Little Professors Learning Centre issues: How parents at one primary school sprang into action to fill the gap

Soon after, concerned parents began reaching out to him. A new group chat was created the next morning to gather parent volunteers.

The parents began discussing ways they could support the centre, from distributing lunch to organising activities to keep students engaged after school.

On Chinese New Year eve, the school informed the parents that it needed support during the 1pm to 3pm window – the first two hours after dismissal. 

“The school shared with us that we need to give teachers some breathing space because it’s an additional responsibility for them,” said Mr Lee, whose son is a Primary 5 student at Hong Wen School. 

The planning stretched into the Chinese New Year period, as parents worked out schedules and organised a daily roster. 

When the school reopened on Feb 19, six parents were on hand to help.

Their duties included arranging tables and chairs in a classroom for lunch, setting up a separate space for the day’s activity and later guiding the students through it. 

Coordinating the effort was initially challenging, said Ms Stephanie Lim, who heads the parent support group’s recess programme. After-school care was a new territory for many parents, including herself. 

“But as the days go by and we are more familiar with what needs to be done, it’s getting easier … Also because we have a very strong partnership with school,” said Ms Lim, whose daughter is a Primary 2 student.

Some parents were already involved in a recess programme where they conduct craft and game sessions in the canteen for students during their breaks.

As the parent support group works closely with school leaders on events, the parents did not need a licence to assist during the interim period. 

They added that they were prepared to help the school for as long as it required their support.