His pupils make their mark, he plays chess as he marks

Northland Primary School (NPS) pupil Ng See Jen was nose deep in her books in September as exam fever hit.

- Lin Tianbao

But the 12-year-old, who recently sat for the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE), still took time off to compete in the National Inter-School Team Chess Championships in early September because of her loyalty to her teachers and team.

She was rewarded with a trophy when her team triumphed in the Under-12 Girls' - their 21st win since 2017. This year, the school also bagged the U-8 and U-10 titles.

But beyond the win, she wanted to show her gratitude to teacher Chang Cheng Hwee, who introduced her to chess when she joined the school.

See Jen told The Straits Times: "Over these years, the coaches and teachers have spent a lot of effort and sacrificed their time to help me develop my skills.

"Despite not training since April to prepare for the PSLE, I'm glad that Mr Chang felt I'm still able to represent my school. So, the least I could do is to participate in the tournament and support the school one more time."

Chang, 56, started the co-curricular activity (CCA) at Northland in 1996, after the principal had asked him for suggestions for a club.