What our ex pupils say about us

What our ex-pupils say about us

Dave Wong
Class of 2014

My 6-year journey with Qifa Primary School has been a wonderful one. It is a tale full of enriching and exciting experiences. It has, in a way, helped shape my path into NUS High School of Mathematics and Science, where I am a student today.

Now, why would I make such a comment? Well, it is probably through a smorgasbord of activities and events the school organised that helped me recognise and develop my talent and passion for all things Math and Science. To list a few of them of the top of my head, there were Math Olympiad trainings, New South Wales, Math Olympiad competitions, as well as Science competitions.

Away from the topic of academics and on to the topic of environment.  What do I think of the school atmosphere? Well, for a start the environment was very conducive and congenial. The teachers were friendly and did their best to help everyone excel. This is certainly a great atmosphere for studying, improving and having fun.

This six-year journey is certainly one that I would remember. Even as I head into my future endeavours, I will always keep close to heart the wonderful memories and long lasting friendships that are all certainly a result of my six years at Qifa Primary School.

Miguel Antonio
Class of 2013

My Life, My Home, My Qifa

I had the most amazing experiences as a pupil in Qifa Primary. This is where I found my talent in singing, when I joined the Qifa Idol. That changed my life forever. My school had always been very supportive in developing my talent and nurturing it. I couldn’t ask for more supportive school principals, teachers and administrative staff. They were very understanding when I had performances or recordings. They never stopped me from doing what I am passionate about but were always there to encourage me in my studies. For an artist like me, I was never pressured in doing well in my studies alone. I still obtained good results in school because of my loving teachers, Ms Koh, Mr Lee, Ms Lum and Mdm Wong. My time in Qifa was unforgettable and to spend my Primary years in Qifa was the best choice that I had made!

The first time I performed, representing Qifa was for the Dabu Association. That platform introduced me to the public. I learnt how people react. Singing in front of an audience made me feel more alive and it felt as if I ‘fed on’ their support and cheers. I had no stage fright. I was just free and my passion for music was so great that when I went on stage, I would feel the ‘freeness’ of my voice and go to my own realm that just filled my heart with happiness and joy of singing.

Last year, I represented the school for the Singapore Youth Festival as a soloist and with my sister, Isabella in the group category. My parents had initially not wanted me to join the SYF competition as they didn’t want me to compete anymore. However, I convinced my parents to allow me to join since it would be my last year in Qifa. I wanted to represent Qifa to make the school proud. I was blessed to win in both categories and my sister and I were ecstatic to make our school proud. Qifa had always been very supportive of my sister and me. My class came in full force to the Esplanade to watch and cheer for us for the finals. That competition was really meaningful to me and just made me realise how much the school loved and supported me.

After PSLE, I sang one final song for the whole school. “Make you feel my love” was the song I sang in President’s Star Charity late October, so I wanted to dedicate that song to  my school to thank them for all the love and support they had given me in my Primary school years. The school has given me something I cannot repay which is unconditional love and support. Qifa has a place in my heart and will always do for it is My life, My home and My Qifa!

Li Bo
Class of 2000

When I received my PSLE score of 271, I knew much of it has to be credited to my education at Qifa primary school. While not a big name school at my time, Qifa is nonetheless one of the best in the West coast/ Ayer Rajah region.  The teachers were caring and helpful, and always tried to cater to the needs of each individual student. My English was rather poor in lower primary due to my Chinese background. However, I eventually achieved an A in my PSLE, thanks to the encouragement and attention given to me by my teachers.  Apart from the main curriculum, Qifa also exposes students to many enrichment activities. I remembered participating in nationwide Chinese essay writing competitions and science fairs. These were important experiences that helped me develop my interest in the future. Of course, School is not just a place to study, but also one to have fun and to make friends. Qifa, while not incredibly big, has most of the facilities one would need, including music rooms, multipurpose hall and venues for sports. As a member of both the school badminton and science clubs, I enjoyed my time at Qifa primary school thoroughly, and spent countless afternoons training or trying to complete the young scientist badges.  I also made invaluable friends, some of whom I still keep in touch 15 years later. I miss my time in Qifa primary school and would recommend the school to any student who wants to study hard, play hard and ultimately have fond memories to treasure.

Li Han Yi
Primary 6E, Class of 2007
Hwa Chong Outstanding Student Award

Qifa provided me with everything necessary for a good primary education, and prepared me aptly for greater challenges in life. The school equips herself with vast resources and expertise to deliver relevant knowledge and skills to students effectively. The teachers were some of the most experienced and patient educators that I have met: they offered early morning consultations before examinations, exposed us to novel pedagogy such as experiments, drama and debates, and encouraged us to raise any doubts we had in class. Besides academics, Qifa places a strong emphasis on character building, constantly educating students on the importance of manners and work ethics. Finally, Qifa invests generously in providing students with a holistic experience, which includes leadership, sports, aesthetics, and community service. Such a well-engineered education has inspired many batches of students to become exceptional members of society, and I am confident it will continue to do so.

“Ms Uma was one of the few inspiring figures who truly believed in my abilities, and constantly challenged me to out-perform myself. Concomitantly, she warned me of the perils of complacency and taught me to be humble.”

Yi Kuishuai (Pri 6 - 2009)

(Note: Kuishuai was featured in All-Round Excellence and Outstanding Student Award Graduation
2013, an annual Hwa Chong Institution publication on their most outstanding students.)

Qiu Biqing
Top PSLE pupil in 2009
Currently studying in Raffles Girls’ Secondary (2013)

Qifa Primary School – A Happy Journey
I will never forget the first moment when I stepped into this school. The wide hall, with its grand high ceiling and the crowd of students of different races huddled on the floor, impressed and intimidated me. In the years to come the intimidation wore away, leaving in its wake only fondness and intimacy for this school that has heralded my entrance to the Singaporean society and its way of life.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time spent in Qifa Primary School, be it hiding in the privacy of a corner of the school reading my favourite stories and novels or listening with delight to the lessons made more engaging by the jests and jokes exchanged between students and teachers. But of course the lessons during school were not only fun and games; I remember with much fondness the patience of my teachers in answering all of our doubts and questions, and their innovation in developing little ways to help us learn better, for example through class projects, group projects, inter-group competitions in class and so on.

It is in Qifa that I made so many friends who stuck with me through thick and thin, through basketball matches during recess and house parties after PSLE, through secondary school and hopefully even through our lives. Even though throughout my primary school, there were several occasions when my parents hesitated over if I should transfer to another school, ultimately we always chose to stay – because Qifa offers such a holistic and enjoyable learning journey to all her students. And to this day, I have never regretted my choice.

Joel Ng 
Class of 2004 
Reading Law in Cambridge University

Primary school education is all about building a strong foundation and getting the basics right. Throughout my six years in Qifa Primary School, I was consistently amazed by the peerless and selfless dedication of my teachers. They went the extra mile to make lessons engaging and interesting and instill important virtues of diligence, discipline and determination in their students, creating an environment that was conducive to intellectual discourse and academic development. At the same time, their efforts at delivering a holistic education were clear in their efforts to form strong interpersonal relationships with their students to help develop them on an individual level. It can thus be said that classrooms were ruled with both an iron fist and a heart of gold. The foundation of a great education is great educators. Sounds basic? Well, Qifa got the basics right, and for that I am truly grateful.