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Logging into the PG app with their Singpass ID gives parents access to all relevant school information about their child.
Remember fishing out a scrunched-up consent form from the depths of your child’s schoolbag? Being unsure about when the next Parent-Teacher Meeting was? Or how best to get in touch with your child’s teacher for an update?
All this information and more are a click away on Parents Gateway (PG), the one-stop portal that keeps parents in touch with all that’s going on in their child’s school.
“I can focus on just one app for all matters about my child and school – everything I need is in one place,” says Ms Nur Zahariah Abdul Gani, mother of a Primary 2 kid.
Parents can get updates on school events, provide consent for an upcoming learning journey, get in touch with their child’s teachers, and much more. For instance, parents can also declare their travel plans for upcoming holidays, as part of measures to ensure the safety of staff and students in the school.
This one-stop platform, launched in January 2019, is the brainchild of the Ministry of Education (MOE) and the Government Technology Agency of Singapore (GovTech). It was developed to help parents navigate school life together with their children, and improve home-school partnerships.
Here are some features to check out, as chosen by parents.
1. All announcements in one place
There are many school events throughout the year – annual Speech Day, Sports Day, Chinese New Year and Racial Harmony Day celebrations… to name a few.
If your child is unsure about what time they need to be in school, where to report to, or what to wear, PG has all the details.
“This feature enables me to view all school announcements at a glance, and find out what my son is involved in,” says Mr Lincoln Mao, father of a Secondary 2 boy. “I check in every now and then, instead of trying to find out from the school website or my son.”
Mr Michael Yeong, who has two secondary school children, says, “The regular notifications keep me and my wife connected to what’s happening with our kids in school, and that gives us peace of mind.”
Mrs Eleanor Goh, mother to a teenager with Special Educational Needs (SEN), says, “I use the app to know about my son’s activities, schedules and deadlines, and then I discuss these with him. This helps him manage his responsibilities more independently.”
Parents can find everything they need to know about a school activity in the ‘Announcements’ tab. (Names are for illustration purposes only.)
2. All activities at a glance
Whatever your child is involved in – CCAs and other programmes, they are all listed in one place, making it easy for parents to plan schedules or talk about them with their children.
Mrs Goh, whose son is involved in SEN intervention activities after school, says that this information enables them to plan the additional activities that her son goes for. “It also helps me and my husband anticipate the busier periods and adjust our schedules accordingly.”
Even if your kids are in two separate schools, it is not a problem, says Mr Lee Jiansheng. “Once I sign in with my Singpass, the app displays the profiles of both my children, who are in different schools. I just have to click on the child’s icon to call up all information relevant to that child.”
The app retrieves all information pertaining to the user’s children upon login.
Ms Ashley Poh, mother of two boys – one in primary and another in secondary school – likes using the “To-Do” and “Completed” functions. “With a few taps, I know what activities each of my sons is involved in and what I need to give consent to. After I’ve completed the ‘task’, it’s archived under ‘Completed’ so I can refer to it whenever I need to.”
Parents get a quick summary of all their children’s information, consolidated in one place and colour-coded for easy reference.
3. Efficient booking of appointment slots
The Parent-Teacher Meeting (PTM) features regularly every school term, and parents can book appointments directly on the PG app.
“I can easily select my slots on the go. If I need to change my time slot, I can edit it from the app without the fuss of contacting the teacher to reschedule,” says Ms Karen Chan, mother of two primary school children. Mr Mao adds, “I can even import PTM dates straight into my calendar!”
Parents are given advance notice on when they need to start booking their PTM slots (shown in the image on the left). They also receive reminders on when their responses are due (right image).
4. Support for school choice and transition at one’s fingertips
PG also offers information to help parents during key transition points, for instance, preparing for Primary 1 and choosing secondary schools.
When Ms Chan’s first child was getting ready for primary school, she found the information in the Parent Kit section in PG very handy. It offered CCA-related information and e-books about socialising and making friends.
Mr Erwin Yunahar was thankful for the “Announcements” and “To-Do” features when his son was heading to primary school. “We got regular updates, reminding us how to prepare our son for school and lessons,” he says.
PG also offers a link to the SchoolFinder, which offers comprehensive information about various schools. Parents don’t need to separately go to the MOE website to find this information.
Ms Stephanie Chew, who has been exploring post-PSLE options with her Primary 6 daughter, says, “SchoolFinder enables me to find out more about schools’ programmes, as well as their open houses. It’s great that the PG app provides easy access to this.”
The “SchoolFinder” link directs parents to information on various schools, including eligibility criteria and support for special educational needs.
5. Parenting resources
Apart from fast and easy access to information, PG has a rich repository of tips and stories to help in the parenting journey.
Mrs Felicia Heng, whose son is in Primary 6, finds the Parent Kit and Schoolbag articles very useful. “I have gathered ideas on ways to engage my child, bond with him and keep him occupied, especially during the holidays.” Mrs Heng, who is Chairperson of the Parent Support Group at her child’s school, has also shared the articles with other parents looking for similar information.
Ms Siti Aishah, mother to a Secondary 1 daughter, refers to the cyber wellness resources. “The Cyber Wellness Bytes gives us quick tips on how to be responsible cyber users. I’ve picked up ideas on how to help my daughter manage her social media accounts and handle challenges online. All this has an impact on her well-being, so I really appreciate having these resources at hand.”
Ms Chew points out that there are also sample ‘contracts’ that parents can use to help them set guidelines for their children’s Internet usage. These contracts are meant to help parents and children come to a common understanding. She has used these to help her Primary 4 son understand what it means to behave responsibly online.
Parents can explore topics of interest in the parenting resources repository, which hosts a variety of material.
The PG app is available to parents of students from P1 to Pre-U studying in MOE schools. It can be downloaded from the Google Play Store and the AppStore.
For parents who are unable to download the PG app (e.g. no access to a smart device), schools will reach out to them via alternative communication channels.
Find out how you can help your child in their educational journey with these other resources.
