What matters deafness of the ears, when the mind hears?

A little belated, this article from our beloved tabloid "The Electric New Paper". Again, together, let’s say it everyone! Being HI is no barrier to academic excellence! a.k.a. I am deaf but I not stupid!

Now, hmm, here’s an idea for "I Not Stupid 3".

(Oh well, now I have an international audience, I would like to apologise for all the local Singaporean references which go right over non-natives’ heads.)
 

A1 for BEATING ODDS
Can’t hear? No problem
HE’S hearing impaired in both ears.
By Shree Ann Mathavan
12 February 2006

HE’S hearing impaired in both ears.

But for Elvin Koh Wei Chuan, that’s not an excuse, it’s an inspiration.

The 17-year-old from Gan Eng Seng School scored 10 points at the GCE O-level examinations.

Elvin, who lives in a four-room Delta Avenue flat, cannot hear at all without a hearing aid.

With it, he can make out what you say, if you talk loudly. Or he has to be close enough to lip-read.

He lost his hearing when he was in Primary 3.

‘Before that I had perfect hearing,’ he said.

‘One morning, I woke up and I could not hear well. Even the doctor could not tell me what happened.’

It wasn’t easy in class. He couldn’t pick up everything the teacher said.

But his form teacher, Mrs Tay Yen Ping, 32, did all she could to help.

He said: ‘Sometimes, I couldn’t hear very well in class, but Mrs Tay was very helpful, paying special attention to me.

‘She would try to speak louder and sometimes she would call me personally to let me know about the lesson.’

She also helped boost his self-esteem.

‘Sometimes, she would praise me in class about my results. This made me feel proud of myself and helped to build up my confidence.’

Despite his disability, the hardworking student has been a consistent performer, staying back in school for two to three hours before heading home to study some more.

His hard work paid off, with a result slip showing six A1s and two B3s.

He plans to go to a science faculty in junior college and eventually do research.

He hopes his example can help other hearing-impaired students.

‘I would like to tell them as long as they work hard and believe in themselves, they will be able to do as well as me, or even better.’

SUDDEN DEATH

His classmate, Abuzar Yakaram, 18, also had it tough.

His father, the sole breadwinner, died of a heart attack in February last year. He said he was close to his father and ‘it was a shock that it suddenly just happened’.

But thanks to the help of his teachers and friends, he was able to pull through and settle down to the demands of school life after a month.

‘My class helped me financially, and my close friends helped me by talking to me about it,’ he said.

The family now gets by with some help from relatives, as his mother, an asthma patient, does not work.

He is an only child.

His teacher also counselled him.

‘Mrs Tay has helped me by talking to me through the whole thing,’ he said.

She also collected about $1,000 for the family, from the teachers in school and his classmates.

Before his father’s death, Abuzar admitted he was not a very good student.

‘I used to be a borderline pass student. I was a very last minute person. I didn’t always do my work.

‘My father’s death motivated me to work harder. And especially after my prelim results, of 17 points, I decided it was time to buck up. I really studied.’

He scored two A1s, four A2s and two B3s. He hopes to go to Anglo-Chinese Junior College, as it is near his one-room Bukit Merah flat.

Speaking of his teacher he said: ‘She has always motivated us to become the best in whatever we do. She also likes to tell us about her life experiences to get us motivated.’

As for Mrs Tay, seeing her students achieve good results is her reward.

‘I feel very happy, generally my class did very well,’ she said.

Copyright © 2005 Singapore Press Holdings Ltd. Co. Regn. No. 198402868E. All rights reserved.