Adam Khoo: The expats will rule Singapore

[Cheval]

Busymom:

Thanks for your insight too, it has been good to read from your balanced views here.

I have long heard from my french colleagues that education in France is highly subsidized by the state. However, depending on which type of universities you go to, some are not free (the private business schools for instance). What is interesting to learn from you on the other hand, is that for a foreign student, the university education is also free. Must one be on some sort of scholarship? Just wondering, why don't people send their kids to France to study since it is free?

Like I said, the university is free for everyone because it's public. French do not make difference between their own and foreigners, PR or not. No scholarship is required. That is also why whenever possible, I always recommend my Singaporean friends to send their kids to France. They just \"lose\" one year to learn the language. If one does not choose Paris or Aix-en-Provence, living cost is not that high.

[gajidouma]

minnie2004:

I agree with his views too. The moment this country put an offspring of an immigrant, who's also a minority, to the top post, I knew it's a country with hope, a country which can reinvent itself (from 8 bad years under an incompetent president), and that it will emerge from whatever recession it's going through. It is exactly this accommodating spirit of its people, plus a system that encourages creativity and freedom of speech, that will make the U.S. thrive in this ever-changing world in the long-run.


That's why I'm a bit skeptical when people say China will eventually take over U.S. No doubt China is going to grow faster than anyone else in the next few years. However, after playing catch up, without a democratic system and freedom of speech, I think China will eventually be tied down by a lot of problems - corruption, aging, boy/girl ratio, human rights - just to name a few.

Look at the other end of the spectrum, Japan, who can't even accept 3rd generation residents as citizens, not to mention giving them voting rights. To me, there's only one way the country is headed - south.

Now you know where to put your money

Can't agree more, Minnie. However, never underestimate China. What Singapore can achieve today, they can also achieve with determinations.....which brings us back to our first post in this thread.... HUNGER FOR SUCCESS....

I don't know others but I am sending my child to Chinese enrichment class since young and preparing for that day to come.

[minnie2004]

gajidouma:

Can't agree more, Minnie. However, never underestimate China. What Singapore can achieve today, they can also achieve with determinations.....which brings us back to our first post in this thread.... HUNGER FOR SUCCESS....

I don't know others but I am sending my child to Chinese enrichment class since young and preparing for that day to come.

Hi gajidouma, yes this \"hunger for success\" is very important. I'm just worried after years of one-child policy in China, there are a lot of spoilt kids around asking for handouts from parents. It's very common for parents there to buy properties for their kids and pay for their weddings. I wonder how much \"hunger\" is left for these kids.

I'm also sending my kids to Chinese enrichment, not so much to profit from China's rise but more like it's something we should do as Chinese. It'll be quite shameful not being able to speak better Chinese than Ang mohs. Therefore, since my DD was born, we made an effort to talk to her only in mandarin (although my DH speaks broken mandarin as Eng is his native tongue). However, once she entered pre-school, she picked up fluent Singlish in no time :faint:

[tree nymph]

minnie2004:

gajidouma:

Can't agree more, Minnie. However, never underestimate China. What Singapore can achieve today, they can also achieve with determinations.....which brings us back to our first post in this thread.... HUNGER FOR SUCCESS....

I don't know others but I am sending my child to Chinese enrichment class since young and preparing for that day to come.

Hi gajidouma, yes this \"hunger for success\" is very important. I'm just worried after years of one-child policy in China, there are a lot of spoilt kids around asking for handouts from parents. It's very common for parents there to buy properties for their kids and pay for their weddings. I wonder how much \"hunger\" is left for these kids.

I'm also sending my kids to Chinese enrichment, not so much to profit from China's rise but more like it's something we should do as Chinese. It'll be quite shameful not being able to speak better Chinese than Ang mohs. Therefore, since my DD was born, we made an effort to talk to her only in mandarin (although my DH speaks broken mandarin as Eng is his native tongue). However, once she entered pre-school, she picked up fluent Singlish in no time :faint:

Minnie,

I share the same opinion as you regarding the chinese language! We ARE Chinese after all and its quite a shame to not to know your very own language. BTW, as almost everyone around my kids are speaking Singlish, I'm still struggling in my quest to get my kids to speak Mandarin. But I'm not giving up!



:celebrate:

[tree nymph]

Cheval:

Busymom:

Thanks for your insight too, it has been good to read from your balanced views here.

I have long heard from my french colleagues that education in France is highly subsidized by the state. However, depending on which type of universities you go to, some are not free (the private business schools for instance). What is interesting to learn from you on the other hand, is that for a foreign student, the university education is also free. Must one be on some sort of scholarship? Just wondering, why don't people send their kids to France to study since it is free?

Like I said, the university is free for everyone because it's public. French do not make difference between their own and foreigners, PR or not. No scholarship is required. That is also why whenever possible, I always recommend my Singaporean friends to send their kids to France. They just \"lose\" one year to learn the language. If one does not choose Paris or Aix-en-Provence, living cost is not that high.

Hi cheval,

Is it still like that? Free public university studies for everyone?

i know Germany offers free public university studies for its citizen... only need to pay misc fees and housing fees if you don't live around the uni... But its very expensive if foreign students study there.

[Cheval]

tree nymph:

Is it still like that? Free public university studies for everyone?

Yes it is, and it won't change any time soon. But a few weeks ago, I read that they wish to attract talented students of wealthy families from emerging countries like India, China etc. to their \"grandes ecoles\", at a fee around 10k euros.

In fact, France has 2 parallel system at the university level: engineering school (grande ecole) and university. Grandes ecoles are the place where the elite is trained. While anyone can enter a uni with a Baccalaureat (A level), the competition to enter a grande ecole is hard. The students have to have a good Baccalaureat score and attend the \"Classe preparatoire\" for 2 years. But only 50% will get thru in the end, a small proportion get into a dozen of prestigious grandes ecoles (the best two are: Ecole Normale de Paris and Ecole Polytechnique).

In addition the language problem, I am afraid the A-level credits might not be recognized, contrary to universities in US or UK, which is not favorable to those with good A-level score. The latter can easily save 1 year if they study in UK or US.

[hquek]

tree nymph:

minnie2004:

It'll be quite shameful not being able to speak better Chinese than Ang mohs.

Minnie,

I share the same opinion as you regarding the chinese language! We ARE Chinese after all and its quite a shame to not to know your very own language.

Hear hear. I'm trying to cultivate the love of Chinese language in my kids also by reading, and also through enrichment. DS1 likes to say he hates chinese, I have to remind him that he is a Chinese, it's a shame if he can't speak his own language.

Took me so many years, but my chinese teachers are going to have the last laugh. I used to hate chinese lessons, ting xie etc....but seems like I'm imposing the same in my kids in the hope that they will grow to embrace the language.

[Busymom]

Cheval:

That is also why whenever possible, I always recommend my Singaporean friends to send their kids to France. They just \"lose\" one year to learn the language. If one does not choose Paris or Aix-en-Provence, living cost is not that high.

Is it sufficient to take just 1 year to learn the language? Wouldn't everything that is taught in class be conducted in French? :?

[Busymom]

Cheval:

In fact, France has 2 parallel system at the university level: engineering school (grande ecole) and university. Grandes ecoles are the place where the elite is trained. While anyone can enter a uni with a Baccalaureat (A level), the competition to enter a grande ecole is hard. The students have to have a good Baccalaureat score and attend the \"Classe preparatoire\" for 2 years. But only 50% will get thru in the end, a small proportion get into a dozen of prestigious grandes ecoles (the best two are: Ecole Normale de Paris and Ecole Polytechnique).

French just like to be complicated in everything that they do. :lol:

The \"Classe preparatoire\" is free, is it not? But Grandes ecoles is not free as you said. Public universities are free, but apparently, the good ones are very difficult to get in. There is now a third system, not sure if you have heard. I am not sure what it is called, but seems that you do not need to do the 2 years of \"Classe preparatoire\" to get into this, but the duration of the whole course would be like 4-5 years instead of 3 years in a university. This one is not free either.

[toddles]

Cheval:

In addition the language problem, I am afraid the A-level credits might not be recognized, contrary to universities in US or UK, which is not favorable to those with good A-level score. The latter can easily save 1 year if they study in UK or US.

A-level credits are recognised. PSC scholars are usually sent to Ecole Polytechnique and usually only need one year of language studies before they take exams in French.