Why students study more during school holidays
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Giving up a job to raise kids doesn’t guarantee good outcomes. In fact, with some family support and efficient use of external help available, a parent’s exposure to the outside world in a professional capacity can even help the child go further because one can communicate and engage with the kids at a higher level.
I can see a lot of parents are under a lot of stress, most of it self inflicted. If we always focus on the academics rather than the relationship with our child, we will lose many bonding and teaching moments. We play a lot with our kids when they are young. Through play, we teach them to do their best. This means before the game or even exams, we put in our best resources, prepare our ammunitions, and do our best when the “game” starts.
Putting up a strong fight doesn’t mean one must win. As long as the child (and ourselves) understands that, there is no stress. In fact one might even have fun in the process. The focus should really be on building character and resilience. Once the child masters that, sooner or later the child can maximise their potential in every exam or challenge.
As a parent with kids in IP schools, I do see the benefits of the system. However, I do not agree getting into IP is a sure way (and is surely not the only way) to success and not getting into one won’t mean one is doomed for life too. Take it easy, parents. There are many pathways. If we adults put labels and brands on schools, we are creating the exact toxic environment that we do not want our kids to grow up in.
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doodbug\" post_id=\"2135312\" time=\"1718869212\" user_id=\"13281:
This is the point that i was trying to agree with when i spoke up in my earlier comment.
I know that one cannot run away from streaming/sorting forever. There must be some way to determine who gets into university, and which course in university.
In most countries, major national sorting only occurs at the 16 year old or some, even the 18 year old stage.
I know that I am in the minority here, but I still do not support sorting at a national level, at 12 years old, which is what our PSLE does. I don't see it as a necessary step. Worse still, unlike any other major exams which you can retake, you can't retake PSLE. The problem is not with the PSLE, but what PSLE is used for and what it determines - I wonder if MOE is able to see this point. They cannot keep blaming parents for being kiasu. Society, including parents and children, are shaped by the structures and systems. The system rewards those who do well academically handsomely - hence the whole flurry anxiety over performing well academically.
I spoke up because i wanted to see if MOE (or some opposition politicians if they wish. HELLO: elections this year, any leader want to hear our voice) will look into the structural causes of the stress and anxiety of psle.
I spoke up, not for myself (already past the sour grapes that i have eaten, dont worry, and don’t worry also about my child, who is really happy go lucky type) but for the current and future batches of kids i see in those documentaries who are under pressure to get into IP.
IP has wonderful enrichment programs, well touted and all know that. Are the IP schools willing to open up these programs to the Express kids in their community so that they can benefit as well? -
For my 2 fellas, they do not study during holidays. I stop all tuition right after exams and will resume only when school starts. Given that their tutors also seem to go for their own vacation during the school holidays, I think quite a lot of their students’ parents stop tuition during the holidays too. DD had tuition up to O levels while DS did not have any tuition after primary school. The whole holiday was really for all to unwind.
I do see friends and even my own sister insisting that they have to continue with a regiment of tuition and assign work for their kids else the kids will struggle when school starts. Admittedly my 2 fellas will be sluggish with their work when school starts after the holidays and their initial few assessments might take a hit but they do catch up thereafter.
I agree that there is societal pressure and expectations and I did feel it too when kids were going through their PSLE, O levels and all. Ultimately, we parents have to be the ones to filter and shield our kids from all these excessive pressure and allow them to find their own footing. -
For us, we avoid tuitions during school holiday except covid period. To me, I somehow feel that some would prefer the holiday prog and probably skip the weekly regular lessons?
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zac's mum\" post_id=\"2135398\" time=\"1719018510\" user_id=\"53606:[quote=\"zac's mum\" post_id=2135398 time=1719018510 user_id=53606]
Sorry for my early misunderstanding, actually what do you think MOE should do? Removal of IP system, or allow students to join the IP track any time in their secondary school when their have improvement in the exam results? Will it be chaotic when O or N level students can join back to IP track any time? I believe it would be difficult to let primary 6 to re-take PSLE exam because MOE may not want a secondary 1 class having students with 12, 13 or 14 year old.
This is the point that i was trying to agree with when i spoke up in my earlier comment.
I spoke up because i wanted to see if MOE (or some opposition politicians if they wish. HELLO: elections this year, any leader want to hear our voice) will look into the structural causes of the stress and anxiety of psle.
I spoke up, not for myself (already past the sour grapes that i have eaten, dont worry, and don’t worry also about my child, who is really happy go lucky type) but for the current and future batches of kids i see in those documentaries who are under pressure to get into IP.
IP has wonderful enrichment programs, well touted and all know that. Are the IP schools willing to open up these programs to the Express kids in their community so that they can benefit as well?[/quote]
My kid was not from IP track and I have no pro or against this system. But if you think IP track is very important to kids, it will cause lot of stress and anxiety on it. However, for DH's whole family, including brother in law....no one care about IP track and kids were all brought up without the stress and anxiety about PSLE but they all went university.
As a parent, may be other may claim I am not a real mother, what life you want our kids to lead? What are we teaching them - on the most important things in their life? -
I think MGS has made a good start in piloting mixed form classes comprising both IP and OP students.
It is good for the elites to be out of their ivory tower & realize that maybe they are not all that different from the ones who may have missed the cut. And that academic capability should be viewed with a growth mindset, not a fixed mindset.
I do not want to say any more about the sentiment on the ground, lest it becomes personal against my parenting again. -
isnt it the usual practice for all JCs to hv common tests/mye/bock tests/timed practice (whatever they are called) right after June holidays? Almost impossible for JC kids not to study/revise/catch up during this holiday. How much to study will really depend on how focused/effective each individual is.
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Imp75\" post_id=\"2135385\" time=\"1718978453\" user_id=\"2358:
I sent my girls to a church kindergarten near my house. I guess the heat/pressure from academic rat race usually intensifies from P5 onwards, not kindy time.
Really? Then I must hv been a chilled mom bc my girls were exactly brought up this way in a nanny’s home with tv and iPad whole day and attended neighbourhood pcf kindy haha.
Back to me being SAHM during those years. I think my presence also helped. I removed their Chinese tuition (they didn’t hv any other), I taught them myself, assigned regular work (specially curated bc I believed in tackling only weakness and not cramming lots of practices bc I also wanted them to hv time for play/rest) on top of Sch work, assisted my eldest in her sports dsa journey, made connections, volunteered in Sch and made my girls presence felt, anything and everything I could do for my girls, I would.
However before my girls psle journey concluded, I went back to FT work and then they were on their own again.
I also feel that my presence as a SAHM helped my kids in a way. At least someone was there to limit their screen time after school. So I can understand why my friend took over the supervision of her kid from the grandmother. -
CDAC asked to cut tuition for those children from lower income families by 30% and replace it by play-based learning.
I think CDAC management is barking up the wrong tree leh. This group of kids seriously in need of help in their academic work, how can replace 30% tuition with games? They still need to take PSLE at P6. On the other hand, expensive/quality private tuition centres see businesses increase by around 30% year on year since 2022. Will the gap between the upper middle class and lower income group widen due to this move? -
Some parent saying it’s the educational system that cause the stress in parents. We can read Strait Times later I think it will be on it. Our PM just announced the plan to broaden the definition of success, build a society that allows individual to slow down should they choose to. I think he reads this forum ho ho ho
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zac's mum\" post_id=\"2135398\" time=\"1719018510\" user_id=\"53606:[quote=\"zac's mum\" post_id=2135398 time=1719018510 user_id=53606]
Zac's mum, can you please elaborate on the kind of wonderful enrichment programmes that IP schools have which you think should be opened up to Express kids as well?
IP has wonderful enrichment programs, well touted and all know that. Are the IP schools willing to open up these programs to the Express kids in their community so that they can benefit as well?[/quote]
All my kids made it to IP so I can share from my experience. Over the years, I also helped to guide many kids from different backgrounds and some made it to IP but some don't. Not everyone is suitable for IP pace. Those who did not make it to IP also enjoyed their Sec sch journeys a lot once we helped them see the value. While IP schools have certain programmes like internship/exchange prog, but those who are not in IP also tell me they have other programmes that they find beneficial.
IP or not, the kids are sorted at PSLE because of academic results. If one does not get to IP after PSLE despite the kid's best effort, it is really not a big deal in the grand scheme of things. The academic journey continues and one can aim for transfer. In the meantime, make the best of the journey in the school child is posted to and it can still be an awesome learning journey. None of my kids and those I know in IP look at the non-IP kids from their ivory tower. In fact, most kids don't think of each other this way at all. -
What is this big fuss, about IP ?
The truth is -
If you fail to get in at Sec 1 (IP) through your PSLE results, there is still second chance (opportunity) at the end of Sec 2 streaming. So many IP schools do accept students in for
Transfer at the end of their Sec 2, to start Sec 3 (IP), if u so truly desire IP and can pass their end-of-Sec2 IP entrance subject tests.
Is not that MOE don’t even give u any chance to transfer out to IP, if u truly desire IP so much.
When u say IP, which IP are u refering to ?
Refering to
IB (SJI / ACSI),
because u already have the intention, made up your mind to send your son for overseas university studies in (USA / UK / Australia / Europe) ?
instead of remaining in local uni ( SMU / NTU / NUS ) ?
Or
A-Level Junior College (IP) ? -
newbieks\" post_id=\"2135415\" time=\"1719041561\" user_id=\"178749:
Yes.
isnt it the usual practice for all JCs to hv common tests/mye/bock tests/timed practice (whatever they are called) right after June holidays? Almost impossible for JC kids not to study/revise/catch up during this holiday. How much to study will really depend on how focused/effective each individual is.
It is a common practice for almost all A level Junior Colleges to conduct some Assessment tests for students in Term 3 (Semester 2), after their June school holiday. -
Ggrrrrrrrrr let me say again, this is not about me, nor my child. It is not some personal grudge, nor am i fighting for my own personal cause. I’m not even fighting, i’m just speaking up & hoping for change. Whether there’s change or not, what do i really care, except think about the poor kids in future psles.
I wanted to talk about the danger of IP schools becoming a class divider between the “psle made it in / did not make it in”. Not my own perception; this perception is prevalent among many of the psle parents, who then pressure their offspring to try and make the cut (typically, AL8 which is the COP of the last IP school).
What then happens is, the ones who did make it in, think that they:
- Have made it for life (have heard stories about how the classmates in IP just sleep in class or watching YouTube on PLD during lesson, never study for exams, projects anyhow, EOY just do minimum to be promoted).
- are entitled to look down on non-IP kids (stories from the non-IP kids when they see old primary school friends; granted, some of it is typical boy ragging, if it’s not this topic then it’’ll be some other u pc of shit taunt)
- when they reach the higher levels and start to struggle, think they have imposter syndrome because “i’m smart, i got in because i was the top 10% but why can’t i pass this subject or why i’m not good at triple science, am i stupid?” Existential issues and anxiety crop up
- some may crash and burn out, mental health breaks down, have to exit IP (use Y4 results to enter poly, or go overseas). Some cases mentioned in the press
References for those who want to read:
https://www.reddit.com/r/SGExams/s/v56CX7uo8x
https://www.reddit.com/r/SGExams/s/QoLrAXvSGH
https://www.reddit.com/r/SGExams/s/FJsgvqwmJY
https://www.reddit.com/r/SGExams/s/WZfDdm1Ns5
Documentaries:
https://youtu.be/d5X8pJu2R0s?si=MtXB3F_4ThgLB4FM
https://youtu.be/E_lP2hQ7oZA?si=tQIadFAZS5Qzbjk5
https://youtu.be/eoelS0XIhSg?si=kknGKOBj6BsO9IXG
https://youtu.be/P8frwa5JdaQ?si=FkLKXUIsrsrqKT3R -
Nope, PM speech I shared this morning on redefining success, build a society that allows slow down, pause, side steps, outliers, is not on today’s newspaper. But I found it on YouTube
https://youtu.be/AnyFWfW9lDo?si=BiHmHNtSGxLATAXh -
bbbay\" post_id=\"2135436\" time=\"1719105149\" user_id=\"175278:
I applaud PM Wong’s bold vision which I agree with wholeheartedly. BUT given how the social and economic issues are tightly intertwined, a suite of measures would be required to realize the vision without resulting in social and economic upheavals.
Nope, PM speech I shared this morning on redefining success, build a society that allows slow down, pause, side steps, outliers, is not on today’s newspaper. But I found it on YouTube
https://youtu.be/AnyFWfW9lDo?si=BiHmHNtSGxLATAXh
Can Singaporeans stomach 50% drop in property prices? If we slow down by 30%, are we willing to cut salary by 30%?
Want to slow down, we will need to first restructure our economy. Given our highly trade-dependent and MNC-dependent open economy, how we slow down without impacting the livelihoods of millions of Singaporeans? Socially, want to slow down, we will have to do so together as a society, cannot just ask Singaporeans to slow down. Otherwise, there is a high risk that our children and grandchildren will just become PHV drivers and hawkers to serve FTs and the ultra-wealthy.
Can we ask PRC, South Asian and other foreign parents based here not to send their children for enrichment and tuition? Recently I passed by United Sq TLL registration counter and overheard one PRC grandmother posing many questions on the English and Math curriculum for her young grandson. I am quite shocked because Singapore grandmothers are unlikely to do that! -
They have wider perspectives and plans that we common people may not have. They are realist: can mean can , cannot mean cannot. We common people sometimes are bias, especially on matters we are emotionally attached to; over optimistic or over pessimistic. If we can reduce kiasuism say from 40% of the population to 10%, it is a success already. Not realistic to think we can reduce to 0%. One China grandma should not be the reason we have to follow suit. And PM says, it’s for those people who choose to slow down. He does not say whole Spore slow down. Well, let’s see….
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bbbay\" post_id=\"2135442\" time=\"1719109559\" user_id=\"175278:
Yes, these are govt’s policies and directions but as empowered citizens, we can assess and provide constructive feedback. After all, the government doesn’t have a monopoly over knowledge and wisdom. Singaporeans nowadays are highly educated and have seen the world.
They have wider perspectives and plans that we common people may not have. They are realist: can mean can , cannot mean cannot. We common people often are bias: over optimistic or over pessimistic. If we can reduce kiasuism say from 40% of the population to 10%, it is a success already. Not realistic to think we can reduce to 0%. One China grandma should not be the reason we have to follow suit. Well, let’s see….
I feel that Singaporeans generally want to slow down, cut work load by 30% yet Singaporeans do not want their salaries to be cut by 30% or suffer any loss in wealth or drop in living standards.
Regarding this PRC grandma being kiasu as a possible outlier, just need to look at the composition of R and H schools to know the answer. -
Noted.
I for one, if I want to slow down, I would think it’s a great shift in society thinking. If I slow down by 30%, to follow my passion, it’s reasonable my pay will also cut by 30%. At least now society will accept me this group of people whose life pursue is different from main stream. It’s for people who choose to pause, slow down, u turn, experiment. The enabler could be AI. Maybe we don’t need so many man power now with AI. All these shift are possible now base on realism, not idealism. -
How to slow down and take alternative route when cost of living is so high. If I am contented to just earn $2000, with my partner’s $2000, total take home pay $3200, putting aside $1000 every month to finance the hdb for 20y, I can hardly afford a 4r or 5r BTO in far flung estate.