'Why are you trying so hard?' A Primary 1 dropout's gritty journey to becoming a trainee teacher
After dropping out of primary school aged seven, Mr Presslee Chng endured years of social isolation and bullying. He tells CNA TODAY about his long and bumpy road back to school, the teachers who propped him up along the way, and his dream to pay it forward as a teacher himself.
Mr Presslee Chng, now 25, dropped out of Primary 1 at just seven years old. His life took a drastic turn after his family was evicted from their flat in 2008, forcing him to leave his schoolbooks and uniforms behind. Struggling with social isolation and bullying, Presslee spent the next nine years out of the formal education system.
Though he initially didn't understand the gravity of his situation, he later realized the impact it had on his life. Living without a stable home, the family moved from rental flat to rental flat, never truly feeling like they had a place to call home. Unreachable to MOE due to lack of a registered address, Presslee's isolation persisted.
Despite his challenges, he found solace in television, developing basic literacy skills through Western and local shows. It wasn't until years later that he discovered his dream of becoming a teacher, an aspiration he is now pursuing as a trainee teacher, thanks to his Ministry of Education Teaching Award.
Written by urgent.news from Channel News Asia's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
