The brothers scored A*, the highest examination grade, for both papers. Jason scored 94% and 92% for mathematics and biology respectively, while Jonnie scored 97% and 93%.
What makes their achievements all the more remarkable is that Jason is only 12 years old and Jonnie, nine. For the unfamiliar, the IGCSE is Cambridge-certified while the SPM is a national examination in Malaysia.
The boys, who have been home-schooled since April last year, are now preparing for the physics, chemistry, and accounting papers in October and November this year.
“During the lockdown when they started studying online, schooling was not fun anymore. Although the teachers are good, I saw my children sitting in front of the computer for six to seven hours a day and it wasn’t inspiring for them,” the boys’ mother, Annie Wong, 42, told FMT.
Uncertain about how long the pandemic would last, she and her husband, Chuah Chong Chiew, 42, decided to home-school their sons. The duo also sold their consumer goods trading business and became full-time stay-at-home parents.
They enrolled the boys for five papers: mathematics, biology, chemistry, physics, and accounting. “Home schooling became a learning journey for us, and we set up a simple timetable for the boys,” Wong recalled.
Using resources they obtained online, they focussed on mathematics and biology first. Chuah taught the former while Wong, the latter.
According to Wong, once the boys made good progress in both subjects, they were introduced to physics, chemistry and accounting.
“My husband also teaches them physics and chemistry,” Wong shared, adding that the boys have a separate tutor for accounting.
So, what was home-schooling like for the boys? Chuah admitted that there were some initial hurdles, but after getting over these, the boys showed good progress.
“It was hard, but they were very determined and never gave up,” explained Wong, adding that after completing the syllabus, they focussed on tackling past-year questions.
In addition to studying, the husband and wife ensured that the boys had sufficient time for outdoor activities as well as music, something they seem to love as both can play the piano, drums, violin, and guitar.
Looking back on their home-schooling journey, Wong shared: “We had the opportunity and decided to make good use of our time. Instead of just jumping one metre, we wanted to see how far the boys could actually jump. We also felt that a student does not need to spend eleven years to prepare for SPM,” she added.
They decided to enrol their children for only five IGCSE papers to lessen the pressure on them. The parents also felt that some degree of maturity was required before their sons were ready to tackle the language papers.
“For me, even if you excel academically, you are not creating value in society yet as today’s society rewards those who have the ability to create – content creators, for example.
“After this, I would leave it to my boys to discover what they love. In the future, if they decide to be an engineer or architect, they can further their studies,” Wong said.
She explained that once they were done with all five IGCSE papers, the family planned to travel the world. “Then, my children can create content to educate people about different cultures as well as share their experiences.”
A head-start
So, how do Jason and Jonnie feel about their achievements?
Although Jason said he was confident of scoring high for both papers, seeing his grades in black and white was still “something special”.
“At first, when I started studying mathematics, it was tough. But now, it’s my favourite subject and compared to the other subjects, I’d say that it’s the easiest for me,” Jason added.
Meanwhile, Jonnie shared: “I feel a great sense of accomplishment.”
Jonnie, too, found home schooling tough at first but said it got easier over time. And like his brother, he said mathematics was the simplest of the five subjects.
The boys also revealed what it was like to sit for exams with candidates much older than them. Jonnie said he was prepared to receive surprised stares – and there were plenty. Jason said some students asked them their age as well as how many other papers they were studying for.
Now, the boys are preparing for the next three papers and hope to score top marks for these too although there’s no pressure from their parents to repeat their success.
“Our mom said that as long as we try our best, she will be proud of us,” shared Jonnie. And for now, that seems to be all the motivation the boys need to keep pushing on.
Follow Jason and Jonnie Chuah’s home-schooling adventures on Facebook.