunately, the School Pocket Money Fund has kicked in for the family and the children are back to attending school and the family is staying with a relative during these tough times.

Nowadays it seems that there are many youngsters willing to go to great lengths to achieve materialistic things and we as parents must be there to guide them as far as imparting values and behavior such as :

a) thrift
b) honesty
c) sacrifice
d) courtesy and manners
e) sharing
f) selflessness
g)empathy for the less fortunate

the list goes on. If the parents and especially the father is missing, away for long durations (by choice), then there is every danger of the next generation of youth undermining the success of our country these past 43 years.

I certainly intend to play my part.