Petition to Review the Singapore Education System

[Chenonceau]

ksi… that is GREAT news!!

[janet88]

ksi:

Chenonceau:

[quote=\"sall\"]I wonder if this new Education Minister is really going to listen to the voices of teachers, parents and students. Every time there is a new minister, there are changes, and the workload of tr and students will go up. I'm keen to see how this new one is going to keep his words.

Yeah... me too. Wait and see.

An update: The 16 year old gal has been asked to join in some discussion panel by Mr Heng. He was impressed with her letter.[/quote]Wow...I'm impressed that a 16 year old's student has caught attention of Education Minister.
Read the ST that he attended a meeting at Gongshang Primary recently and replied parents' concerns regarding P1 registration. I really hope he can address concerns of parents who have kids in primary school regarding the textbook content. It's really too brief and doesn't quite help students pass exams...for eg English and Science.

[pixiedust]

I read bit & pieces of news here and there. Is there a consolidated status page - does Mr. Heng has a FB page related to this ? Who else is in the discussion panel ?

[1amber]

I wonder if anyone has the connection to invite him (Heng SK) to view this forum. After all, it is a forum for all concerned parents.

[Chenonceau]

1amber:

I wonder if anyone has the connection to invite him (Heng SK) to view this forum. After all, it is a forum for all concerned parents.

Hi All... I wasn't sure whether to post this but I think I should so that the many anxious parents can feel a bit better.

I am one of those who still has faith in our government. If the government is aware of the problem, it will do its best to fix it. AND it has the brains to fix it. The scary thing is that many a times, the government doesn't KNOW that common people have a problem because so many high level bureaucrats and MPs are sheltered from the issues that plague the commonfolk. But in this case, there seems to be a sincere attempt to understand these issues.

Indeed, over my one-to-one lunch with MOE, I was told that there is a keen awareness (dating from even BEFORE our petition) that something needs to be done. Even before the elections, MOE itself knew it has problems. At present, there is some sort of panel in the pipeline (I am still unclear what exactly) to which I have been asked to contribute my thinking and my skills (also exactly what, I dunno).

Some of the best brains in the country are in government. When our government tries its best, it usually succeeds. The question is whether they are aware that there are issues in the first place. At present, it seems that they ARE aware. And so I am quite confident they can fix it. I myself can see some solutions, and I am nowhere near as clever as many in government. Hence, I am reasonably confident that those in charge WILL find the some solutions.

Nota bene: Some others may have different political convictions but this thread should not degenerate into sarcastic mudslinging at the PAP.

Now, the issue for me originally, was whether the MOE admits and is aware that some things are over-geared. In my discussion with MOE, 2 things were clear
(1) there is a keen awareness of the issues raised
(2) there is a new awareness that non-MOE people CAN contribute fresh insights because we are users of the system.

I am pleased to note that Minister Heng is already talking about emphasizing socio-emotional competencies... and that going forwards, our education will be as much about heart development as about brain. This is an issue I posted about in my response to MOE's first email to me. Find posts here - http://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/forum/viewtopic.php?p=427156#p427156.... and here... http://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/forum/viewtopic.php?p=426288#p426288

I dunno if this new direction is because MOE read my posts or if this was already something they had planned. What I do know is that I agree with the effort in this direction, and applaud it. And when I read about the new emphasis on socio-emotional competencies, I feel heard. To me, this issue is important because it will define the world I will live in when I am old. We should not have an educational system that is so competitive that our kids all grow up to want to win that academic accolade. When you wanna win so much... something else in life gives way. Is it possible to compete KINDLY and GENEROUSLY? And reading that there is a new emphasis on socio-emotional competencies is encouraging and comforting. Our kids must grow up in a system that develops the fruits of the spirit as much as it currently develops the fruits of the mind.

I think we just need to give MOE time... our suggestions... and our encouragement.

So, Mommies and Daddies... don't worry. MOE has been reading this thread... continues to monitor it... and is starting to do some things about what we say here. Give MOE some time. I don't expect any grandchildren in the next 10 years. It'll be 17 years before any grandchild of mine goes to Primary school... I am happy to wait and see how things evolve.

I'm not going anywhere. I have time to wait. And if nothing happens then we can start to raise another stink.

[janet88]

Hi Chenonceau,

I believe there are people in respective sections following KSP for the concerns we parents raise…these people are LISTENING. This forum doesn’t have to be Facebook to reach out.

I certainly agree with you that Singapore shouldn’t just have a competitive education system that kids strive to achieve and forget about everything else. Kids should not be taught to score As and forget what humanity is. There is still that emotional aspect…They must still remember what is 人情味.

[linden2000]

Chenonceau:

So, Mommies and Daddies... don't worry. MOE has been reading this thread... continues to monitor it... and is starting to do some things about what we say here.

Hi Chenonceau. Thanks for the update.

[jtoh]

that's good to know Chenonceau.

[corneyAmber]

pixiedust:

I read bit & pieces of news here and there. Is there a consolidated status page - does Mr. Heng has a FB page related to this ? Who else is in the discussion panel ?

Pixie, here is the report. The \"group\" is not clearly articulated in the report.. I highlighted it in red.

Education Minister invites youth for discussion after open letter
Wed Jul 13 2011

Janelle Lee's open letter to Education Minister Heng Swee Keat impressed him so much that he has invited her to be part of a discussion panel.
Education Minister invites youth for discussion after open letter

SINGAPORE - An open letter to Education Minister Heng Swee Keat has created such a buzz on the Internet and impressed him so much that he has invited its young author to be part of a discussion panel.

Written by Secondary Four student Janelle Lee, the letter, posted on her Facebook page, has been shared over 11,000 times since it was up on the night of July 11.

In the letter the student at Nan Chiau High School criticised Singapore's education system for its \"emphasis\" on \"factual memorisation\" and training students \"not to question\".

Ms Lee also lamented the fact that the system viewed students as \"a collective who are all the same\" instead of \"as individuals with separate talents\".

In her note, she felt that character development was another \"gaping flaw\" in the system. She said schools seemed to be introducing moral education \"purely for the sake of it and not for inculcating values important to working life\".

And for the teenagers she found compassionate, she argued that good parenting seemed to be the cause rather than a good Civics and Moral education.

The writer, who is taking her O Levels this year said, \"We may be a First World Country, but if our education system still holds the belief that we are in a Second or Third World Country, and need to furiously cram facts in our head to get out of the cycle of poverty fast, then we will never truly raise First World leaders.\"

The open letter, which Ms Lee said took her one hour and 45 minutes to write, prompted Mr Seah Jia Heng, who came across the note, to share it on Mr Heng's Facebook page.

In a reply to Ms Lee, Mr Heng said he was \"deeply impressed and and encouraged\" by her \"thoughtful remarks about what education should be\" especially her points on \"curiosity, creativity and character development\".

It cheered him that the letter came from \"someone so young\". Mr Heng, also revealed that \"several students\" have e-mailed him \"interesting ideas\" and that he is \"gathering a group to discuss these ideas\".

The Education Minister, who is currently visiting Shanghai and Hong Kong on a ministerial trip, extended the same invitation to Ms Lee.

Two weeks ago, Mr Heng told reporters that Singapore schools will focus on imparting values of responsibility, resilience and compassion to the young. The Straits Times reported that these are the values the Education Minister has identified as \"21st century competencies\".

[corneyAmber]

Chenonceau:

ksi... that is GREAT news!!

Yeah it is great to know that Mr Heng is responding so quickly these days.