Overseas Kids are better?

[verykiasu2010]

it was reported as 1:36


it could have been 72:36

or it could have been 108:36

but seriously, how many want to do econs PhD in Singapore ? who are the local economists with convincing / pioneering research in econ theory to worth the time for others to learn from ?

aren't we also dependent on the angmo-countries domiciled lesser known economists who are willing to work in NUS to come teach our econ students ? those well known economist would rather stay in their Oxbridge & Ivy league campuses and issue their edicts and opinions from there and publish their research findings in those global economist publications than in a NUS journal....do we even have an econ journal ?

what do we have in terms of econs knowledge and tools that is better than others ?

let's do ourselves a service to not delude ourselves. our econ talents and smart economist would serve us better by learning with the world best in Oxbridge and Ivy league

PLEASE do NOT get me wrong. I am not trying to run down NUS. We just don't have it yet. Don't kid ourselves to think too highly of what we ought to

that news article is simply 'bo liao' to me

:siam: :siam:

[Pen88n]

VKS2010, you may be right about the locals not taking up econs PHD in NUS.


However, the thot that my taxpayer’s $$ used to partially fund the education institutions ended up funding many more "foreign talents" (in whichever field) simply doesn’t make sense to me. Isn’t there a control measure somewhere?

[verykiasu2010]

insider:

verykiasu2010:

PLEASE do NOT get me wrong. I am not trying to run down NUS. We just don't have it yet. Don't kid ourselves to think too highly of what we ought to

Ooh...if that's really the case that our local econ PhD is so 'sub standard', then simply don't provide instead of making this 1:36 like a sore thumb sticking out...

don't get in the international students will sink the school's ranking...... :siam: :siam:

[verykiasu2010]

Pen88n:

VKS2010, you may be right about the locals not taking up econs PHD in NUS.


However, the thot that my taxpayer's $$ used to partially fund the education institutions ended up funding many more \"foreign talents\" (in whichever field) simply doesn't make sense to me. Isn't there a control measure somewhere?

better ask them to refund your taxes :rotflmao: :rotflmao:

[2ppaamm]

I chanced upon this thread and found the discussion really interesting so thought I’d chip in.


I do recruitment in the local uni, interview students and teach as well. My 2 cents’ worth and hopefully a little advice to more far sighted parents. Our local students are not fun to teach compared to foreign students. I really don’t want to run them down here, given the hardwork they have put in prior to their uni. Honestly, the faculty feels that Singapore students are ‘strange’. Local students only want to get 'A’s and cannot really think for themselves. I tried to explain to my colleagues that it is our education system, where educators cannot fail, and students cannot fail. Consequently, we have a bunch of intelligent students who cannot think for themselves.

Foreign PhD students are brilliant and a joy to work with. They have fire in their bellies, really intelligent and know their stuff (compared to our students who only know what they are taught), ready to venture out of their comfort zone, and don’t mind doing things ‘for free’ and ‘for knowledge’. Local students do things for grades and for immediate gratification. Kind of sad, from my view, because sometimes we have to do things free to learn and grow. We are too down to earth a society to recognize that.

Having said all that, I have found a handful of great local students who are so ‘nurturable’. What do I do? I encourage them to go overseas to soak up some nice learning environment. At PhD, most people get scholarships anyway.

I am concerned that our country is so fast to boast that we have the best education system in the world and produce the smartest 14 year olds, yet, none of our young geniuses manage to get even one nobel prize. Something is very wrong here, I keep telling educators, parents and students, but everyone just want to have high PSLE T-scores, straight As for O and A levels. Few want to join me to look further and develop the thinking minds. So, I’d say every year, here we go again!

My KPI? I don’t even know there was one! My job is to do good research, teach well, contribute to the student body. When my passion for this job runs out, I leave, but as long as there is a life I can change in this job, I will. Sometimes I wish my fellow educators teaching younger students can do the same. Then perhaps I will get better students and can nurture them to excel better, instead of spending time ‘undoing’ what the schools have done to them all these years. Our students are no longer great thinkers, they have been trained to be mere ‘A’ seekers. So sad.

[aqeqiq]

2ppaamm,


Someone told me the same thing, ie that our local students have great results on paper but cannot think out of the box. The experience came from a person who had interviewed students in a foreign uni as well.

My hubby wants to take our dd away to study at some point…actually he also wants to live abroad lah. Anyway, I insisted that she stay on for her pri level education but study elsewhere at some point as I think I don’t want her to become like me…generally scared to speak up. We are now targeting after O levels or year 4 if she is in the IP prog. Entire family will go. Your opinion on timing?

[aqeqiq]

aqeqiq:

2ppaamm,


Someone told me the same thing, ie that our local students have great results on paper but cannot think out of the box. The experience came from a person who had interviewed students in a foreign uni as well.

My hubby wants to take our dd away to study at some point...actually he also wants to live abroad lah. Anyway, I insisted that she stay on for her pri level education but study elsewhere at some point as I think I don't want her to become like me...generally scared to speak up. We are now targeting after O levels or year 4 if she is in the IP prog. Entire family will go. Your opinion on timing?

So strange, when I log in, my post is posted but when I log out and check, my post is not there. So I have to quote myself to re-submit. Maybe KSP trying to make me think out of the box??!!

[MandyMummy]

2ppaamm:

I chanced upon this thread and found the discussion really interesting so thought I'd chip in.


I do recruitment in the local uni, interview students and teach as well. My 2 cents' worth and hopefully a little advice to more far sighted parents. Our local students are not fun to teach compared to foreign students. I really don't want to run them down here, given the hardwork they have put in prior to their uni. Honestly, the faculty feels that Singapore students are 'strange'. Local students only want to get 'A's and cannot really think for themselves. I tried to explain to my colleagues that it is our education system, where educators cannot fail, and students cannot fail. Consequently, we have a bunch of intelligent students who cannot think for themselves.

My KPI? I don't even know there was one! My job is to do good research, teach well, contribute to the student body. When my passion for this job runs out, I leave, but as long as there is a life I can change in this job, I will. Sometimes I wish my fellow educators teaching younger students can do the same. Then perhaps I will get better students and can nurture them to excel better, instead of spending time 'undoing' what the schools have done to them all these years. Our students are no longer great thinkers, they have been trained to be mere 'A' seekers. So sad.

Hi, 2ppaamm. Have been reading your posts about your 11 year old son and I am glad that you have made a good decision for your family and that your family have settled in nicely.
On your point on the obsession of our students for A grade, you would not believe what the teachers would do to please the management and what the top management would do to look good for their KPIs. So, do expect a lot of kids who have been drilled to get the results on paper. Your job at a tertiary institution will get more difficult, I think and not easier because you will be getting the next generation of students who always had tuition since primary school. It is pretty sad for our students who still want people to handhold them and tell them what to read and study...
JMHO.

[2ppaamm]

My thinking is that if you want to go, the sooner the better. The younger the child, the easier to integrate and soak up some good culture. More importantly, don't forget our upbringing as Singaporeans, remember not to learn the wrong things, specifically soft parenting. And, never allow the kids to slip into laziness. Work hard, but not for 'A's only, study, but more importantly learn. Work for results, but work more for passion. I think these are important.


I hear about Singapore students' deficiency on a daily basis, from the top of the university and they publicly laugh at the way our students write. Overseas universities and local universities puzzle at how 'narrow' our students are. What a shame. So what's the point of having straights 'A's on the 'A' level cert. Don't know why no matter how I tell and cautioin, few people can hear me. GO girl! Be different. You kids will be thankful. :rahrah:

[Paddy Field]

I agree w 2ppaamm. My boy had his early education in USA, n I must say the priority if education is diff from Singapore. I wish I can send him away but what about NS? For girls, it is so much easier. Anyone knows what can be done in my situation? My boy was born in USA. Holding dual citizenship now. Anyway he can be exempted from NS?