Homeschool PSLE different from National PSLE?

[sleepy]

So what's the conclusion after all these discussions?


:idea: :idea:

1. Don't homeschool unless you are prepared to accept discrimination without feeling bitter?

2. Don't go against the current. Life will be much easier if you just follow the herd?

:?

[Blobbi]

2ppaamm:

I went to read a bit more about him and then I also felt bad for him. He must have grown up a very sad person. Most gifted folks do. I have read stories from Einstein to Bill Gates, to Steve Jobs to Mozart to Michael Jackson.


These folks don't normally have a normal childhood, commonly misunderstood and the most common is, the world just doesn't understand...

When the world doesn't understand, they simply judge, when I read about Michael Jackson's death, and read through all about his life, I felt so bad as well. I was one of those who judged him. How unfair can I be?

These profoundly gifted folks process information differently, look at the world differently and have different learning curves and are extremely focused on what they want to do. They can do many things very well at one go. But more importantly, they are also human...

I guess, once you are 'mistreated' for 40+ of your life, you tend to think that the whole world is against you. For that, as you read his blog, you can almost feel his bitterness towards everyone and his need to explain who is really is.... how sad! (didn't we see that in Michael Jackson as well?)

So friends, do you still hope/want your child to be exceptionally gifted (unless you have no choice but to have one fallen on your lap, lah! ) To be ordinary and happy is a gift itself... but remember hor, must do extraordinary things to make this world a better place...

O dear, I'm beginning to sound like some kind of preacher, is it?

I'm obviously not as kind as you, 2ppaamm. He makes interesting reading though. :evil:

[jedamum]

sleepy:

So what's the conclusion after all these discussions?


:idea: :idea:

1. Don't homeschool unless you are prepared to accept discrimination without feeling bitter?

2. Don't go against the current. Life will be much easier if you just follow the herd?

:?

my conclusion is
1. homeschool only when you know it is best for your kid; discrimination in one-size-fits-all system is secondary.

2. be prepared for challenges if you go against the current. overcome/accept them and just move forward - there are other better stuff in life than to harp on things that one cannot change.

[sleepy]

jedamum:

my conclusion is
1. homeschool only when you know it is best for your kid; discrimination in one-size-fits-all system is secondary.

Discrimination is secondary only if these parents have the capabilities to continue homeschooling beyond primary school years or found an alternative education path like 2ppaamm. Otherwise they would have to consider mainstream secondary schools at some point in time

2ppaamm friend's kid was not posted to the secondary school of his choice although he qualifies. Even if some parents feel that homeschooling is best for their children during their formative years, this discrimination is usually sufficient to deter most parents from considering this option :scared:

2ppaamm:

A friend's kid is being homeschooled. He scored 25x for PSLE. He chose VS for 1st choice. He was posted to a neighbourhood school nearest his house. He was not given any of his 6 choices. Do you know why?

Just curious, why did you friend decide to homeschool her son?
His psle score is very good!

[2ppaamm]

sleepy:

Just curious, why did you friend decide to homeschool her son?
His psle score is very good!

Don't know leh, I never asked, but many of my friends do homeschool their children. I did that for one year for my daughter as well.

Nevertheless, the fully homeschooled kids are normally very well behaved, socially very adept (surprise! surprise!), polite and very obedient. I guess the 'social' influence and the 'teacher bully' does not occur to them. In addition, they are great independent learners. I have another friend whose daughter actually topped her cohort in whole of CHINA, but she was also homeschooled finally even after a few double promotions.

It is true. The main purpose of the discrimination is to deter homeschooling. But if homeschooling is good for the kid, it is good for the nation. Why try to deter homeschooling? I just don't understand... :?

Well, like Jedamum said, if I feel that homeschooling is good for my kid, I will still do it, discrimination or not. After all, life is not about just that few years in school. Education is a lifelong thing...

[corneyAmber]

sleepy:

So what's the conclusion after all these discussions?


:idea: :idea:

1. Don't homeschool unless you are prepared to accept discrimination without feeling bitter?

2. Don't go against the current. Life will be much easier if you just follow the herd?

:?

Ensure all pros and cons are weighed and do it with eyes open. Any good changes along the way in polices is a bonus otherwise if the pros outweigh the cons, then it is a conscious decision.

However, if those already embarked on it and policies change to become worser than before decision was made, then should voice out loudly to be heard.

[2ppaamm]

ks2me:

However, if those already embarked on it and policies change to become worser than before decision was made, then should voice out loudly to be heard.

They will listen, but nothing will change for now lah.... :nunchuk: Let me guess... give them another 10 to 15 years. Well, that happened in US, perhaps it will happen here in Singapore as well...

[corneyAmber]

Blobbi:

Yep, I've seen the blog before. I encourage everyone to read the older posts to make up your own minds about the writer.

I don't know why he's so eager to play the race/nationality card. Any system has both good and bad, but they're swinging too far, beyond credibility.

And dunno why how come they so unlucky one - everyone lie to them/about them, from the UK TV producer of some Smartest Kid show to a repairman, and now to everyone he meets in the Singapore educational system. Different nationalities leh. Funny hor?

Actually when I just read the news of his issues in Singapore for his gifted son, I empathised with his situation. However, after reading his blog, I felt that he simply wanted attention and stirred more trouble.

Honestly, a child prodigy can be groomed whether MOE step in to help or not, especially when he claims to be gifted himself. I always believe gifted parents know how to handle their gifted kids' demand better since they grow up that way and would have picked up alot of ideas how to groom one with self experience. Other than going to MOE for help, I believe there are alternatives.

I am always of the idea that gifted kids self-learn very well, no doubt they need some amount of guidance. At the way he demands, it looks more like he is demanding everyone to notice his son's talent, so rare to find in a small place like Singapore. And unfortunately he thinks his race plays a part in his misfortune. I thought it was the attitude. I think a different race with the same attitude will hit the same wall like this :stupid:

Well, there is probably one thing he is not aware of, in most gahmen dept, even schools' admin, people are generally not very forthcoming nor friendly. Perhaps the tempo of their job plus the lack of motivation, since it is supposed to be an iron ricebowl, the same bland attitude is quite common and there is no sense of urgency. If he is going to take offence at that and start a race war, he must have been sleeping most of his time when he was a Singaporean. Yes his experience is annoying, but he is not alone lah.....the only difference is he felt he had a big gun(his child prodigy) to shoot whereas most of us do not have.

If he talks about prejudice, he thinks only he gets prejudice due to race? No, it is more like who is in power makes the decision at that point of time. We have PRCs(turned PR) holding powerful positions in some of the well-known organisations here and we the citizens' kid have to compete with PRCs kids for certain placement for those organisations. Is it without prejudice? Some say \"yes\" because our local kids are just not good enough, some say \"no\", it is definitely prejudice because the % is lop-sided. So prejudice is everywhere....just don't take it out of context.

[corneyAmber]

2ppaamm:

ks2me:

However, if those already embarked on it and policies change to become worser than before decision was made, then should voice out loudly to be heard.

They will listen, but nothing will change for now lah.... :nunchuk: Let me guess... give them another 10 to 15 years. Well, that happened in US, perhaps it will happen here in Singapore as well...

Well, just like the 'no exams at lower primary' suggestion....I think this was discussed for quite a while and finally last year they decided that schools should implement. True la, people who shout for help may not generally be the one who benefit from the change, such is the weakness of a system that does not have ability to set up a special squad for deliberating on mission-critical issues. Think they only have this in the defence dept....every other thing not life and death to them.

[2ppaamm]

ks2me:

Actually when I just read the news of his issues in Singapore for his gifted son, I empathised with his situation. However, after reading his blog, I felt that he simply wanted attention and stirred more trouble.

Honestly, a child prodigy can be groomed whether MOE step in to help or not, especially when he claims to be gifted himself. I always believe gifted parents know how to handle their gifted kids' demand better since they grow up that way and would have picked up alot of ideas how to groom one with self experience. Other than going to MOE for help, I believe there are alternatives.

I am always of the idea that gifted kids self-learn very well, no doubt they need some amount of guidance. At the way he demands, it looks more like he is demanding everyone to notice his son's talent, so rare to find in a small place like Singapore. And unfortunately he thinks his race plays a part in his misfortune. I thought it was the attitude. I think a different race with the same attitude will hit the same wall like this :stupid:

Well, there is probably one thing he is not aware of, in most gahmen dept, even schools' admin, people are generally not very forthcoming nor friendly. Perhaps the tempo of their job plus the lack of motivation, since it is supposed to be an iron ricebowl, the same bland attitude is quite common and there is no sense of urgency. If he is going to take offence at that and start a race war, he must have been sleeping most of his time when he was a Singaporean. Yes his experience is annoying, but he is not alone lah.....the only difference is he felt he had a big gun(his child prodigy) to shoot whereas most of us do not have.

If he talks about prejudice, he thinks only he gets prejudice due to race? No, it is more like who is in power makes the decision at that point of time. We have PRCs(turned PR) holding powerful positions in some of the well-known organisations here and we the citizens' kid have to compete with PRCs kids for certain placement for those organisations. Is it without prejudice? Some say \"yes\" because our local kids are just not good enough, some say \"no\", it is definitely prejudice because the % is lop-sided. So prejudice is everywhere....just don't take it out of context.

:goodpost: but I still pity him. No, I pity his son. Why use his son as the publicity and ego machine? How is he going to grow up? Yes, it's true Singapore lost a genius. So did he.