Tributes pour in all day long at school
Notes left by well wishers at TKPS. Photo: Jason Quah
SINGAPORE — As news that five more of their peers and one of their teachers have been identified as being among the dead at Mount Kinabalu spread, students of Tanjong Pagar Primary School (TKPS) and their parents were streaming into the school to show support for those affected.
The school opened its doors to visitors at 10am yesterday, where they could leave messages on cards or flowers. Initially slated to close at 5pm, the hours were later extended. Visitors can continue to visit the school today and tomorrow to leave condolences between 8am and 5pm.
By 1pm, more than a 100 people had visited the school. Among them was former student Ms Lee Yoo Jin, 17. Ms Lee was on the same programme — Omega Challenge — the dead students and teacher were on when she was part of the Student Leaders’ Council at TKPS. “It didn’t feel real until I came to (the school),” said Ms Lee, now a first-year student at Victoria Junior College.
Ms Audrey Lim, 42, visited after learning that her friend’s daughter died in the deadly earthquake. Both of her sons were former students of TKPS, and her elder son in particular was affected by news that Mr Ghazi remains missing, adding that her son meets him every year.
Ms Lee added that the school has been leading students on the trip to Mount Kinabalu for years and is very experienced. “I hope that the public won’t misunderstand this as the school being irresponsible for sending 12-year-old children,” she said.
Ms Tina Jethmal, 37, also visited the school with her two children yesterday. She said her 12-year-old daughter, who knew two of the girls who lost their lives in Friday’s quake, has not been able to accept that her friends are no longer around. “It’s was so close (to home) ... It could have been our kids,” she said.
Senior Minister of State for Education and Law Indranee Rajah visited the school in the afternoon, as did Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong, who is Member of Parliament for Marine Parade GRC. He left a note for the students and parents, writing that his “heart weeps for them”.
