Opinions of the Primary School Registration System
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Nebbermind:
Or will it be 'every school will be then a bad school'? :scratchhead:durianlove1974:
No need open new branch or cut HP manpower lah.
Just re-distribute all principals & teachers.
Everything will be reset then. No schools can get to build up reputation.
Thus popular schools with good track academic records history previously will not mean they will produce good students in future. Then parents will not all clamour to them and this will free up places.
Every school will be then a good school.
:rotflmao: :rotflmao: :rotflmao:
You quite wicked durianlove!
I was thinking more in the line of cloning all the good schools all over the island. Brand name and all! Take the Top 20 most popular schools and clone them all over the island. Most popular schools take over the existing not popular schools in the neighbourhood, change name, paint same corporate colours, same ideals, missions, goal etc. Principal and teachers no need to be the same, but they must be trained in the popular school culture and identities.
Thinking along the line of \"franchising\" the popular primary schools.
Then perhaps one day, \"all schools are good schools\" will become a reality. When everyone can get into their desired schools that has been cloned all over the island easily and without having to PV, sweat blood and tears.
I think the ultimate problem is the great Demand for \"good\" schools. Affiliations and alumni status are just the current \"loopholes\" for some with this extra advantage to get in. Does not mean getting rid of this \"priviledge\" will ease the problem. It only means more parents than go by distance priority which is another problem.
So my suggestion is to clone more popular schools to ease all frustrations and administrations.
Perhaps MOE can seriously consider this, taking a leaf from all those popular pre-schools with branches all over?
:celebrate: -
Desert wind,
Your suggestion is great! I suggest you write in to moe, ask mr Heng to seriously evaluate this option. This may jolly well be the long term solution, to meet growing Singapore population.
Yes! Clone the top 20 brand name schools, because that’s what the demand coming from the parents. For a start, the top 20 brand names will include the 9 Gep centres, the full schools, hokkien huay kuan clan plus sap schools, neighborhood schools like rulang, ai tong, red swastika, south view, radin mas, etc. -
When the universe was first created, everything was equal. The only element that exist is hydrogen, with the most basic of all atoms. During the Big Bang, they were all shot out in different directions and with the same force.
Yet, over time, the atoms somehow started to cluster around multiple cores… and as the larger the cores grow, the greater the attraction. What makes them cluster is unknown and illogical, since every atom should have a uniform force travelling away from each other at an equal speed. Eventually, these cores of pure hydrogen grow so dense that the atoms inside the core are compressed into the more complex elements and the heat ignited the cores, forming the stars as we know of today. And when the stars grow old and explode, the material they leave behind form the rocks and ice that eventually collect together once again to become the planets.
So even if we start from an equal footing, nature can still find a way to create inequality.
Throughout history, man has tried to create equality. Communism and central planning is just one of the many systems built on such ideals. Today, most people would deem central planning as a failed system. A key contributor is the malaise that sets in when people feel that no matter how hard they work, they will be getting the same rewards as the next worker that takes his time about his tasks. If everyone is super, then no one is. Conversely, if everyone is lazy, then no one is.
Today, we already see many franchises of preschools and enrichment centres out there. A franchise may be well run and well known, and the individuals running each centre may have gone through the same training as everyone else. But every individual is different, and it is the cumulative effects of the differences that each individual brings to the organisation that impacts its socio-technical competencies. So even within the franchise, some centres are clearly superior to others.
Another clear analogy are the CHIJ schools out there. All bearing the same brand, and yet some are clearly much more popular than the rest.
The point I am trying to make is that it may never be possible to actually create a system where everything or everyone is equal. But a more important question that I have is whether a society where everyone or everything is equal is really a good thing to strive for. Is that really what we want? -
dorisp:
If the problem is kiasu parents, how to fix?If we identify a problem, let's fix THE problem rather than going round and round to find ways that tries to ease the extent of damage caused by the first problem.
First thing first.
CKS post a very nice writeup on something along the line of \"what is important\". If pple can understand, no need all the trouble already..
All fighting for the same few school all over the island.
I feel parents shd choose a nearby school naturally.. there shd be 2~3 choices.. why fight for 1 on the other end of the island..
Maybe the root cause is unnecessarily kiasu parents after all. If we can't fix this, then remove the element to create opportunity to exhibit the kiasuism. -
DesertWind:
This is like promoting \"branding\".
Thinking along the line of \"franchising\" the popular primary schools.
I would prefer removing branding.. make all primary schools the same \"good school\". -
limlim:
The problem rightly identified and solution nicely suggested in one sentence.
....If we can't fix this, then remove the element to create opportunity to exhibit the kiasuism.
Happy holiday!!!
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limlim:
Then name all primary schools \"Singapore Primary School\".. all secondary schools \"Singapore Secondary School\".. and all JCs \"Singapore Junior College\" (I dare not even use \"National\").. Only ONE brand name in the whole of Singapore.. Hopefully, everyone will be happy.. and they will stop comparing and complaining.. Or will they ??? :skeptical:
This is like promoting \"branding\".DesertWind:
Thinking along the line of \"franchising\" the popular primary schools.
I would prefer removing branding.. make all primary schools the same \"good school\".
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ChiefKiasu:
Indeed. We need to create something for everyone to strive for, as that will bring about PROGRESS.
The point I am trying to make is that it may never be possible to actually create a system where everything or everyone is equal. But a more important question that I have is whether a society where everyone or everything is equal is really a good thing to strive for. Is that really what we want?
The basis of the Singapore system is meritocracy.
You perform well, you get to choose. This applies to Sec Sch admission and above.
For primary school admission, there is no criteria to assess the student's ability (or merit). The only available option is environmental merit that has nothing to do with the student's ability to perform.
So, let us look at some options
1. Distance Priority.
This has merit, as it allows the student to have sufficient rest and create convenience for parents. The impact on traffic, is another consideration.
2. P2B.
This has merit, as \"you worked for it\" principle applies. It encourages participation. Of coz, there is some unfairness in it bcoz not everyone can afford to PV and such (so I don't support it). However, the very principle is still meritocracy.. they worked for it. That, is the Singapore system.
3. Phase 1
This needless to say, has it's merits. Practical considerations.
4. Alumni priority.
This, has NO merit.
The parents were NOT encouraged to perform just so to get their kids inside.
What does the parents have to do to enjoy the priority? NOTHING. If NOTHING, then, how can that be meritocracy based.
Did the teachers tell the parents (when they are students) to perform so that their kids can get into a good school? No right? So blanket alumni priority has NOTHING to do with the schools performance and results.
Hence, giving the alumni's kid priority admission does not promote progress. It has NO merit.
5. Alumni priority (Active participation)
This, of coz, has lots of merit. So I need not say more.
On the basis of meritocracy. blanket Alumni priority has no merit. There was this documentary on Seng siong and how it progress from provision shop to listed company. If participation is a merit(parents being a student), then, can all the past patrons of SS claim credit? If not for the customers, there is no way for SS to succeed, isn't it? Makes sense? -
“It’s hard to fight when the fight ain’t fair.”
― Taylor Swift -
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