Petition to Review the Singapore Education System

[Way2GO]

Chenonceau,

just read ur petition n brief.
Whilst I support d sentiments u expressed, in particular dat children shd hv a childhood besides studies, I don’t get where u r going with chasing d bell curve.
For d purpose of PSLE results computation n sec school placement, d normal distribution curve seems like d most appropriate statistical model to use. D computed T scores do not matter across PSLE cohorts, but only distributes within each cohort , so why do u say it’s chasing d bell curve? Each cohort's bell curve is self limiting.
Maybe u can re-phrase dat to put ur idea across clearer?
:celebrate:

[Suz855]

\"I think it is necessary for teachers to teach, whether the students have tuition or not.\"


I totally agree.... it seem now it is a norm that most students have tuition & they go to school knowing most of the stuff & they are not shy to tell the teacher that they already know but what about the small minority that do not go for tuition (my gal is an example) & are keen & attend school to learn ............The teacher or at least, my gal teacher or puting it correctly in our case, a trainee teacher choose to listen to the mass and do minimum teaching or teaching at 'light speed' ... like covering (not even teaching) 3 Maths topics in 3 wks... she came home more confused than enlightened :frustrated: so what to do .... have to take up the teaching job ourselves ....

Well, I am crossing my fingers :xedfingers: that now we have a new Education Minister & with the petition, some change will be underway and she can still benefit in our world class education system.

[Busymom]

Chenonceau:

What about the current situation where a student from \"not premium\" school has a Perfect Score but is pipped for a scholarship by a student from a \"premium\" school with a less than perfect score? I have seen it happen.


Not a few non-premium schools produce perfect scores too. How come they are not best compared to the perfect scores from premium schools? The scholar selection process has some degree of subjectivity, and when you come from a premium school and take part in the opportunities provided by the premium school, it plays in your favour.

Chenonceau, could it be that the student from the \"premium\" school did better during the interviews or had better CCA/leadership record? I remember reading one of your posts regarding your god-daughter. If not mistaken, you said she did not do as well as she had hoped for her exams, but managed to win a scholarship due to her performance at the interviews. Sorry to bring this up, but that does show academic results is not the only factor considered by the selection panel.

In some cases, family background would also determine which 2 candidates get the scholarship. All things equal, the less well-off one is more likely to get scholarship.

[sall]

ksi:

Just wondering if they are doing this with normal efforts or sacrificing a lot to achieve this? I know many kids are able to pull out stellar results but at what price? If the price is nothing, then I would say there is no issue at all, case closed.

Students put in a lot of time and effort, but they learned a lot during this process, and as long as they enjoy it, it is worth the sacrifice. IP schools also prepare them for the working world.

[Busymom]

MummyThreeStreams:

zeemimi:

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.

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.

In my DD's case, I have seen her teachers calling out to parents not to get their children to complete worksheets that were given out but not yet taught in school. I presume there are some parents who do that... so who is stressing who up? :lol:

[Busymom]

sall:

ksi:

Just wondering if they are doing this with normal efforts or sacrificing a lot to achieve this? I know many kids are able to pull out stellar results but at what price? If the price is nothing, then I would say there is no issue at all, case closed.

Students put in a lot of time and effort, but they learned a lot during this process, and as long as they enjoy it, it is worth the sacrifice. IP schools also prepare them for the working world.

At the secondary school level, I would expect more of them to be matured and independent enough to put in the amount of efforts that they want to and are able to. I think we are nowhere near China, Japan or South Korea's level in terms of pressure to do well. Recently spoke to some of my colleagues who are French, their 2-year prep school is a lot worse too.

[meinteel]

Suz855:

\"I think it is necessary for teachers to teach, whether the students have tuition or not.\"


I totally agree.... it seem now it is a norm that most students have tuition & they go to school knowing most of the stuff & they are not shy to tell the teacher that they already know but what about the small minority that do not go for tuition (my gal is an example) & are keen & attend school to learn ............The teacher or at least, my gal teacher or puting it correctly in our case, a trainee teacher choose to listen to the mass and do minimum teaching or teaching at 'light speed' ... like covering (not even teaching) 3 Maths topics in 3 wks... she came home more confused than enlightened :frustrated: so what to do .... have to take up the teaching job ourselves ....

Well, I am crossing my fingers :xedfingers: that now we have a new Education Minister & with the petition, some change will be underway and she can still benefit in our world class education system.

Hihi! I suggest that your gal or yourself bring it up with the teacher. It is the teacher's responsibility to everything within the syllabus. However, we tend to skip or just summarise the the topics when the class claim that they have learnt and understand the topic. The reasoning is that we don't want to bore the students and allow them to lose interest.

However, should a few or even one student bring it up then we will still teach the topic as planned. Usually before doing so, we would have asked the class repeatedly.

[Busymom]

MummyThreeStreams:

Fairy:

[quote=\"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 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.
[/quote]I agree with MummyThreeStreams on the point that it depends on the school. I don't think my DD's school was expecting the P1 students to be able to write journal in the first week or even the first semester. I think they focus a lot on penmanship instead. For math, they were taught to spell one to ten in the first term, something which my DD proudly declared to me she already learnt in K2 in a play-based preschool. So, no... it is not necessary to teach our 2-yo P1 math.

What I thought might be an issue is that P1 and P2 is too slow or relaxed now, and when the kids get to P3, it is a big jump that many then can't cope. Can't they even out the pace throughout the first 3 years instead of cramping everthing into 1 year?

And yes, MCYS or MOE should make it compulsory for all childrent to attend school from age 4-6.

[sall]

Busymom:

sall:

[quote=\"ksi\"]

Just wondering if they are doing this with normal efforts or sacrificing a lot to achieve this? I know many kids are able to pull out stellar results but at what price? If the price is nothing, then I would say there is no issue at all, case closed.

Students put in a lot of time and effort, but they learned a lot during this process, and as long as they enjoy it, it is worth the sacrifice. IP schools also prepare them for the working world.

At the secondary school level, I would expect more of them to be matured and independent enough to put in the amount of efforts that they want to and are able to. I think we are nowhere near China, Japan or South Korea's level in terms of pressure to do well. Recently spoke to some of my colleagues who are French, their 2-year prep school is a lot worse too.[/quote]So why is everybody complaining? Look at other countries. The kids are even more stressed than ours. Look at other poorer countries. Those kids study in a shed with some broken wooden tables and chairs, no computer ,just a broken blackboard, that's all. Our kids are so fortunate, they have a well-equipped sch with good facilities, some even have air-con classrooms. Some schools even have an impressive gym and swimming pool, and the list goes on. So, why are parents complaining when they are the ones pushing the children to learn this and that?
Of course, they have a price to pay, that is, there is more stress on them. We cannot compare our childhood to theirs, the world is changing very fast, we just can't slow down, just appreciate what we have and do the best. Give them emotional support, encouragement , help them with their work, don't pile more enrichment activities on them if they don't enjoy it, eg, music lessons, ballet,...
No sch system is perfect, no education system in this world is perfect. Even in the best sch, we may encounter some bad teachers, and in the worst sch, there are also very good teachers.
Don't demand so much, life is more pleasant that way.

[Busymom]

sall:

Busymom:

[quote=\"sall\"]Students put in a lot of time and effort, but they learned a lot during this process, and as long as they enjoy it, it is worth the sacrifice. IP schools also prepare them for the working world.

At the secondary school level, I would expect more of them to be matured and independent enough to put in the amount of efforts that they want to and are able to. I think we are nowhere near China, Japan or South Korea's level in terms of pressure to do well. Recently spoke to some of my colleagues who are French, their 2-year prep school is a lot worse too.

So why is everybody complaining? Look at other countries. The kids are even more stressed than ours. Look at other poorer countries. Those kids study in a shed with some broken wooden tables and chairs, no computer ,just a broken blackboard, that's all. Our kids are so fortunate, they have a well-equipped sch with good facilities, some even have air-con classrooms. Some schools even have an impressive gym and swimming pool, and the list goes on. So, why are parents complaining when they are the ones pushing the children to learn this and that?
Of course, they have a price to pay, that is, there is more stress on them. We cannot compare our childhood to theirs, the world is changing very fast, we just can't slow down, just appreciate what we have and do the best. Give them emotional support, encouragement , help them with their work, don't pile more enrichment activities on them if they don't enjoy it, eg, music lessons, ballet,...
No sch system is perfect, no education system in this world is perfect. Even in the best sch, we may encounter some bad teachers, and in the worst sch, there are also very good teachers.
Don't demand so much, life is more pleasant that way.[/quote]Hmm... I think the point is about primary school and PSLE being too stressful and maybe it is too early to classify kids this early in life? Those examples that I stated are more for university entrance.