Instead, his mouth opened. "Ms. Priya, I… I didn't write a model answer."
They moved through the answers. Three ways Singapore promotes religious harmony. Jun Hao had them: the Maintenance of Religious Harmony Act, Inter-Racial and Religious Confidence Circles, and common spaces like community centres. Wei Jie had written: 1. Don't pray too loud. 2. Share cookies during CNY and Hari Raya. 3. The teachers shout at you if you make fun of someone's turban. Huo Dong Ben Answers Sec 3
Wei Jie looked down at his battered Huo Dong Ben. He didn't erase his answer. Instead, he drew a small star next to it. He finally understood that sometimes, the right answer wasn't in the teacher's guide. It was in the messy, brave, terrifying space between the lines. Instead, his mouth opened
He took a breath. "I wrote about the Chinese Orchestra tryouts. How I didn't fit in. And… I wrote that the only thing that would have helped was if someone just… said I could sit next to them." Three ways Singapore promotes religious harmony
"Wei Jie," Ms. Priya said. "How about you answer number 12?"
For the first time that term, he didn't close the book. He left it open.
"Number one," Ms. Priya called out. "Jun Hao?"