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New Crest Secondary principal wants to be a champion of the underdog

2023-12-28 00:00:00.0 海峡时报-新加坡原网页

SINGAPORE - After teaching for 11 years in his alma mater, Catholic High School, Mr Benjamin Kwok wanted to try something different.

The 58-year-old started his teaching career in 1989 as a mathematics and physical education teacher, and had become used to teaching students from the Express stream.

In 2001, he became the discipline master at Bendeemer Secondary School, before eventually being appointed as principal of Assumption English School.

His newest role is principal of Crest Secondary School, which is a specialised school for Normal (Technical) students.

“I felt the need to move on because I wanted to understand what a typical secondary school would be like, because Catholic High is a SAP (Special Assistance Plan) school,” said Mr Kwok. SAP schools were set up in 1979 to preserve the traditional Chinese school cultural environment.

At Bendeemer Secondary School, which takes in students from both Express and Normal streams, it was a steep learning curve for him to get up to speed with managing a different student profile, he said.

But it made him more aware of how the challenges students face in school might actually stem from their homes.

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“It gave me a sense of reality about the different needs of students, especially those who come from not-so-privileged backgrounds,” said the father of three boys, aged 19 to 26.

When he begins 2024 at Crest Secondary School, he is looking forward to working with the staff to provide meaningful experiences for Crest students.

Mr Kwok said he wants to be a champion for the underdog, referring to a quote that deeply impacted him when he was appointed principal of Assumption English School in 2018.

“Those whom the world rejects must move you the most,” he said. The line by St Louis de Montfort, the founding saint of Assumption English School, captures his motivation as an educator, he added.

He recounted his time as discipline master in Bendemeer Secondary School, when he had to manage a student who broke many school rules and ended up doing badly for his national examinations at Secondary 4.

The student moved on to the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) but left after three months as he constantly got into fights in school. Things changed when he entered national service.

“He wondered why he had to keep calling people ‘sir’, even though they didn’t look older than him. That’s when he realised that education matters, and he went back to ITE after his NS and studied very hard,” said Mr Kwok.

The boy ended up doing very well in ITE and polytechnic, and is currently a consultant in the shipping industry. They still keep in touch to this day.

“He showed me that change can happen at any time, and that every student deserves a chance at success,” said Mr Kwok.