if u think ur child is good enough ll u still give tuition?

[slimaet]

My DD is going to P1 next year. We believe she has good grounding in kindergarten but she’s had private tuition for Chinese for the last 1 1/2 years. Guess as non-speakers, we are just a bit more kaisu in this area.

[PiggyLalala]

For the languages, I may ask my child to go for tuition even if their marks are reasonably ok. However for maths and science, I will expect them to maintain the good grades themselves each year.

[LLK]

Chenonceau:

verykiasu2010:

so what is the definition of 'good enough' ?


i think that is the problem

I oso dunno lah... heh heh heh!! I am just thanking God everyday that the family next door has SO MANY grandkids!! Kekekekekekeke!

Ideally should get at least 240-250 and above for PSLE t-score to get in a good sec sch. Thats could be the reason why many pri sch kids are having tuition. Kids aged 13 to 16 yrs are easy influenced by peers (hopefully not those ah lian ah seng types of schoolmates).

[chocolatebar]

verykiasu2010:

so what is the definition of 'good enough' ?


i think that is the problem

good enough here i mean the kids are able to cope with his / her homework, n they able to have B , not too excellent but not too poor also, meaning middle class in sch homework performance~

[2ppaamm]

My definition of success has little to do with academic achievement. I have no target for my kids to hit, no expectation, but at the same time, no boundary on learning. I think I sound strange as a Singaporean, but I really think academic life is just ONE aspect of a child’s life, and has little to do with a person’s success.


If I think my kid is ‘good’ enough, I’ll not give him/her any tuition. And I have not given any of my 5 kids any tuition of any kind. Which, of course, makes me an enemy of teachers. I even took them out of PSLE supplement classes and June holiday PSLE preparation classes, which were ‘compulsory’ and not ‘remedial’. Not because I think my kids are ‘good’ enough, but because I want them to know there’s more to life than that PSLE T-score.

Consequently, my kids do not score to their ‘potential’ according to their teachers. But that does not bug me one bit. Some people reasoned with me that it is because my kids are so smart they have enough ‘buffer’ to sail through. I argue that my kids don’t even score very high in PSLE. And next year, I intend to just register my son for PSLE and don’t even intend to appear.

So my kids are pretty free. Have time for everything other people have no time for. Sewing a nice dress for summer, learn from Youtube how to make clay models and sell them on ebay, set up blog shops, go and earn a nice salary as a designer at only 15, bake some cakes, play an additional instrument (electric guitar and drums) for fun. To me, this is the more important part of education - nurturing them to know what is passion.

Recently, a friend told me about Japan’s Hikikomori. Reading about them scares me a little. Japan started their elitist education system from 1960s, and today, there is a record number of recluse. Singapore, I reckon, started a similar education system in the 1980s, when LKY encouraged us to emulate the Japanese. Question is, 20 years later, what will Singaporeans be like? Maybe that’s why we need migrants?

Those of us who have been through PSLE, ‘O’ levels, ‘A’ levels, even university exams all know that those results, no matter how sterling, are useless after a few years’ working. So many other factors come into play to be successful. Question I ask myself is whether I have helped nurture my kids in these other areas as well. Or have I postponed that so that we can concentrate on academic pursuits? In all honesty, it is so much easier to pursue academically then to identify and find these other areas to work on, and then find a way to work on them systematically.

Having said that, I too don’t believe in soft parenting, but that’s a totally different thing. Not being one-track minded about academic results does not mean we do not expect discipline, hard work, and respect. I believe we dig ourselves graves when are soft with our approach. Look at the growing number of kids who refuse to leave home these days, and continue to rely on their parents for education, food and lodging right into their thirties and then? What? Forever?

I don’t even know if I am right or wrong in my tuition-guts. I was dropping off my 15 year old to her first university exam today. She was so nervous, I asked her why, and just do her best. I told her to keep believing she could do it. But she said her life depended on it, it was an important exam and she needed to do well.

I smiled and told her never to worry. What’s the worst that could happen? Her life really does not depend on it. She need not give herself too many grey hairs over this, not worth it. She left and went to the exam hall. The youngest ever to sit in that hall for this exam in this difficult-to-get-in course, in this university. One reason she is here is because I refused pave her path or sign her up for any tuition or design her results. I gave her no scores to hit, so she set her bar really high. But I did insist she find a path and a passion for learning herself. And I believe she pretty much did.

[alng]

2ppaamm:

My definition of success has little to do with academic achievement. I have no target for my kids to hit, no expectation, but at the same time, no boundary on learning. I think I sound strange as a Singaporean, but I really think academic life is just ONE aspect of a child's life, and has little to do with a person's success.


If I think my kid is 'good' enough, I'll not give him/her any tuition. And I have not given any of my 5 kids any tuition of any kind. Which, of course, makes me an enemy of teachers. I even took them out of PSLE supplement classes and June holiday PSLE preparation classes, which were 'compulsory' and not 'remedial'. Not because I think my kids are 'good' enough, but because I want them to know there's more to life than that PSLE T-score.

Consequently, my kids do not score to their 'potential' according to their teachers. But that does not bug me one bit. Some people reasoned with me that it is because my kids are so smart they have enough 'buffer' to sail through. I argue that my kids don't even score very high in PSLE. And next year, I intend to just register my son for PSLE and don't even intend to appear.

So my kids are pretty free. Have time for everything other people have no time for. Sewing a nice dress for summer, learn from Youtube how to make clay models and sell them on ebay, set up blog shops, go and earn a nice salary as a designer at only 15, bake some cakes, play an additional instrument (electric guitar and drums) for fun. To me, this is the more important part of education - nurturing them to know what is passion.

Recently, a friend told me about Japan's Hikikomori. Reading about them scares me a little. Japan started their elitist education system from 1960s, and today, there is a record number of recluse. Singapore, I reckon, started a similar education system in the 1980s, when LKY encouraged us to emulate the Japanese. Question is, 20 years later, what will Singaporeans be like? Maybe that's why we need migrants?

Those of us who have been through PSLE, 'O' levels, 'A' levels, even university exams all know that those results, no matter how sterling, are useless after a few years' working. So many other factors come into play to be successful. Question I ask myself is whether I have helped nurture my kids in these other areas as well. Or have I postponed that so that we can concentrate on academic pursuits? In all honesty, it is so much easier to pursue academically then to identify and find these other areas to work on, and then find a way to work on them systematically.

Having said that, I too don't believe in soft parenting, but that's a totally different thing. Not being one-track minded about academic results does not mean we do not expect discipline, hard work, and respect. I believe we dig ourselves graves when are soft with our approach. Look at the growing number of kids who refuse to leave home these days, and continue to rely on their parents for education, food and lodging right into their thirties and then? What? Forever?

I don't even know if I am right or wrong in my tuition-guts. I was dropping off my 15 year old to her first university exam today. She was so nervous, I asked her why, and just do her best. I told her to keep believing she could do it. But she said her life depended on it, it was an important exam and she needed to do well.

I smiled and told her never to worry. What's the worst that could happen? And her life really did not depend on it. She need not give herself too many grey hairs over this, not worth it. She left and went to the exam hall. The youngest ever to sit in that hall for this exam for in this difficult-to-get-in course, in this university. One reason she is here is because I refused pave her path or sign her up for any tuition or design her results. I gave her no scores to hit, so she set her bar really high. But I did insist she find a path and a passion for learning herself. And I believe she pretty much did.

:goodpost: :salute:

[Chenonceau]

2ppaamm:

My definition of success has little to do with academic achievement. I have no target for my kids to hit, no expectation, but at the same time, no boundary on learning. I think I sound strange as a Singaporean, but I really think academic life is just ONE aspect of a child's life, and has little to do with a person's success.


If I think my kid is 'good' enough, I'll not give him/her any tuition. And I have not given any of my 5 kids any tuition of any kind. Which, of course, makes me an enemy of teachers. I even took them out of PSLE supplement classes and June holiday PSLE preparation classes, which were 'compulsory' and not 'remedial'. Not because I think my kids are 'good' enough, but because I want them to know there's more to life than that PSLE T-score.

Consequently, my kids do not score to their 'potential' according to their teachers. But that does not bug me one bit. Some people reasoned with me that it is because my kids are so smart they have enough 'buffer' to sail through. I argue that my kids don't even score very high in PSLE. And next year, I intend to just register my son for PSLE and don't even intend to appear.

So my kids are pretty free. Have time for everything other people have no time for. Sewing a nice dress for summer, learn from Youtube how to make clay models and sell them on ebay, set up blog shops, go and earn a nice salary as a designer at only 15, bake some cakes, play an additional instrument (electric guitar and drums) for fun. To me, this is the more important part of education - nurturing them to know what is passion.

Recently, a friend told me about Japan's Hikikomori. Reading about them scares me a little. Japan started their elitist education system from 1960s, and today, there is a record number of recluse. Singapore, I reckon, started a similar education system in the 1980s, when LKY encouraged us to emulate the Japanese. Question is, 20 years later, what will Singaporeans be like? Maybe that's why we need migrants?

Those of us who have been through PSLE, 'O' levels, 'A' levels, even university exams all know that those results, no matter how sterling, are useless after a few years' working. So many other factors come into play to be successful. Question I ask myself is whether I have helped nurture my kids in these other areas as well. Or have I postponed that so that we can concentrate on academic pursuits? In all honesty, it is so much easier to pursue academically then to identify and find these other areas to work on, and then find a way to work on them systematically.

Having said that, I too don't believe in soft parenting, but that's a totally different thing. Not being one-track minded about academic results does not mean we do not expect discipline, hard work, and respect. I believe we dig ourselves graves when are soft with our approach. Look at the growing number of kids who refuse to leave home these days, and continue to rely on their parents for education, food and lodging right into their thirties and then? What? Forever?

I don't even know if I am right or wrong in my tuition-guts. I was dropping off my 15 year old to her first university exam today. She was so nervous, I asked her why, and just do her best. I told her to keep believing she could do it. But she said her life depended on it, it was an important exam and she needed to do well.

I smiled and told her never to worry. What's the worst that could happen? Her life really does not depend on it. She need not give herself too many grey hairs over this, not worth it. She left and went to the exam hall. The youngest ever to sit in that hall for this exam in this difficult-to-get-in course, in this university. One reason she is here is because I refused pave her path or sign her up for any tuition or design her results. I gave her no scores to hit, so she set her bar really high. But I did insist she find a path and a passion for learning herself. And I believe she pretty much did.

Man! I love you! :love:

[michyms]

2ppaamm, thank you, that was inspiring!

[corneyAmber]

2ppaamm, you are back here! Good to know you have settled in. As usual, your unusual insights would benefit your 5 children alot. They would dare to be different in a good way. Meanwhile, we are still plodding through the system here....I believe I have to go through what I don't know before I can think further on issues..

[2ppaamm]

Chenonceau:

Man! I love you! :love:

awww......... :snuggles: