Changes in S'pore Education System
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caroline3sg:
Wait... I just noticed that this piece of news was unveiled in 2008? How to have individualized attention with such LARGE classes in 2011? Are these just pretty words then?Singapore's education system must move beyond emphasis on results
By Ca-Mie De Souza, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 14 August 2008 1839 hrs
SINGAPORE : Singapore's Education Minister Ng Eng Hen said the country's education system must move beyond academic achievements and offer students more individual attention.
Dr Ng was outlining the future education system at the 4th anniversary Public Lecture at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy on Thursday.
In 1980, only 58 per cent of Primary 1 students completed secondary school. Today, the figure is 98.4 per cent.
In a 2003 international study on mathematics and science, students in Singapore aged between 10 and 14 years old came out tops among 49 countries.
Dr Ng said this was due to the good education policy put in place over the years, including the use of English as the medium of instruction, the bilingual policy, streaming, good teachers, curriculum and pedagogy.
But going forward, there will be greater expectations. Dr Ng noted that parents today are better educated and have more financial resources, so he said there must be more teachers, so students get more individual attention.
The teachers must also have higher qualifications. And to do that, schools must also have more autonomy.
\"We need to re-balance the education system so that we can maintain the academic rigour,... yet at the same time create space and structure... for the school to (achieve) these other aspects and impart values,\" said Dr Ng.
As for graduates of the Institute of Technical Education and Polytechnics, apart from creating a 4th publicly-funded university, the Ministry of Education will explore ways to help them upgrade during their careers.
However, some parents were concerned that schools now may be chasing key performance indicators at the expense of long-term goals.
\"One of the things I hope won't happen is that those ideas, after implementation, will not be lost, because sometimes when it goes down the next level, it may become another set of goals, another set of numbers,\" said Angeline Soo, a mother of two children.
Dr Ng emphasised that while Singapore's first class education system is respected internationally, it can always do better. And that means a delicate balance between continuing with what has worked well and, at the same time, not closing the doors on new innovations. - CNA /ls
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1) Offer students more individual attention = further reduce class size to 20?
2) Parents have more financial resources = to send their children to enrichment / tuition so that teachers need not teach? BTW, the so call teach in sch is touch & go.
Or does it mean that to deploy more teachers, sch fees would go up? Last time we don't have $300 per month for IS. Would such fees be implemented at primary level?
3) Teachers to impart value = good move. Now, character development programmes are run by parent volunteers.
How come P5 and P6 parents are scrambling to provide tuition and coach their kids if the system is supposed to provide individualized attention? See this KSP thread. http://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/forum/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=21096
Another promise made but not kept? -
Chenonceau:
Well said. I constantly make clear to my son that this or that thing he is doing is Right or Wrong because he needs to score at exams. Privately, I encourage intellectual independence. I teach him to challenge TRUTH as has been taught to him. This can backfire because they will often put me in a spot with their logic and I have to back down. But then fair is fair, if I want intellectual independence, I must be willing to concede their point if wellFaun:
\"I shall not let schooling interfere with my education\"
-- Mark Twain
Our school system is like a mill. Parents have to decide if you want your child to end up like one of the same many. Do you think our system are developing thinkers or just people who are always thinking of getting right answers? By the amount of assessment books and ten years series our kids do, it's no wonder they grow up afraid to or bother to think different.
made and well argued.
An intelligent mind is one that is always learning but not concluding. My dd English and Social Studies teachers do philosophy lessons with them from time to time. The kids will be posed a real live problem during their
Socratic Circle and they'd naturally be usinig their logical minds to try to solve but at the end they just can't draw a conclusion. They realize that many human emotions and actions are illogical.
dd usually brings those problems the teacher gave her home and we have a great time discussing the problem or arguing about what is right or wrong over family dinners together. It's fun.
All said, there's exam where speed and accuracy in answer is so important so practice is necessary. There is a lot of merit in our system but it's not perfect. Let's enjoy and appreciate it goodness and do damage control in whatever way we can. Meantime, :nunchuk: :rant: -
about class size. my dd school has 30 for p1 and p2. p3 onwards it is back to 40. Sometime even 42.
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Faun:
Well said again... though I tend to believe that with enough information a conclusion can very often be drawn... but I do very much agree that an inquiring mind is sceptical about conclusions because one never really knows enough to conclude/judge.
An intelligent mind is one that is always learning but not concluding. My dd English and Social Studies teachers do philosophy lessons with them from time to time. The kids will be posed a real live problem during their
Socratic Circle and they'd naturally be usinig their logical minds to try to solve but at the end they just can't draw a conclusion. They realize that many human emotions and actions are illogical.Faun:
Yes... I value the emphasis on speed and accuracy too. My son's teacher had a diplomatic word with me in P3 and I realised then that I had failed to focus there. And it is always wise to focus on the blessings we have than the blessings we don't have.All said, there's exam where speed and accuracy in answer is so important so practice is necessary. There is a lot of merit in our system but it's not perfect. Let's enjoy and appreciate it goodness and do damage control in whatever way we can. Meantime, :nunchuk: :rant:
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Chenonceau:
True, only by counting our blessings then we can stay positive...There's too many \"unblessings\" in this world, if we dwell too much on them, we can never be happy with what we have... :love: :celebrate:
And it is always wise to focus on the blessings we have than the blessings we don't have. -
QuiteKSMum:
:hi5:
True, only by counting our blessings then we can stay positive...There's too many \"unblessings\" in this world, if we dwell too much on them, we can never be happy with what we have... :love: :celebrate:Chenonceau:
And it is always wise to focus on the blessings we have than the blessings we don't have. -
It’s a totally different ball game at P5. Parents like myself are struggling with the higher and more difficult standard. Hubby & I scrambled to get help to coach son Maths this year. School teacher cannot manage a class of 40.
P1/2 have maximum 30 in a class. But from P3 onwards, the classes are crammed with 40 or even 42. That is crazy bcos P3 students have Science and it’s not easy to handle or like this subject.
So what if parents are more educated now, it doesn’t mean that they should be teaching the kids. Is he implying that teachers do not have to teach so much and let the parents do the job as what a parent here mentioned ? Or is he implying that parents are earning more and so can afford enrichment centres/tutors ?
Our kids are assessment book smart bcos they have no choice but to score in school. They can even compare what titles of assessment they have, with their classmates bcos of the pathetic school textbooks.
The ‘30 in a class’ should stay up till P4 and then reduce to 20 students in a class at P5. It makes a difference. -
janet_lee88:
The '30 in a class' should stay up till P4 and then reduce to 20 students in a class at P5. It makes a difference.
This is such a good idea! -
Chenonceau:
Yes, I also believe class size makes a difference (even for grp tuition). Think for the GEP classes & even some sch's BICEP, their class size is kept smaller - think in the 20s... correct me if I'm misinformed...janet_lee88:
The '30 in a class' should stay up till P4 and then reduce to 20 students in a class at P5. It makes a difference.
This is such a good idea! -
Hi all,
I have my 2 cents here. I think our education system is not so bad. So many CCAs to choose, kids have a lof of fun. As for academic pressure, i think it comes from parents not school teachers nor peers, as my dd never bothers how many marks she gets as long as I do not ask her. So it is kiasuparents that pass the stress to kids and make them stressful. no good marks, so what? not the end of world! A very good minister GY is iost, that is not the end of world for Singapore either!
So calm down everyone, enjoy life with your kids. Does 1 mark or 5 marks or 10 marks really mean that much to you parents?
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