The new school year seems to have arrived a bit too early for some Primary 1 pupils at Westwood Primary School in Jurong West, seen here during morning assembly. They were among the 37,500 or so children across 190 schools who started primary school for the first time yesterday. From offering animal mascots to photo booths and even the promise of no homework for the first three weeks, primary schools across the island rolled out the welcome mat for their young charges. Speaking at Princess Elizabeth Primary School in Bukit Batok that same morning, Education Minister (Schools) Ng Chee Meng told a group of more than 200 Primary 1 pupils: "Be brave, be curious, ask questions."

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