Petition to Review the Singapore Education System
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I've come across teachers who ask their students whether they have tuition or not. More often, they don't teach much, giving the excuse that their students already know. However, there are students who do not have tuition (like mine) and these suffer to some degree because their peers already know the stuff and hence their teacher don't teach them.
I do not send my kids for tuition because i believe the school teachers should be teaching. During my \"era\" more than 20 years ago, only weaker students go for tuition. Going for tuition was not something to boast about. I believe that should still be the case today, but alas it is not so. :slapshead:
I think it is necessary for teachers to teach, whether the students have tuition or not. This is a vicious cycle. I resist sending my kids for tuition, but if the school teachers are not going to teach properly, i'll have to send them for tuition or teach them myself. \"Hello teacher, can you share your pay with me?\" :evil:
So what are our school teachers doing? :? If they teach properly, I don't have to send my kids for tuition. -
Chenonceau:
Agree. Let's be realistic and rational. Education policy takes time to implement and it is very difficult to balance between social and academic objectives. We want to develop the kids to achieve academic excellence, but at the same time, we need to ensure that the slower kids are not left out of the race - that is very tough to achieve because the kids come from different backgrounds and have different levels of intelligience.
Many of the issues need time, I am happy enough that MOE is aware that there are these concerns. We need to give MOE time to digest and apply its considerable organisational knowledge/skills to our feedback.
......
All this takes time and by then, your DD and my DS will not be around to experience the system. We can only see in 5 years time how the system evolves or is poised to evolve, because 2016 will be another election year.
Just thinking aloud, perhaps MOE can consider abolishing Phase 2A & 2B in P1 registration. I believe this will ensure a more equitable distribution of kids among the primary schools. On top of that, schools should not be allowed to teach and test beyond the stipulated syllabus in for each level in primary schools. This is to give time for all kids to level up and start from the same starting point. At the same time, it sends a message to parents that the kids do not need to attend extra classes outside school because they will be very bored in class if they do so. -
Fairy:
I think it depends on the school. DS1's school doesn't expect the boys to write a journal. They don't have homework either (he's in P1). They have show and tell but I don't know when these are. So I didn't prepare my son for it (and I'm a SAHM). He seems to be doing OK in school. I hear it will be a lot more stressful from P3. So I'm using this extra free time he has now to let him do other stuff like music, sports etc. rather than to go for tuition. We can slowly ramp up on the academic stuff later.partime-mum:
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.
A friend of mine has been writing the scripts for 'show-&-tell' for her son since last year when he joined MSH at P1! I understand many parents there did that for their child as the marks awarded count towards the overall results for the year.
I guess I don't really have many views to share coz my boy is only in P1. But I appreciate everyone's comments, and Chenonceau's efforts to focus MOE's attention on this issue.
These reviews will take time because the issues are complex and the stakeholders are many. I think MOE is earnest and serious in trying to develop the potential in our children. Compare the system now with what I had while growing up. There are so many more pathways to take into account the individual needs of a child. But, of course, it is work in progress and we should always be looking at how to improve the system. As long as we have something positive, constructive to add, we should give our feedback to MOE so that they can continually refine the system based on ground feedback. Maybe our children won't benefit from it, but our grandchildren will! (I'm forever optimistic). -
zeemimi:
My cousin's daughter who studies in a highly competitive primary school faced the same problem. most of her classmates had tuition so the teacher didn't teach! My cousin's daughter kept begging her mum for tuition. My cousin stood her ground, spoke to the teacher, and her daughter ended up having one-on-one \"tuition\" from her teacher.I've come across teachers who ask their students whether they have tuition or not. More often, they don't teach much, giving the excuse that their students already know. However, there are students who do not have tuition (like mine) and these suffer to some degree because their peers already know the stuff and hence their teacher don't teach them.
I do not send my kids for tuition because i believe the school teachers should be teaching. During my \"era\" more than 20 years ago, only weaker students go for tuition. Going for tuition was not something to boast about. I believe that should still be the case today, but alas it is not so. :slapshead:
I think it is necessary for teachers to teach, whether the students have tuition or not. This is a vicious cycle. I resist sending my kids for tuition, but if the school teachers are not going to teach properly, i'll have to send them for tuition or teach them myself. \"Hello teacher, can you share your pay with me?\" :evil:
So what are our school teachers doing? :? If they teach properly, I don't have to send my kids for tuition.
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Reduce class size down progressively to 32 pupils, maybe can be achievable over a 5-year period. But to reduce to s 20-25/class, what about school fees?
At every exam, several difficult questions must be incoporated to seperate the A* from A. Higher degree of difficulties are bound to invite parents’ complaints. Does the exam board has a choice?
This petition has to be carefully studied and the staff at MOE will have to assess the feasibilities of implementation taking full account the interests of all stakeholders.
This matter needs a long time to address. -
Peony:
Peony, coming from my Inspiration, this is praise indeed!Hi Chenonceau,
Your quest is very admirable. I personally get emotional over this topic and do not have the strength to debate.
Just wanted to say that.
You're not the only emotional one. I am too. It doesn't seem like it because I force myself to be logical and clear thinking so that we can properly engage MOE. After all, MOE is made up of people too, and people should not get abused.
But inside, I am angry and upset that my son has to suffer so much. I am angry and upset that some of my son's cousins will never amount to much in the system because they are poor and their parents are not able to teach them, nor buy tuition.... and there is only so much I can do to help them. This is a matter that elicits an visceral response because it affects our children. Oh yes... I am emotional too, even if it does not seem like it.
I've read your other posts and sense that you are more of an independent thinker than most of us (including me). Your perspective would be valuable, so, when you find the time and can put a lid on the roiling emotions, it would be good to have your perspective here too. -
Chenonceau:
It is good to see robust debate in this thread. I encourage more participation. Agree or disagree... pro or con... please write your thoughts.
We should invite Wee Shu Min to the debate :nailbite: :scared: -
MummyThreeStreams:
I think your views are valuable because they give us visibility into the experience at P1. That's part of the system too, and linked to the PSLE. Thank you for sharing.I think it depends on the school. DS1's school doesn't expect the boys to write a journal. They don't have homework either (he's in P1). They have show and tell but I don't know when these are. So I didn't prepare my son for it (and I'm a SAHM). He seems to be doing OK in school. I hear it will be a lot more stressful from P3. So I'm using this extra free time he has now to let him do other stuff like music, sports etc. rather than to go for tuition. We can slowly ramp up on the academic stuff later.
I guess I don't really have many views to share coz my boy is only in P1. But I appreciate everyone's comments, and Chenonceau's efforts to focus MOE's attention on this issue.
These reviews will take time because the issues are complex and the stakeholders are many. I think MOE is earnest and serious in trying to develop the potential in our children. Compare the system now with what I had while growing up. There are so many more pathways to take into account the individual needs of a child. But, of course, it is work in progress and we should always be looking at how to improve the system. As long as we have something positive, constructive to add, we should give our feedback to MOE so that they can continually refine the system based on ground feedback. Maybe our children won't benefit from it, but our grandchildren will! (I'm forever optimistic).
And your optimism encourages people (e.g., me
), gives hope. All this is valuable contribution.
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Edureach:
I think more than the petition has to be studied. The petition is a very humble document by one brain... We need to put the petition in perspective. In the bigger scheme of things, the petition is a matchstick that lit a discussion, and when it's job is done, it'll be nothing at all.Reduce class size down progressively to 32 pupils, maybe can be achievable over a 5-year period. But to reduce to s 20-25/class, what about school fees?
At every exam, several difficult questions must be incoporated to seperate the A* from A. Higher degree of difficulties are bound to invite parents' complaints. Does the exam board has a choice?
This petition has to be carefully studied and the staff at MOE will have to assess the feasibilities of implementation taking full account the interests of all stakeholders.
This matter needs a long time to address.
It is the discussion that matters, not the petition.
Various threads in KSP can yield data that will help chart the future towards a system that the average Singaporean can succeed in ... and not just the rich and the smart. -
Chenonceau:
What I do, is for my daughter's good only.
Peony, coming from my Inspiration, this is praise indeed!Peony:
Hi Chenonceau,
Your quest is very admirable. I personally get emotional over this topic and do not have the strength to debate.
Just wanted to say that.
You're not the only emotional one. I am too. It doesn't seem like it because I force myself to be logical and clear thinking so that we can properly engage MOE. After all, MOE is made up of people too, and people should not get abused.
But inside, I am angry and upset that my son has to suffer so much. I am angry and upset that some of my son's cousins will never amount to much in the system because they are poor and their parents are not able to teach them, nor buy tuition.... and there is only so much I can do to help them. This is a matter that elicits an visceral response because it affects our children. Oh yes... I am emotional too, even if it does not seem like it.
I've read your other posts and sense that you are more of an independent thinker than most of us (including me). Your perspective would be valuable, so, when you find the time and can put a lid on the roiling emotions, it would be good to have your perspective here too.
What you do is for ALL.
So YOU are the inspiring one.
Have tried a few times to translate my thoughts into action and pen them here... but do not have the discipline over the tide of emotion. WELL DONE for being able to think clearly and objectively.
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