Petition to Review the Singapore Education System
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HaleyCopterz:
Thank you so much for sharing. It's very enlightening to hear from an insider. I agree a more difficult paper is not necessary a better one. I don't mean to worship the ang mohs but I often compare the UNSW test papers against our exam papers and I really like the way they set the questions. They test concepts and understanding without making things difficult for difficult sakeHi Chenonceau,
I think you have brought much needed insight esp the one about the bell-curve. I think teachers just keep setting harder and harder papers. A more difficult paper is not a better paper. Anyway, I think this issue is one where it is not just an education one but it is the way the civil service is run.
Anyway, I will also circulate this around to my other teacher friends. Some of them know about it and whole-heartedly agree but do not have the time to come here and contribute. Some are cynical, they feel nothing we say can change the way things are being run. But I feel we must always have hope and try in whatever way we can to make known the problems faced on the ground.
I use to think that the school PTA was a voice for parents but they are actually just free labour for the school. Most local parents are afraid to take up issues with the school authority afraid that their kids get marked.
I agree with you that we must keep trying. If everyone thinks their contribution doesn't not matter, nothing will change. This education system is run by technocrats, not educators, at the top. I believe if we speak LOUD ENOUGH and LONG ENOUGH, we'll be heard.
Chenonceau,
I'm not into sociology but I think this Bell Curve thing has no solution because it is a demand and supply problem. Parents want their kids to get into the top schools that are so few. Unless, everyone let their kids develop naturally without help but how possible with all the kiasu parents (excuse me). Now,family has 2 income and with more resources, they invest more in enrichment and tuition. I guess my kids are lucky, I always tell them sorry no tuition except for Chinese because only papa is earning.
I recall attending an AWARE session many years back and the MOE director was at the talk. When parents raised the issue of the stressful system, she pointed the finger back and said parents are the one who make this system such.
Do you agree this is our culture problem. We Asians have difficulty letting go and let our kids learn independently. We don't trust the teachers can do a good job because now we are educated and can see. We want our kids to get good results. All these makes education become like a competition for the parents, the kids are their tools. Competition breeds fear and misery which people are experiencing now. -
Faun:
Cannot be no solution lah... Allow the belly to move to the right for a few years before adjusting the belly back with questions of increased difficulty. Don't do bell curve grading so scrupulously from year to year.Chenonceau,
I'm not into sociology but I think this Bell Curve thing has no solution because it is a demand and supply problem.
It is quite a simple solution but hard to explain unless you know stats leh... The solution is in the bell curve itself and how it is used to level standards upwards. Its use can be nuanced and phased. The bell curve is a tool, not an incontrovertible reality. I dunno how to explain to you here in a few short words. But it is not a NO-SOLUTION problem. -
Faun:
This is just siam-ing at its best. It takes 2 hands to clap. One hand = individuals. The other hand = system. Individuals respond to system incentives. Rework system incentives and you will change individual behavior immediately. I do that all the time in my job -mould the behavior and attitudes of thousands by effectuating small changes to system mechanisms. It is too tiring to go and talk to the thousands whose behavior must change. You change the system component and use that as a tool to mould parent and children behavior.I recall attending an AWARE session many years back and the MOE director was at the talk. When parents raised the issue of the stressful system, she pointed the finger back and said parents are the one who make this system such.
MOE cannot siam. They have a sacred responsibility towards the nation's children. -
Ummm... can I ask all those who already voted in the poll here to go to the petition and vote again? Sorry for the trouble!!
http://www.petitiononline.com/SgEd2011/petition.html -
cimman:
I agree with what both of you have put up and in particular those highlighted areas I believe are the first steps that can be taken. To me, strong leadership is key to everything, to understand the need for change and to drive the change.
I believe that it is possible to change the system. If Singapore can avert the global financial crisis through pro active actions, an educational policy change should not be a challenge.HaleyCopterz:
I think this petition is a good one and a lot of parents make perfect sense. I am a primary school teacher and a parent as well. I agree that schools are not getting the students ready for the exams. However the suggestions about having a smaller class size might not be able to come true for several reasons:
1) Not enough teachers
Now, they are trying to get more teachers from overseas to teach MT. For the other subjects, there are not enough teachers because not many people want to teach. If there aren't many teachers, then our dream of having a smaller teacher to student ratio cannot be materialized.
2) Retention of good teachers a problem
Existing teachers are not very happy so some of them will quit, the retention rate of teachers especially good ones may not be high. The better ones want to do a lot for the children. They are more idealistic. This is true esp when they just join teaching. However, many times, they are thrown into the ocean and expected to keep up. NIE does not really train the teacher to teach well- how to tackle some of the challenging math qns, how to ans sci using key words, how to teach compo, compre etc. So when faced with these challenges and also with having to discipline and reign in 40 kids, the teachers feel bewildered and tired and some of them either give up after a while and just teach from the textbook or worksheets or some of them leave.
I think the issue is also how the schools and HODs manage the teachers. In corporate companies, company culture and all that is very important. However, for schools, not much thought is given to build up culture in the teachers. The teachers are also not given much guidance. The principals are also rotated every 5 years so not many would give the school their all. It is not like a running a company where the director would give their all as it is a make it break it situation. For principals, if they do not make it, they can still make it in another school.
In the US, schools have more autonomy so the teachers decide which school they want to join, in that sense good schools will attract good teachers and students. I am not saying that is the right way but that makes the principals take more ownership.
3) Having students do well is not a criteria for teachers to do well
The third issue I feel is in order for teachers to move up the ranks, their hods would look at how well they perform at 'external' events or activities like CCAs or maybe they did a research paper or represented the school at a zonal level and brought 'fame' to the school. Their teaching in class could be average but that does not matter if they can represent the school well at a zone level. Hence, teachers who want to climb up focus on that, they do not focus on honing their teaching skills. Teachers who are not as driven do not bother about such zonal activities but they are also bo chap about their classes. So very few teachers would bother to go the extra mile to really teach well. That is why children are being taught 20% and not 80%. (that is one of the main reasons)
Anyway, I think there is no short term solution. In order for schools to be changed, it must come for the minister and he is often advised by scholars who have not been on the ground to really know the root of the problem. But hopefully with more petitions like these highlighting the issues, they will do something about it.
However, the issue is whether the powers that be, recognize that there is a need for change. The tack that our Education Minister takes is that the system needs refining to bring our students to the next level. He is saying that fundamentally there is nothing wrong with the system and all it needs is a few tweaks here and there, ie. teaching methods, while we are saying that it needs a major overhaul.
As for not enough teachers, it is a common problem in the corporate world as well to attract talent. The key is better renumeration for top performers. Relevant performance metrics that is tied to students performance must be in place to evaluate the teacher's performance. One need not be HOD to get better pay, as there is only one HOD.
KPIs drives behaviour. If the KPIs do not reflect the school's core objectives, (which is to educate, and not popularity), then teacher's behaviour will be skewed.
Anyway, these are all execution issues, the bottom line is to first acknowledge that there is a major problem.
If education continues on the way it is, in the next generation, I will have to buy assessment books and seek online help for maths/science problems at the Kindergarten level. Language preparation will have to start in the womb, at the 2nd trimester period. This forum will have sections for \"Preparation for K1\" and \"Womb education\"
Strong leadership in school will make the difference. -
Chenonceau:
Cannot be no solution lah... Allow the belly to move to the right for a few years before adjusting the belly back with questions of increased difficulty. Don't do bell curve grading so scrupulously from year to year.Faun:
Chenonceau,
I'm not into sociology but I think this Bell Curve thing has no solution because it is a demand and supply problem.
It is quite a simple solution but hard to explain unless you know stats leh... The solution is in the bell curve itself and how it is used to level standards upwards. Its use can be nuanced and phased. The bell curve is a tool, not an incontrovertible reality. I dunno how to explain to you here in a few short words. But it is not a NO-SOLUTION problem.
If belly moves to the right, how do the top schools decide who is more deserving for admission? Unless, they don't just look at grades but also other things like CCA or take aptitude tests. -
Faun:
Cannot be no solution lah... Allow the belly to move to the right for a few years before adjusting the belly back with questions of increased difficulty. Don't do bell curve grading so scrupulously from year to year.Chenonceau:
[quote=\"Faun\"]Chenonceau,
I'm not into sociology but I think this Bell Curve thing has no solution because it is a demand and supply problem.
It is quite a simple solution but hard to explain unless you know stats leh... The solution is in the bell curve itself and how it is used to level standards upwards. Its use can be nuanced and phased. The bell curve is a tool, not an incontrovertible reality. I dunno how to explain to you here in a few short words. But it is not a NO-SOLUTION problem.
If belly moves to the right, how do the top schools decide who is more deserving for admission? Unless, they don't just look at grades but also other things like CCA or take aptitude tests.[/quote]The 3 recommendations in the petition go together. Are you sure you want me to explain? Maybe you read the petition again? If you're still puzzled I can try and explain?
When you change ONE system mechanism, you must change another... If not, it's like taking one small cube block out of the pyramid of blocks, and replacing with a different sized one. The whole pyramid will fall. Cannot just change bell curve without changes to related mechanisms - in this case, you have been astute enough to see that the first related mechanism is school placement. That's really great!
Let me know if you want me to explain yeah? I'll be happy to, provided you have time (and I have time). Hee! -
Ummm... can I ask all those who already voted in the poll here to go to the petition and vote again? Sorry for the trouble!!
http://www.petitiononline.com/SgEd2011/petition.html
By the way, Faun, thanks for egging me on to do a proper petition. I learnt a lot by getting outta my comfort zone, and I dun feel so daunted by this petition thingy anymore. -
Chenonceau, wonder if you can request Chief to do a visible banner on the homepage with the petition link for people to sign the petition easily otherwise you have to manually bump the link up every now and then?
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ksi:
Chenonceau, wonder if you can request Chief to do a visible banner on the homepage with the petition link for people to sign the petition easily otherwise you have to manually bump the link up every now and then?
I have a stupid question. What is a Visible Banner on the Homepage, please?
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