Teach Less, Learn More

[Chenonceau]

Funx3:

For those Kids without Tuition, they just have to Work Extra Hard and Study on their Own and Seek Clarifications from Parents / Siblings / Friends when such Occasions Happen. My Gal Belongs to this Rare Few who Wants to do it on Her own.

Else May Have to Follow the Trend and Outsource - Join the Tuition Route -liao!

My son has Kumon because we realized that the school does not give enough math practice. I brought him to his very first Chinese tuition last Friday and the tutor was amazed at his mastery since he has had no tuition till now and I am illiterate in Chinese. We've never believed in enrichment/tuition. My daughter had no tuition in primary school and she needed very little coaching from us. She still managed to get into a top secondary school.

However, my son's PSLE syllabus is so different. My husband and I spend hours coaching him. When he seeks help from us, it is still tuition, no? We don't outsource but it is still tuition... at least, I think of it as tuition.

Our family does this because both of us are highly educated. I score in the top 2 percent of GMAT worldwide scores for English. My husband scores in the top 2 % of GMAT for Math. That is why we don't have to outsource Science, Creative Writing, Math problem sums. Also, I once taught in MOE and still teach in uni. I can teach. Our family can manage and we look upon this as bonding. I truly wonder how the children of cleaners and roadsweepers manage.

Recently, the newspapers highlighted the cases of poor kids made good at 'A' levels. These kids went through PSLE before the new skills emphasis syllabus was put in. With this new syllabus, and the old way of talk talk talk teaching plus large class sizes, tuition (whether outsourced or done by parents) is necessary.

Skills can only be learnt when children DO... and receive individual feedback to then refine what they DO. The skills emphasis of the new syllabus is at odds with the teaching methods and the large class sizes. With so many students, teachers can only talk. They can't observe, and give personalized feedback.

I am beginning to sound a bit obnoxious. Funx3, pls forgive. However, the gap between syllabus (skills heavy) and method (talk) and class size (too large for skills refinement feedback) is so hidden in plain sight that I am hoping that if pointed out, something will change.

[smurf]

Wow Chenonceau, scored top 2% in GMAT...dun pray pray hor... :lol:

[Chenonceau]

smurf:

Wow Chenonceau, scored top 2% in GMAT...dun pray pray hor... :lol:

English only lah...

[Brenda10]

janet_lee88:

Compo is a paper by itself...and yet we are struggling to help our kids score high marks for it. However, there is no direction or skills taught to the kids to do so. So what happens ? Sign up for creative writing classes.

I'm just wondering how can MOE have such a lousy teaching system in place ? This is PRIMARY school, not University.

That's why we let dd attend the external classes to buck up this area.

[Brenda10]

Chenonceau:

smurf:

Wow Chenonceau, scored top 2% in GMAT...dun pray pray hor... :lol:

English only lah...

:salute:

[smurf]

Chenonceau:

smurf:

Wow Chenonceau, scored top 2% in GMAT...dun pray pray hor... :lol:

English only lah...

At least got 1 subject watt...I think if I take the exam, I scored below 2%...my engrlish damn jialak one... :oops:

[Chenonceau]

smurf:

Chenonceau:

[quote=\"smurf\"]Wow Chenonceau, scored top 2% in GMAT...dun pray pray hor... :lol:

English only lah...

At least got 1 subject watt...I think if I take the exam, I scored below 2%...my engrlish damn jialak one... :oops:[/quote]

:oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :offtopic:

Change topic.

Back to topic... Dat's why this issue is important to kick up a fuss about, I guess. Most parents CANNOT manage the skills demands of creative writing or math problem sums. Have to outsource or watch their kids do poorly at PSLE. I am quite sure that if schools taught skills properly, I need not coach my son so much. But schools don't give skills practice even as the exams require the skills. :x

[smurf]

It’s a matter of, the rich gets richer lah…If u r poor, sorry lor, ur child will be at the bottom…unless, he or she belongs to the rare group, can 发奋图强 by him or her self.

[Chenonceau]

smurf:

It's a matter of, the rich gets richer lah...If u r poor, sorry lor, ur child will be at the bottom...unless, he or she belongs to the rare group, can 发奋图强 by him or her self.

Oh dear... Here is the yes-woman again. EXACTLY!

Actually, I consider my kids quite independent. And self-motivated. But they still can't learn what they have not been taught. Someone has to teach them... Me lor...

[QuiteKSMum]

When my son took his PSLE last year, it's like there're 2 persons sitting for the exams - him & I. Not proud to say that in that critical year, I had to outsource tuitions for 3 subjects (EL, CL & Science, Maths was taught by DH).


Even then, esp for Science, despite in small grp tuition, his marks fluctuated quite widely. No choice, after the June holidays, I had to study in depth the various guide books/exam papers that we had and tutor him during the weekends. Tried to spot questions, make him \"memorize\" the answer/phrasing as Science answers have to be v.exact. Despite doing all this, it was v.much a touch and go situation, I didn't want him to tell me abt stuff re: his Science PSLE paper, that's how unconfident I was!

I don' know about him learning more, definitely I LEARNT MORE about Science last year!! ( but almost all returned back already - short term
memory only!)



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