Inspiring kindness in children through the little details in daily life
The Tzu Chi Great Love Student Care Centre started its operation in 2017. Besides providing child care services and helping the children with their schoolwork, the centre also emphasises on children’s self-management skills and moral education. The teachers patiently groom their students to be responsible and independent, and also share positive values to plant a seed of kindness in them.
Wash your own dishes and clean the table after meal. Min Xi didn’t know how to do these before she came to the student care centre 3 years ago.
Parent, Choong Shiau Lee: Over here, she may not know a lot of things. What I feel here is the accommodativeness of the teachers. Min Xi already knows that she has to wash her dishes after eating. She knows all the steps because they let students do all that.
Tzu Chi Great Love Student Care Centre not only provides a learning environment for children after school, but also teaches them life skills.
Student, Jayden Au: Sometimes I would help teacher sweep the floor. I learned this in primary one. I help my mother with hanging the laundry, throwing away rubbish, she is very happy.
The centre places great emphasis on the instillation of the right values. Children are nurtured to be kind in a humanistic environment.
Centre manager, Lim Siew Lee: Between 7 to 12 years old, young children at this age group cannot differentiate what is right and wrong. The time they spend here are slightly longer than the time they spend at home. Besides, if we keep drilling them the same thing, they will remember the teachings permanently.
Student, Philip Leow: I learn a lot of good values here, for example, be respectful to elder people, be helpful to others and be polite.
Student, Chow Sher Min: We must say “thank you” every day. We say it when we go home and before we have our meals. We have to be grateful to them for preparing meals for us at the centre. It feels good to be “home” every day.
Incorporating humanistic values in the details of everyday life inspires kindness in students and guides them to become sensible and independent.
