Innovation in Citizen Services
Digital Tools for Parents
8 January 2024
How can parents use apps like Parents Gateway, LifeSG, Student Learning Space, and HealthHub to support their child's primary school journey?
Time flies! In the blink of an eye, your little tot that you cradled with just one arm has just entered Primary 1 and survived the first week of school!
As exciting as this development is, it’s also undoubtedly a stressful moment, with a whole new schedule and environment to adapt to. It’s no wonder parents often feel the pressure to do as much as possible to get their kids through this transitory phase.
But have no fear, for tech is here to lend a helping hand once again. We’re here to guide you along with this list of important apps and portals that will smooth the transition for you and your child.
Parents Gateway
School is often a flurry of announcements, consent forms, and various other bits of information you have to keep track of. With the Parents Gateway app, you have a single platform to juggle all of these.
Some of the app features include:
Signing consent forms for school activities (no more anxiety over kids missing out on excursions because of forgotten consent forms!). Enable push notifications so that you’re alerted once new consent forms are sent.
Booking slots for parent-teacher meetings.
Updating the school about your child’s travel plans.
Accessing parenting resources to better support your child’s education journey.
Do approach your child’s school to update his or her particulars in the MOE School Records System if you have issues accessing the app.
Student Learning Space
When the pandemic hit, schools and students had to quickly adapt to learning from home through online lessons. The Student Learning Space is a crucial part of learning from home. It is an online learning portal where students can access resources and tools that are aligned with the Ministry of Education’s curriculum. Students can carry out both self-directed and collaborative learning, making it an essential tool for e-learning days.
As learning needs evolve rapidly, materials on the portal are continually improved in line with suggestions and feedback from teachers and students. The portal adopts an agile framework so that it can quickly adapt to new demands.
LifeSG
Yes, we know that life even before Primary 1 starts can be complicated. What with the balloting, the school-home distances, the phases, and all other crucial information.
Well, remember the LifeSG app and portal, where you registered your child’s birth? It’s not called LifeSG for nothing as it truly has something for every stage of life. Head to this handy Primary 1 registration guide to get all you need to know about confirming your kid’s place in a primary school.
Additionally, there are also articles about adjusting to life in primary school, such as using recess money as a way to inculcate good financial habits and using play activities to build interactive skills with other children.
E-payment accounts
Speaking of budgeting, setting up an e-payment account for your child is a good idea. It enables you to;
Transfer pocket money into the e-wallet digitally (no more forgetting your child’s recess money)
Track their spending in real-time
Set savings goals that can be tracked over time
Some services can even be used outside of school. For example, the Smart Buddy works at over 10,000 NETS merchants islandwide.
HealthHub
Hands up if you remember taking your height and weight, getting immunisation jabs, and getting dental checks in primary school, all the while recording every measurement in your trusty health booklet.
Today, with the HealthHub app and portal, all your child’s health records are at your fingertips so you know when your kid is due for immunisations or that all-important dental appointment.
Also, check out the Parent Hub microsite to learn more about caring for your child’s physical and mental health as they embark on their educational journey.
Keep calm and have fun
Amid all the hustle and bustle, it’s easy to lose sight of one thing – school is supposed to be fun for your little one.
So hopefully these tech tips take some of that burden off your shoulders and you’re able to smile as you look as your kid walks through the school gates. Your child’s spirits will also be lifted when they see you’re happy!