Review Underway of the Educational System

[concern2]

insider:

jtoh:

Maybe his prelim paper was very difficult?

My elder son was all the way the 'kooning' type when studies are concerned for the first 10 years of his school life. Would do his bare minimal so that his teachers would not call me.

His P6 prelim for all subjects averaged about 60 marks and his Chinese in the low 50s (every time I have to remind myself not to frown when he showed me his BEST efforts, hahaha...).

His PSLE got 4 As and so I really have this feeling that many schools are SICK (and that PSLE is not really that big a monster that many schools trying to paint it to be).

Is it cos he's from a top school?

[jtoh]

insider:

concern2:

Is it cos he's from a top school?

From a regular SAP school that was just below my house.

Recently we talked about past major exams and he recalled his PSLE Chinese paper 'very easy', something about 小狗追着小猫 that he found was 'way below school's standard'.

Got him to recall his PSLE exam stress and he recalled NOTHING. He really didn't like to study type...(but homework definitely did complete and school homework was like tons...).

I assume SAP schools have a higher standard of CL compared to other schools and hence a 50%+ in your son's school is probably equivalent to 70%+ in other schools?

[jtoh]

insider:

jtoh:

I assume SAP schools have a higher standard of CL compared to other schools and hence a 50%+ in your son's school is probably equivalent to 70%+ in other schools?

Am not sure about this. Only know whenever I looked at his Chinese compo and compre then, I have (still have) a 'can die!' feeling （惨不忍睹if you can get what I mean). It's simply so broken in terms of the basic grammar mechanics.

Both his parents, esp my husband who is a pure chinese-helicopter man, are fluent in Chinese. My elder daughter excels in it too. My whole house is full of Chinese books. But come to this son, I don't know why he is simply not interested (find it a big chore to write and read Chinese).

He is currently still in China. If I remember, I will take from him his primary school report book and share with all about his school's results from P1 to P6 (if can plot a graph, can see an obvious downward sloping curve and then up again for his PSLE.)

He is 'lucky' to be my son. If he is the son of someone else, maybe would have got strangled long time ago oredi... (ok...maybe not so drastic...but definitely would have been loaded with tuition after tuition which he didn't have to suffer that under me...)

Haha! You are probably right about him being loaded with tuition. But your method worked bec he's doing fine and enjoying life too. Is your son in China on an exchange programme?

[jtoh]

insider:

jtoh:

Haha! You are probably right about him being loaded with tuition. But your method worked bec he's doing fine and enjoying life too. Is your son in China on an exchange programme?

He is there for 6 weeks to take two modules in the university (somewhat like an immersion program). Basically, travelling around 山水 for his photography module and one of his filming modules.

So far feedback from him is that he enjoys himself there and doesn't mind to study there! hahaha...I almost fell off my chair when I heard that. Actually asked him whether the students there can understand his broken Mandarin and he said, '嘿！妈妈！你儿子的华语没有那么差OK!\"

Your son is in Uni already? What faculty is he in to take photography and filming modules. His landscape shots will be jaw-dropping given the beautiful scenery there.

[jtoh]

insider:

jtoh:

Your son is in Uni already? What faculty is he in to take photography and filming modules. His landscape shots will be jaw-dropping given the beautiful scenery there.

He is now in poly first year doing Film, Sound, & Media (a course that literally doesn't need to study, aka mug, but need to do a lot of hands on projects). Heard every year they will have chance to travel to overseas for certain modules with the poly's tie-up with the various universities but the kids have to 'fight' for popular destinations (allocation is results-based).

Kids nowadays so good life actually. I want to go back to school...

So shiok!

[schweppes]

insider:

jtoh:

Haha! You are probably right about him being loaded with tuition. But your method worked bec he's doing fine and enjoying life too. Is your son in China on an exchange programme?

He is there for 6 weeks to take two modules in the university (somewhat like an immersion program). Basically, travelling around 山水 for his photography module and one of his filming modules.

So far feedback from him is that he enjoys himself there and doesn't mind to study there! hahaha...I almost fell off my chair when I heard that. Actually asked him whether the students there can understand his broken Mandarin and he said, '嘿！妈妈！你儿子的华语没有那么差OK!\"

Thanks for your sharing, insider. Happy to see your son enjoying poly life.

Just goes to show that when kids are studying for something which they truly enjoy and feel passionate about, then it does not become a chore.

Reinforces my belief that as a parent, our children must live their own dreams as they lead their own lives. And as parents, that's where we come in to guide them and nurture their strengths and interests. Still, I must confess, sometimes it's easier said than done as we cant help but get swept up in our stressful education system and worry all the time if we are doing the right thing for our kids.

[schweppes]

insider:

jtoh:

Your son is in Uni already? What faculty is he in to take photography and filming modules. His landscape shots will be jaw-dropping given the beautiful scenery there.

He is now in poly first year doing Film, Sound, & Media (a course that literally doesn't need to study, aka mug, but need to do a lot of hands on projects). Heard every year they will have chance to travel to overseas for certain modules with the poly's tie-up with the various universities but the kids have to 'fight' for popular destinations (allocation is results-based).

Kids nowadays so good life actually. I want to go back to school...

Really?? Maybe not for the primary and secondary school kids. But it does get better (and sometimes more fun) at tertiary level.

[concern2]

schweppes:

insider:

[quote=\"jtoh\"]Haha! You are probably right about him being loaded with tuition. But your method worked bec he's doing fine and enjoying life too. Is your son in China on an exchange programme?

He is there for 6 weeks to take two modules in the university (somewhat like an immersion program). Basically, travelling around 山水 for his photography module and one of his filming modules.

So far feedback from him is that he enjoys himself there and doesn't mind to study there! hahaha...I almost fell off my chair when I heard that. Actually asked him whether the students there can understand his broken Mandarin and he said, '嘿！妈妈！你儿子的华语没有那么差OK!\"

Thanks for your sharing, insider. Happy to see your son enjoying poly life.

Just goes to show that when kids are studying for something which they truly enjoy and feel passionate about, then it does not become a chore.

Reinforces my belief that as a parent, our children must live their own dreams as they lead their own lives. And as parents, that's where we come in to guide them and nurture their strengths and interests. Still, I must confess, sometimes it's easier said than done as we cant help but get swept up in our stressful education system and worry all the time if we are doing the right thing for our kids.[/quote]This reminds me of my little bro who was on borderline every year in primary school. Both my parents were not educated, so I became his tutor - not a very good one, but managed to help him get by without failing. We're from Mandarin speaking family so the biggest challenge was always English - if you're terrible in that, all other subjects got affected. Scoring well in CH was no help at all.

That went on till sec school which he ended up in the normal stream, after which he applied for early admittance into NS. Once out of NS, my parents had enough savings for him to get into an Australian Uni, which he did foundation year and went on to do his love - architecture. Along the way, I helped to support his education as I was working by then. He graduated with good grades and was one of the top in his cohort, winning numerous competitions.

Looking back, I think the education in Singapore could easily have killed his love to learn. NS could have made him a man, but I think the overseas education allowed him to be who he wants to be. Being thrown into the English-speaking environment, and being independent (no pressure imposed on him), somehow, all his brain cells got connected and he bloomed.

[jtoh]

concerned2, schweppesand and insider,


Thanks for sharing your stories. I really enjoyed reading them.

[jedamum]

concern2:

schweppes:

Thanks for your sharing, insider. Happy to see your son enjoying poly life.

Just goes to show that when kids are studying for something which they truly enjoy and feel passionate about, then it does not become a chore.

Reinforces my belief that as a parent, our children must live their own dreams as they lead their own lives. And as parents, that's where we come in to guide them and nurture their strengths and interests. Still, I must confess, sometimes it's easier said than done as we cant help but get swept up in our stressful education system and worry all the time if we are doing the right thing for our kids.

This reminds me of my little bro who was on borderline every year in primary school. Both my parents were not educated, so I became his tutor - not a very good one, but managed to help him get by without failing. We're from Mandarin speaking family so the biggest challenge was always English - if you're terrible in that, all other subjects got affected. Scoring well in CH was no help at all.

That went on till sec school which he ended up in the normal stream, after which he applied for early admittance into NS. Once out of NS, my parents had enough savings for him to get into an Australian Uni, which he did foundation year and went on to do his love - architecture. Along the way, I helped to support his education as I was working by then. He graduated with good grades and was one of the top in his cohort, winning numerous competitions.

Looking back, I think the education in Singapore could easily have killed his love to learn. NS could have made him a man, but I think the overseas education allowed him to be who he wants to be. Being thrown into the English-speaking environment, and being independent (no pressure imposed on him), somehow, all his brain cells got connected and he bloomed.

many parents still rely on getting good grades as a form of paving the route to pursuing one's dream/having better job prospect because it opens up the first doors. Singapore education system only supports 'dreams' when you have good grades. if don't have good grades, must have sufficient money to support overseas education. if not for your parent's savings for your bro to go overseas, he could not have possibly smell architecture degree unless he went through the long route via poly (even if so, the COP for o-level for entry to architecture course is quite low).
however, regardless of whatever system, the key is if one is determined to pursue one's dream, nothing can stand in the way (just have to take a longer route).