Reformed rioter scores in N(A) levels

HE NEARLY threw his future away with his youthful folly.

But Jonathan Foo, 18, turned his life around and performed exceptionally well in this year's GCE N(A)-level examinations, scoring 10 points for five subjects.

It wasn't always like this for the Serangoon Gardens Secondary School student.

When he was in lower secondary, he was involved in gangs. By the time he was 15, he had been arrested and charged for rioting with a deadly weapon, leading to a month's stay at the Singapore Boys' Home.

Upon his release, he was under probation for 21 months. It was during this period that he decided to turn over a new leaf.

"I decided I had had my fun and now had to move on and be serious about life," said Jonathan.

While some of his friends slipped back to their bad ways, he stood his ground.

Despite having to retake his Secondary 3 and 4 exams due to poor results, Jonathan never gave up, and refused to disappoint those who had so much faith in him.

After receiving his results on Monday, he said: "I had hoped to do quite well, but it turned out better than I had expected."

And if there is one person he would attribute his success to, it would be his mother, whom he described as a strong, single parent.

"She is a sole breadwinner, housewife, mother," said Jonathan. "She always encouraged me, whether I was good or bad, and if I went astray, she always brought me back."

Mrs Chan Siew Eng, Jonathan's mathematics teacher, said he showed much perseverance and promise upon his return to school from the boys' home.

Having been in the teaching service for 28 years, she can tell if a student is serious about his work.

So when Jonathan sought her out for extra academic consultation, she always made time for him.

Mrs Chan said she had no clue what kept the boy going at first. Then it hit her.

After every single test, Jonathan would hurry her to return the scripts, saying he wanted to take them home to show his mother.

The New Paper went back with Jonathan to his home in Hougang, where he surprised his mother with his results. He received a big hug.

His mother, Madam Margaret Chun, 46, a real estate agent,said she was sad and disappointed when her son ran into problems in the past.

But she never once thought of him as a hopeless case.

"I always tell my children, no matter how bad they are, I will never give up on them," said Madam Chun, adding that Jonathan's sisters, Qian Bi, 20, and Wen Qi, 15, always stood by him too.

She was also grateful to the school for giving him a second chance and even going out of the way to help him.

"We must thank his school teachers, principal and discipline master," said Madam Chun.

"They always went the extra mile and were really more than teachers."

Jonathan, who will study for the O levels next year, said he regretted his past, but preferred to seeit as a learning journey.

The aspiring real estate agent had a piece of advice for troubled youth.

He said: "It's okay to be playful, just don't cross the line. Once you do, it's really hard to come back. I merely got lucky."

This article was first published in The New Paper.