Izzat Hakim Sharif’s Rocky Road to the PSLE
Meet Izzat – a 15‑year‑old Singaporean who had to fight a cancerous brain tumour three years ago, leave an operation that left him bedridden for half a year and stole his voice, mouth, legs and mobility.
When the odds were stacked against him
Three years on, Izzat was a ghost of the boy that once raced the track, hit the long‑jump mat, or bounced a basketball with his friends. He was on a wheelchair roll‑call even as he “wedding” his PSLE in style. The surgery took away his talking ability and muscles, a condition called posterior fossa syndrome. All the hustle of school, sports, and laughter – gone.
The main plot twist: the PSLE
- He missed the 2019 Primary School Leaving Examination.
- After months of radiation, chemo and wiping out the brain tumour, he finally returned to school in 2024.
- With family and school support, he completed the PSLE.
His results, in plain English
Izzat carried his results in his arm in a wheelchair and received them together with his parents. He celebrated like it was a carnival – especially the A in Foundation Math, which he was so proud of. He also scooped two B’s in English and Science.
“It felt impossible to sit for the PSLE after the surgery. But everybody’s support turned that into a dream come true. I gave it my all.”
Life after cancer
His diagnosis of metastatic medulloblastoma (a cancerous brain tumour) knocked him off his feet. He fought the battle, lost his speech and died a soft-chewing dirt‑bunny. He kept his optimism alive by spending hours with funny friends, bits of good pizza and a mental edit of “happy, we are a good family”.
Sports, stigma – the rollercoaster of a story
He was an athlete – playing long jump, relay, basketball, badminton and soccer. He felt like a tragic lead in a song: dejected and frustrated initially, but he fought back, saw happy ways around playing, and returned to his favourite subject: math.
How his support system ran the race
- The school helped with special arrangements so he can
moveandlearningin a supportive environment. - His parents made sure the “cheering squad” rode with him for every step.
- The community celebrated his small win over big health hurdles.
In his own words, he’s happy that his recovery was complete, especially as he got good grades for subjects he likes and started resuming the daily life he lost in the cancer‑battle.
<img alt="" data-caption="Gongshang Primary School pupil Izzat Hakim Bin Sharif waving and thanking his classmates after receiving his PSLE results on Nov 23.
PHOTO: The Strait Times” data-entity-type=”file” data-entity-uuid=”4599cdb1-212e-401c-87c0-15c68683039b” src=”/sites/default/files/inline-images/primary1.jpg”/>
Gongshang Primary Goes “Classy” – It Says “No More Triple‑Floor Schooling!”
At Gongshang Primary, they’ve finally decided the late‑night classroom jam‑session is a thing of the past. Instead, they trimmed the timetable down to just three core subjects: English, Mathematics, and Science. That way, the kids can dodge the long school day and spend more time doing, you know, real life.
Why the Move?
- Less time in school – The objective is to shave off those endless hours that don’t actually help the students.
- Accessibility – Moving the classroom from the third floor down to the first makes it easier for pupils, especially for the younger ones or anyone with mobility tweaks.
- Extra support – Izzat’s parents hired a domestic helper to run errands: bathroom breaks, lunch breaks, you name it. It’s almost like having a personal assistant for school!
Dad’s Take
“We don’t yet know if the same arrangements can work in secondary school… but the fact that he likes coming to school and is eager to learn makes it easier for us,” says Sharif Shariman, Izzat’s 52‑year‑old father who works in aviation. He knows a thing or two about commuting, so it’s easy to see why some unexpected help could be a game‑changer.
What’s Next for Izzat?
Izzat plans on applying to St. Hilda’s Secondary School. “I hope to just get better and stay happy,” he says. At least we’re rooting for our little champion.
PSLE 2024 – A Quick Snapshot
- Izzat is part of a whopping 37,095 pupils who sat the Primary School Leaving Examination.
- In a familiar streak, 98.4% of the cohort passed the PSLE and moved on to secondary school.
- With the new Achievement Level scoring system, it’s a second year of this approach.
- The results shone: 68.4% got into the Express course, 18.7% into Normal (Academic), and 11.3% into Normal (Technical).
- Interestingly, from last year’s Normal courses (both Academic and Technical), about 62% of the students qualifying could tackle at least one more challenging subject in secondary school. That’s a step up from the 65% shown in 2022.
All this comes after the latest figures were released, and while they’re still keeping the official reproduction permission guarded, the news is buzzing fast.
