Teach Less, Learn More

[Champion]

cimman:

In the neighbourhood schools, the exam questions are not pitched at such a high level, because the teachers knows that they are setting themselves up for failure if the majority of students just gets a pass grade for their papers.

:goodpost: ...This is \"unfortunately\" very real and very true :faint:. I asked this Question during the Parent-Teacher-Meeting and one of the T replied,\"There is a standard that we have to maintain in this school - if we set the Qs at a higher level then there will be more failures and students morale will be dismissed!\" :|...Well, this is the different between neighbourhood & elite school....

[pixiedust]

cimman:

What are the schools dong ? well, the solution doesn't lie with the schools but with the education policies and KPIs. It is these that drives the behaviour of the schools. That leads to the next question, is it necessary for such educational policies to be in place for Singapore to succeed ? are we churning out exceptional students, and thus an exceptional workforce through such policies ?

Very good questions indeed, epseically the last question. I think that is what is driving our leaders - we are small country, no natural resources so we need to churn out the best people. The question is, are we ?

Let's just say hypothetically that we are now directors at MOE. What kind of changes will/can we do ? I have been asking myself this and I have no answer.

[Brenda10]

Champion:

:goodpost: ...This is \"unfortunately\" very real and very true :faint:. I asked this Question during the Parent-Teacher-Meeting and one of the T replied,\"There is a standard that we have to maintain in this school - if we set the Qs at a higher level then there will be more failures and students morale will be dismissed!\" :|...Well, this is the different between neighbourhood & elite school....

DD is in neighbourhood school. I find the standard for CL and EL paper are almost the same except the test papers for Science and Maths are more challenging.

Just my 2 cents thought

[Chenonceau]

pixiedust:

cimman:

What are the schools dong ? well, the solution doesn't lie with the schools but with the education policies and KPIs. It is these that drives the behaviour of the schools. That leads to the next question, is it necessary for such educational policies to be in place for Singapore to succeed ? are we churning out exceptional students, and thus an exceptional workforce through such policies ?

Very good questions indeed, epseically the last question. I think that is what is driving our leaders - we are small country, no natural resources so we need to churn out the best people. The question is, are we ?

Let's just say hypothetically that we are now directors at MOE. What kind of changes will/can we do ? I have been asking myself this and I have no answer.

I do have concrete suggestions. I like the higher standards. We need to just improve teaching quality.

Change primary school to lecture-tutorial system because the syllabus emphasizes skills. Skills can only be taught in small group tutorials with frequent skills refinement feedback. Have smaller classes... more teachers. Require that teachers write comments and grade. Not mark with just a tick and then do class debrief.

Take over the load of tutors and parents thus. Plus make the textbooks more comprehensive. Else, put all this material online and allow children easy access.

[Brenda10]

Chenonceau:

Change primary school to lecture-tutorial system because the syllabus emphasizes skills. Skills can only be taught in small group tutorials with frequent skills refinement feedback. Have smaller classes... more teachers. Require that teachers write comments and grade. Not mark with just a tick and then do class debrief.


Take over the load of tutors and parents thus. Plus make the textbooks more comprehensive. Else, put all this material online and allow children easy access.

:goodpost:

[janet88]

smurf:

It's sad indeed...

Learning wasn't so stress before...

If Im the student, I also hate learning and going to sch.

Going to school wasn't this stress before...it was just going to school, getting homework done and work a little harder before exams.

NOW, kids have to do assessment everyday and past year papers before exams in order to PASS. I really pity my son in P5. If answers are not according to PSLE format, then he is deprived of the marks.
I went into overdrive last year just on Science reference...this is madness !!!

[Brenda10]

janet_lee88:

smurf:

It's sad indeed...

Learning wasn't so stress before...

If Im the student, I also hate learning and going to sch.

Going to school wasn't this stress before...it was just going to school, getting homework done and work a little harder before exams.

NOW, kids have to do assessment everyday and past year papers before exams in order to PASS. I really pity my son in P5. If answers are not according to PSLE format, then he is deprived of the marks.
I went into overdrive last year just on Science reference...this is madness !!!

Yes, so many things to worry. Maths, Compo., Oral etc

[janet88]

Brenda10:

janet_lee88:

[quote=\"smurf\"]It's sad indeed...

Learning wasn't so stress before...

If Im the student, I also hate learning and going to sch.

NOW, kids have to do assessment everyday and past year papers before exams in order to PASS. I really pity my son in P5. If answers are not according to PSLE format, then he is deprived of the marks.
I went into overdrive last year just on Science reference...this is madness !!!

Yes, so many things to worry. Maths, Compo., Oral etc[/quote]Have to worry about every single thing...from oral to compo to Maths (no calculator) to problem sums... :stupid: For oral in 2 weeks time, have to coach him in picture description.

[sleepy]

Chenonceau:

Seriously, I've never heard of unitary method till now. I was that bo-chap and there really was no need. I left it mostly to my daughter because it really was her business. And I wanted her to take accountability.

Where to learn unitary method?

:faint:
Never heard of this too. Need to know by P5?

[smurf]

Your suggestion is very good, Chenonceau. But to decrease the teacher student ratio will be very expensive and I dun think the garmen will adopt that idea.they are ONLY looking at $$$.


That’s why, now if both parents dun work, simply cannot cope with the high living standards. Unless one parent earn decent amount to sustain. And they still want to make the syllabus more difficult??? What the hell are they thinking??
They make the syllabus more difficult so that one parent can coach the child at home or they want more people to go into tuition business??? They are contradicting themselves, I would say.