Petition to Review the Singapore Education System

[3Boys]

Human evolution does not occur so quickly, but social evolution evolves on a much more rapid timeline. Average life expectancy just 200 years ago was in the 40s-50s, societal changes driven by nutrition, hygiene and healthcare have driven that up significantly. I believe the same is happening in education. As with MRT and HDB, unfortunately the infrastructure has not kept up, which is where the private tuition things comes in. At risk of sounding like the MIW, I do generally believe in levelling up, as opposed to levelling down, but it needs to to be a sincere effort to help the disadvantaged.

[Chenonceau]

3Boys:

Human evolution does not occur so quickly, but social evolution evolves on a much more rapid timeline. Average life expectancy just 200 years ago was in the 40s-50s, societal changes driven by nutrition, hygiene and healthcare have driven that up significantly. I believe the same is happening in education. As with MRT and HDB, unfortunately the infrastructure has not kept up, which is where the private tuition things comes in. At risk of sounding like the MIW, I do generally believe in levelling up, as opposed to levelling down, but it needs to to be a sincere effort to help the disadvantaged.

I believe in levelling up too. Yes... yes... I do. Otherwise, Singapore cannot compete. I like the part you said about he teaching infrastructure needing to keep up. Like HDB and MRT. The speed at which the standards level up needs to keep pace with the Teaching Infrastructure development. The use of the bell curve needs to be tempered with reason. Cannot just blindly apply the bell curve. Many educators apply the bell curve without really understanding why it is done... and without understanding, there is no control... and the train runs away, out of control.

This not about future. Our kids suffer NOW.

[Chenonceau]

vividlaurel:

This is a subject I am quite passionate about! So YES I do support this petition!


I also heard the education minister say during one of his election speeches that they aim for 30% of a cohort to enter university and almost at the same time say the education system is one of the best in the world!

If this was so, then why just 30% of a cohort for university admissions? Isn't the other 70% just as capable? Ok I understand that some will not want to go on to Uni, but of the remaining 70%, I am sure that atleast 50% of them will want to study furhter? Why are we depriving them and instead filling our universitiies with foreign students? How many of us can afford a foreign university education for our children?

My kids are still in Primary school, but unless this is not debated now, come 10-12 years down the line, we have a whole host of Singaporean children whose parents have scimped and saved for their foreign education who will never come back! The system needs to be changed and this change should start at the foundation - which is the Primary school system!

Sorry for the rant.... :mad:

Rant away! You make sense even when ranting.

[Wesim]

I support this petition.

[kaka]

Done on the poll. I support the petition.


My thoughts on the bell curve:
The top 10% or so in the bell curve has been moving upwards as competition stiffer and children gets extra support to do well, teaching in school alone is not enough to compete in the top 10% as before. The top primary schools need to stay in the top ranking of PSLE, thus the drilling, streaming, focus on academics etc. The kids in these school need to perform as the school reputation, teachers KPIs etc are at stake.

The next 40% or so in the bell curve tried to squeeze into the top 10% or just maintain in the express stream, with Singapore becoming a tuition nation, in order to stay in this part of the curve, extra support outside school becomes a norm.

The bottom 50% or so probably lack support as much as those in the top 50%. The parents of the lower income group are struggling to make end meets, no resouces for tuition and no parental support for the children.

The widdening gap is worrying.

[partime-mum]

I heard from my friends whose kids are asked to write a "Journal" during the 1st week of Primary 1. I am wondering whether it is supposed to be a "Journal" to be written by parents, so that teacher knows what is the commitment and educational standards of the parents??? I think it is ridiculous to expect a P1 kid write a Journal during the 1st week of school. Does MOE expect that all P1 kids have been taught Grammar and Vocabulary prior to start of P1? Does our government expect all mothers to be SAHM and coach the kids personally before our kids start P1? Or does the government that all kids has been tuitioned before they start P1? I hope MOE can review the standard that it has set for the students, as well as for us, working parents.

[3Boys]

partime-mum:

I heard from my friends whose kids are asked to write a \"Journal\" during the 1st week of Primary 1. I am wondering whether it is supposed to be a \"Journal\" to be written by parents, so that teacher knows what is the commitment and educational standards of the parents??? I think it is ridiculous to expect a P1 kid write a Journal during the 1st week of school. Does MOE expect that all P1 kids have been taught Grammar and Vocabulary prior to start of P1? Does our government expect all mothers to be SAHM and coach the kids personally before our kids start P1? Or does the government that all kids has been tuitioned before they start P1? I hope MOE can review the standard that it has set for the students, as well as for us, working parents.

These days if you get into P1 without good basics in language and math, you are at a bad disadvantage.

[shurley197323]

I 101% support this petition.

[Chenonceau]

3Boys:

partime-mum:

I heard from my friends whose kids are asked to write a \"Journal\" during the 1st week of Primary 1. I am wondering whether it is supposed to be a \"Journal\" to be written by parents, so that teacher knows what is the commitment and educational standards of the parents??? I think it is ridiculous to expect a P1 kid write a Journal during the 1st week of school. Does MOE expect that all P1 kids have been taught Grammar and Vocabulary prior to start of P1? Does our government expect all mothers to be SAHM and coach the kids personally before our kids start P1? Or does the government that all kids has been tuitioned before they start P1? I hope MOE can review the standard that it has set for the students, as well as for us, working parents.

These days if you get into P1 without good basics in language and math, you are at a bad disadvantage.

Nope, we have moved past basics.

NOW, if you get into P1 without being able to read THICK books in TWO languages, you will be at a disadvantage. Some mothers (for love of their kids) are doing P1 Math with TWO year olds. I don't want to live in a country where my grand-kids are born into educational slavery and Math training starts before they are even properly articulate.

Quality of living is about having some leisure time too. It's one thing that many adults work from 9am to 9pm REGULARLY but why do our little ones also have to be caught up in this madness of competition too. From the age of TWO? Before Primary ONE? And truly, our standards are already very high. Let's take a breather before we chase the bell curve even further.

It takes 2 hands to clap. Parents are kiasu. The system stimulates kiasu-ness. Take away one hand and there can be no clap. Review the system so that we can protect the childhoods of Singaporean children. Tackle the system because that is what pushes parents along.

[hypergatak]

PreciousMoments66:

Chenonceau:

[quote=\"PreciousMoments66\"]May I know where I can find the petition?

Hi PreciousMoments66, here is the write-up...

http://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/content/psle-standards-are-runaway-train-even-teachers-cant-cope-so-kids-need-tuition

To support the petition, please vote in the poll at the top of this page.

Thanks so much. Already cast.

Actually it is not only the PSLE we have to get worried. It is also the streaming. Some school started at P2.

I have a son who is 14 this year, he never had any tuition until he went thru his prelim in P6. Only then he had it for 2-3 months. I have no problem teaching him back then.

My daughter who is in P3 this year, started struggling in P1. First I thought she had learning disability and actually sent her to get assessed. The result came back negative.

I tried different ways to help her but she doesn't understand my teaching method. The school has a different set of teaching style. She was lost and swimming in ignorance for two years but I still wanted her to enjoy going to school and didn't enrol her for tuition.

She was STREAMED to one of the lowest class during P2. Mind you, this is not a SAP school.

This year, I started her on tuition as I didn't want her to be dis-encourage from learning. Now her maths has improved, she enjoys Science and hopefully her English and Chinese will pick up after.

I can see now she has more confidence and am proud of herself when she does well in class tests.

But she lost her childhood. She is so busy till she can't find the time to even play the piano which she loves.

Once an educator told me, you can't groom gifted, they are in born. I can't help but wonder Why torment all young kids just to sift out the gifted who are already in born.

Definitely you can't remove that isn't it? Thus you can always sift out the CREAM OF THE CROP after 16.

Let primary school children have fun learning, enjoy the process of learning. Please don't rob them of their childhood.[/quote]
Why stream so early in primary school, some kids are late bloomers. MOE should also do away with Gifted Program. The amount of homework and projects that these kids do are crazy and alot of times, parents have to contribute and help.