Petition to Review the Singapore Education System

[looking4Tutor]

We have a newly appointed Minister of Education, Mr Heng. Congratulation to you, sir. Understand that you had had some dealing with education issues in your career. Hence, the education policy of today is somehow understood by you and to some extend influenced and endorsed (agreed upon) by you. So will it be a ‘All is fine with the present policy no change deems necessary’ statement issue from your office.


Ms Sim Ann, congratulation for your posting. Please drop a note in this thread so that I can have the assurance that you will listen with your heart. As for tackling bilingualism in our educational system, hey listen to me be creative to think of new approach don’t commit the same mistake of lowering the mean score. Your colleagues will be laughing when the kiasu parents, who have spent ten of thousand dollars in A* Higher Chinese enrichment class since their children began babbling, and their children have spent thousand of hours to master it, come after you.

Last but not least, congratulation to you, Mr. Lawrence Wong. You stated that education is the best solution to close the income gap. (Well, I’m not so sure about that.) But your suggested solution, which is education, is one of the playground for the rich and an additional burden for the poor in SG context. How? To sovle the income gap first or to solve the education issues first?

Eagerly wait for detailed solution. :xedfingers:

[janet88]

looking4Tutor:

We have a newly appointed Minister of Education, Mr Heng. Congratulation to you, sir. Understand that you had had some dealing with education issues in your career. Hence, the education policy of today is somehow understood by you and to some extend influenced and endorsed (agreed upon) by you. So will it be a ‘All is fine with the present policy no change deems necessary’ statement issue from your office.


Last but not least, congratulation to you, Mr. Lawrence Wong. You stated that education is the best solution to close the income gap. (Well, I’m not so sure about that.) But your suggested solution, which is education, is one of the playground for the rich and an additional burden for the poor in SG context. How? To sovle the income gap first or to solve the education issues first?

Eagerly wait for detailed solution. :xedfingers:

Firstly, I must congratulate you Mr Heng on your newly appointed post as Education Minister. I hope you have children in primary school, so that you can better understand the pressures our children are facing in school today. There is no longer this word 'childhood' once our children start primary school. It's no longer smooth-sailing from P1 to P6.
Although you have just been appointed, it was mentioned that you have education issues in your career. I sincerely hope you will look into the education system soon, especially upper primary.

Mr Wong, I hope you can understand that not all families are well-off, or have dual-income, and also not all children are GEP material. Hence, there is a need to look into the issue of whether we need to have such a tough education system in Singapore.

To the newly-elected cabinet, I believe you have heard us, the citizens of Singapore. Please work on the pressing issues as soon as possible. Thank you.

[corneyAmber]

Funz:

I think, I on the other hand may become more Kiasu. Today more schools are turning IP. IP traditionally mean richer curriculum for more capable kids. So more IP to cater to more capable kids. So if time comes for my DD to take her PSLE and she cannot make it into an IP school, does that mean she is lagging?

Btw, recently I heard an interesting case of a child who did well in PSLE 27x t-score, went into IP school but failed 'A' level. In the end the highest qualification attained at 18YO was PSLE certificate.....what happen to such kids?

[janet88]

ksi:

Funz:

IP traditionally mean richer curriculum for more capable kids. So more IP to cater to more capable kids. So if time comes for my DD to take her PSLE and she cannot make it into an IP school, does that mean she is lagging?

Btw, recently I heard an interesting case of a child who did well in PSLE 27x t-score, went into IP school but failed 'A' level. In the end the highest qualification attained at 18YO was PSLE certificate.....what happen to such kids?

Personally, I feel that IP is not for every child. When a child does extremely well in PSLE, he/she deserves a pat on the back for a job well done. Selecting of secondary school after that is crucial.
I heard of a case where this gifted child did very well for PSLE, went on to RI under IP program. Now feeling extremely stressed...just Sec 1.

[corneyAmber]

janet_lee88:

ksi:

[quote=\"Funz\"]IP traditionally mean richer curriculum for more capable kids. So more IP to cater to more capable kids. So if time comes for my DD to take her PSLE and she cannot make it into an IP school, does that mean she is lagging?

Btw, recently I heard an interesting case of a child who did well in PSLE 27x t-score, went into IP school but failed 'A' level. In the end the highest qualification attained at 18YO was PSLE certificate.....what happen to such kids?

Personally, I feel that IP is not for every child. When a child does extremely well in PSLE, he/she deserves a pat on the back for a job well done. Selecting of secondary school after that is crucial.
I heard of a case where this gifted child did very well for PSLE, went on to RI under IP program. Now feeling extremely stressed...just Sec 1.[/quote]How would parents know if IP suits a child or not? That is a million dollar question every parent would ask especially if the child is gifted and did very well in PSLE. OUR SYSTEM exactly admits such children, gifted and high PSLE score into IP schools! Is stress test a pre-requisite?

[pixiedust]

I am struggling to keep up with the discussions. Besides understanding the original petition, signing it and helping to publise it, we’ll need to wait and see, is that right ?

[BeContented]

ksi:

janet_lee88:

[quote=\"ksi\"]
Btw, recently I heard an interesting case of a child who did well in PSLE 27x t-score, went into IP school but failed 'A' level. In the end the highest qualification attained at 18YO was PSLE certificate.....what happen to such kids?

Personally, I feel that IP is not for every child. When a child does extremely well in PSLE, he/she deserves a pat on the back for a job well done. Selecting of secondary school after that is crucial.
I heard of a case where this gifted child did very well for PSLE, went on to RI under IP program. Now feeling extremely stressed...just Sec 1.

How would parents know if IP suits a child or not? That is a million dollar question every parent would ask especially if the child is gifted and did very well in PSLE. OUR SYSTEM exactly admits such children, gifted and high PSLE score into IP schools! Is stress test a pre-requisite? [/quote]I too just heard of 1 case.....child in IP first year. Hasn't been doing well in one particular subject (English??) and kena warning a few times. Seems like the principal now warning the child if fail 1 more time, out he goes. Scary isn't it??

[sall]

For students in IP sch, dd’s sch, at the end of Y4, they are issued a certificate which is equivalent or better than O level cert. This is what the principal said.

For students who can’t do well in such important subject like English, then it is better and wiser to let them transfer to another non-IP sch. I don’t think it’s cruel or heartless for the sch to do so, it is for the sake of the student’s future.

[meinteel]

Parents should first consider how your child managed to get the high score for PSLE. Is he capable of handling much more work load on his own? If not, take the normal route. The number of years taken till A levels would still be the same, the only difference is that he will be provided with the additional O level certificate.


One should be mindful that an IP student who fails his A levels only has PSLE qualifications. That itself would not even be sufficient for him to become a management TRAINEE in a fastfood outlet.

Do weigh the pro and cons of any programs carefully before throwing your kid in it.

[janet88]

pixiedust:

I am struggling to keep up with the discussions. Besides understanding the original petition, signing it and helping to publise it, we'll need to wait and see, is that right ?

I HOPE the newly appointed Education Minister Mr Heng, logins to KSP forum and view the frustrations & stress we parents at upper primary are facing. Since PM mentioned he is 'hearing the voices' of citizens from GE, then put a minister who can do something constructive asap. Mr Heng mentioned that he has a keen interest in education.