Petition to Review the Singapore Education System

[Chenonceau]

coast:

It is not the first time I have read that these issues have been raised to MOE before but did they manage to address the issues? I have also mentioned in my earlier post that MOE is already aware of certain issues when our ex Education Minister Dr Ng took over (refer link below) but it seems that the issues are getting worse (instead of better) over the last 3 years from what Monica mentioned \"What is the point of this? The age gap between my two children is only three years and yet I can see that what my younger child has to learn at his age is markedly more difficult than what his sister had to know. \"

I think this... MOE is run by bureaucrats. The Minister comes, hears from parents, and then hears from scholar bureaucrats with entrenched ideas of what education should be... who believe
(1) in the sanctity of the bell curve and
(2) the greatness of competition,
(3) that an exam is not discriminating enough when even 2 students score 100
and who argue convincingly that THIS should be the direction of education in Singapore. The thing is, every theory has its limitations, and every principle of has a downside. Bell curving is good. Competition is good. Discriminating exams is good. But too much of anything is no good.

Guess who the Minister listens to? Parents without a united voice or an educational expert who has worked for 25 years in the MOE? Teachers who are on the ground OR an educational expert who has worked 25 years in the MOE?

Here is the petition for those who wanna sign and haven't - http://www.petitiononline.com/mod_perl/signed.cgi?SgEd2011&1

Here is the Facebook page for people wanna spread the word but haven't - http://www.facebook.com/pages/Review-Singapore-Education-2011/131186106955434?sk=info

I think only... not sure.

[janet88]

Chenonceau:

coast:

I have also mentioned in my earlier post that MOE is already aware of certain issues when our ex Education Minister Dr Ng took over (refer link below) but it seems that the issues are getting worse (instead of better) over the last 3 years from what Monica mentioned \"What is the point of this? The age gap between my two children is only three years and yet I can see that what my younger child has to learn at his age is markedly more difficult than what his sister had to know.\"

Guess who the Minister listens to? Parents without a united voice or an educational expert who has worked for 25 years in the MOE? Teachers who are on the ground OR an educational expert who has worked 25 years in the MOE?

The gap between my 2 kids is 4 years. My son at P5 now learnt heuristics and models at P3...but stuff like counting no of chicken and dog legs is now taught at P1. Not only that, Synthesis & Transformation also taught at P1. What's next ?
Certain issues have existed even before Ng Eng Hen took over. He hasn't done anything during his term as Education Minister to improve. Now it's even worse !! I really wonder if the education system will improve with the new minister now...or will these problems continue to be swept under the carpet.

[Funz]

I guess to be fair, not all schools are teaching synthesis n transformation at P1. Heuristics too. Dd at P1 was introduced to models only at the end of the year.

[Chenonceau]

Funz:

I guess to be fair, not all schools are teaching synthesis n transformation at P1. Heuristics too. Dd at P1 was introduced to models only at the end of the year.

It's still the same PSLE. Stress in P1 or stress in P ???... it's still the same stress. In view of the escalating demands at the PSLE, some schools try to start earlier. Can't blame them.

It's so funny... a whole nation of kids have to perform at higher and higher levels because testing methodology says that exams should be discriminating. Our children suffer to support a theoretical principle of testing methodology.

Maybe a bit less theory and a bit more common sense...

[coast]

verykiasu2010:

coast:

Hi Chenonceau,

Good point about teaching resource. What I was thinking ... teachers \"absorbing\" the methods and teaching to the kids with own worksheets, ... etc. So that's why I think they are not using the materials not because of $$$ but other issues such as teachers overloaded ... too difficult/ time consuming to teach kids under current policy (teach less learn more) ... but this could perhaps be done by getting some subject specialists to do this for ALL schools (i.e., part of the official curriculum).

haha, you are almost there

that is why some schools have for each subject each level a level dean, subject/level driver, master teacher etc

it makes some of them high-achieving in terms of a larger proportion of the cohort doing better than their peers, and the school becomes popular etc etc

hi verykiasu2010,

I am aware of this. But I think most of the kids from these popular schools still have enrichments/tutor, so is it getting too complex for MOE to understand the real issues?

On one hand we are saying teachers not teaching adequately, no good resources/ materials ... etc. On the other hand, there are popular schools with good worksheets/ materials. Perhaps to make it more confusing, I just heard from one parent of a popular school, after P2 \"streaming\", the good P3 classes would cover different syllabus (note: materials!) than the rest of their cohort.

On top of it all, some schools are starting supplementary classes (for the whole cohort, not just the weak ones) too early (P3? P4?), too many especially for P6 (even weekends).

So, could MOE understand the real issues that we are discussing here?

[coast]

Chenonceau:

Funz:

I guess to be fair, not all schools are teaching synthesis n transformation at P1. Heuristics too. Dd at P1 was introduced to models only at the end of the year.

It's still the same PSLE. Stress in P1 or stress in P ???... it's still the same stress. In view of the escalating demands at the PSLE, some schools try to start earlier. Can't blame them.

...

Hi Chenonceau, I know what you mean .. PSLE being the ultimate goal.

But we are talking about 6 to 8 year old kids here (lower pri). Remember alot of them came from neighbourhood kindergartens where their foundation might not be as good as those who attended good preschools, even enrichments? For these kids, it is a BIG transition from K2 to P1 (even not counting complex topics, the P1 syllabus is not easy for many kids).

My ds is P1, he is doing very well in his class and keeps saying easy (sometimes he will say it is boring). He is probably the only 1 or 2 in his class who do not need parent-teacher meeting for all the 3 core subjects, the rest will get either phone calls or have to go to school to meet the teacher(s). I am aware that there would be a big jump in standard later down the road (some say P2 to P3, some say P3 to P4). But he is enjoying his childhood (he is still 6 years old) .. enjoys going to schools and after school, he spent at least 2 hours daily playing different sports 5 to 6 times a week, on top of that ... he plays computer games, toys, reads books that he likes, watches TV, ... etc.

I know of other P1 kids who is studying in another popular school. The weaker kids have to go for supplementary classes (in P1!) and they have many many tests throughout the 2 terms. So if my ds studies there, yes, he would still ace the tests ... but at what price for a 6 year old kid?

As to the stress in P ???... he has keen interest to do challenging questions and higher level stuffs on his own ... so perhaps with the gradual pace that is given to him now, he would manage when the time comes?

[coast]

Chenonceau:

coast:

It is not the first time I have read that these issues have been raised to MOE before but did they manage to address the issues? I have also mentioned in my earlier post that MOE is already aware of certain issues when our ex Education Minister Dr Ng took over (refer link below) but it seems that the issues are getting worse (instead of better) over the last 3 years from what Monica mentioned \"What is the point of this? The age gap between my two children is only three years and yet I can see that what my younger child has to learn at his age is markedly more difficult than what his sister had to know. \"

I think this... MOE is run by bureaucrats. The Minister comes, hears from parents, and then hears from scholar bureaucrats with entrenched ideas of what education should be... who believe
(1) in the sanctity of the bell curve and
(2) the greatness of competition,
(3) that an exam is not discriminating enough when even 2 students score 100
and who argue convincingly that THIS should be the direction of education in Singapore. The thing is, every theory has its limitations, and every principle of has a downside. Bell curving is good. Competition is good. Discriminating exams is good. But too much of anything is no good.

Guess who the Minister listens to? Parents without a united voice or an educational expert who has worked for 25 years in the MOE? Teachers who are on the ground OR an educational expert who has worked 25 years in the MOE?

Here is the petition for those who wanna sign and haven't - http://www.petitiononline.com/mod_perl/signed.cgi?SgEd2011&1

Here is the Facebook page for people wanna spread the word but haven't - http://www.facebook.com/pages/Review-Singapore-Education-2011/131186106955434?sk=info

I think only... not sure.

:goodpost:

I think you are right ... not sure too

But it's not just MOE ... it took just a short election period for PAP to realise suddenly what they have been hearing for the last 5 years did not reflect the voices of many many people. So now they know they have to transform ... know their usual feedback channels need to change ... and work extra hard in order to understand the real issues that people are facing. So ... there's hope that with the transformation, MOE will listen and do the right things.

[LOLMum]

coast:

I know of other P1 kids who is studying in another popular school. The weaker kids have to go for supplementary classes (in P1!) and they have many many tests throughout the 2 terms. So if my ds studies there, yes, he would still ace the tests ... but at what price for a 6 year old kid?

ds who is in p1, hardly has any homework except for the weekly english and chinese spellings.

just heard from ft that school has decided recently to do away with the p1 year end exam. :rahrah: . but ft says that more work will be done in the second half of the year but at a suitable pace.

i dont know much about other classes at other levels but seems like this school is really going easy on the students, pushing them to do well at a more relaxing pace.

[2ppaamm]

If I have a say, I’d say make PSLE just one of the very small criteria for sec school placement. Perhaps just 20% or so. The 80% should come from other criteria. Haven’t thought about what that should be yet.

[coast]

LOLMum:

coast:

I know of other P1 kids who is studying in another popular school. The weaker kids have to go for supplementary classes (in P1!) and they have many many tests throughout the 2 terms. So if my ds studies there, yes, he would still ace the tests ... but at what price for a 6 year old kid?

ds who is in p1, hardly has any homework except for the weekly english and chinese spellings.

just heard from ft that school has decided recently to do away with the p1 year end exam. :rahrah: . but ft says that more work will be done in the second half of the year but at a suitable pace.

i dont know much about other classes at other levels but seems like this school is really going easy on the students, pushing them to do well at a more relaxing pace.

Glad that your ds is enjoying his P1 too

I know of 1 parent who wanted to transfer her kid to the \"stressful\" school I mentioned. Guess some parents are worried about the eventual big jump in standard and would rather face the stress now. But did they realise it is a 6-year journey and their kids are just 6 or 7 years old now?