IT WAS just past 7 in the morning. While other children his age were hurrying to get to school on time, seven-year-old Eugene Hirose was having breakfast with his father.

At 7.45am, with the boy fed and dressed, father and son began the walk to school together.

They get to spend such bonding time because Eugene attends North Vista, a new primary school in Sengkang which starts at 8am, instead of the 7.30am or earlier favoured by most other schools, even those that are single-session.

Read the full story in Monday's edition of The Straits Times.