By Kimberly Spykerman

WHEN Madam Tan Chai Woon saw a newspaper advertisement featuring a community college, she insisted that her son, Mr Yap Chee Sin, sign up for its courses.

This might sound like nothing out of the ordinary, except that Mr Yap is 62, and his mother, a sprightly 82.

Their 'school', where nobody is too old to learn, is the YAH! Community College. YAH stands for Young At Heart.

Yesterday, mother and son, along with more than 300 of their classmates, received their graduation certificates from Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Lim Boon Heng. Both had gone through the core course on gerontology, the study of ageing, and an elective on singing.

The college is a non-profit project by the Marine Parade Family Service Centre dedicated to promoting learning among the elderly.

Gerontology, which sits at the core of the school's syllabus, covers the physical, psychological and social implications of ageing. Electives include performance magic, singing, yoga and traditional Chinese medicine.

No textbooks are used. Instead, learning is pursued through group discussions.

More than 800 students have attended the college since it was conceived four years ago. Classes are usually held in seminar rooms at the Singapore Management University and other private schools in the Waterloo area.

Madam Tan said in Mandarin: 'At first, I wasn't sure if it was a good idea. But I realised I could bond with my great-granddaughter when we sat down to do our homework together. Once I set my mind on something, I see it through.'

For her son, the singing elective has done wonders for his confidence. He plans to enter a karaoke competition soon. Proudly displaying a shelf of Mandarin karaoke VCDs at his Geylang home, where he lives with his wife and mother, Mr Yap said: 'I used to be very shy. Whenever there were karaoke sessions, I would only listen. Now I sing!'

He even broke cheerfully into song midway through this interview.

Slightly more pensively, he explained why he left school early. He was 'playful' by his own reckoning, and left in Primary 4 to become an assistant and then a cook at his father's Geylang coffee shop.

He said: 'I always regretted not being able to get a better job...because of my lack of qualifications.'

Madam Tan, who attended only five years of school, said the college gave her back her independence after her husband's death. When he died, she felt completely lost and became emotionally dependent on her son.

During group-sharing sessions, they were put in different discussion groups so she could start to come out of her shell. She said she found herself better able to cope with widowhood, especially when the sessions broached the topic of death, usually a taboo subject.

'I have learnt acceptance and I am happier now,' said the second-oldest member of this latest batch of YAH! graduates. The oldest was 84.

Graduation festivities yesterday were, however, tinged with sadness: One of the graduates, Madam Huang Xiu Zhen, 60, died in June, just months shy of getting her certificate in performance magic.

Her son accepted the certificate on her behalf. He told the audience: 'She always wanted to go to school, but she never had the opportunity. I'm happy the college gave her the chance to fulfil her dream.'

kimspyke@sph.com.sg

This article was first published in The Straits Times on 20 Oct, 2008.

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