Overseas Kids are better?

[2ppaamm]

aqeqiq:

When those entrusted to execute don't do so correctly, the ones who are entrusted to them suffer. While your ds is fortunate that you extricated him out of that situation, how many others (gep or not) assume inaccurate things about themselves. If overseas kids are given an allowance to be themselves in a responsible manner, then I say \"overseas kids are better\".

Yes, Singaporean parents are better, therefore our kids do better when they young, but the overseas kids are better, because they are given the freedom to explore and grow. It is such a pity, we have such great parents, but our system, instead of complementing this, just pass all the education burden to parents. Consequently, our kids become worse than those with weaker parents.
Not all good parents have enough resources. What bugs me is these poor children and parents who suffer in silence, just met a mom who told me her son's teacher uses a metal ruler to hit her son, but she suffers in silence, afraid to speak up. I was so angry for her. Yet, she seems to accept it - for the last 3 years.
What a shame, what a shame. I too suffered in silence, to the detriment of my son. Parents should stand up more, what a painful lesson I learnt.

[2ppaamm]

insider:

2ppaamm:

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:

I have been thinking on and off whether my daughter should stay here for her degree or to go UK next year. Originally had decided on UK but family reconsidering again coz of pre-admission scholarship invitations made by local Unis.

Think it's still better let her go UK instead of letting the local Uni 'box' up her brain...(esp taking into consideration how I cannot tahan 'square' people...)

Study here for long, round people also will become square in the end. The longer one soaks here, the more square one may be... (anyway square people Ah Gong like - kuai kuai listen and follow and don't rock boat - LONG LIVE SINGAPORE!!)

Actually, I think it is better to go overseas if you have the support in place. However, I think the square ones are not in the local universities, they are in the schools. The unis have many foreign lecturers and professors who are good. My kids are in foreign unis, I found some of the lecturers quite bad too, but the far less kiasu environment is better.

Therefore, I think it is good for a child to be brought up in a different environment from Singapore at a young age, but with the same kind of parenting Singaporeans are used to. As for universities, the foreign unis give our kids better exposure, but by then, many of our kids are also 'square'. I had a hard time trying to get my son to speak up by the time he goes overseas. Even though he is only 17, and went to uni at 14. He was very vocal as a child but got 'shut' up by some elite schools. Our school culture is terrible, and cause so much 'damage' to our children's confidence. The local unis don't clam them, but the same culture continues because all the students are like that.

Schools should not shut our kids up, but teach them to speak up appropriately and confidently. But we all know why they prefer to do the former. Easier mah....too many kids in the class, always this same lame excuse. I don't buy this anymore. It is morally wrong to say you cannot do this and that because the class size is too big. Don't be in the teaching profession if you cannot do the job. The class size has been like this for decades?! What kind of excuse? Even in GEP they complain class size is too big.

In the old days, my class size was 44, but my teachers never complained, and I went to do very well without tuition, so did majority of my classmates. Most of us made it to unis. The teachers were not perfect, but at least they taught. Something is so wrong with our teaching profession these days, they seem to pass the baton completely to parents and parents find tutors.

Square people not only Ah Kong like, Ah Mah also like, mother government also like, easier to manage ma... kuai kuai, ask them to jump they say how high. No more thinking required.

[jtoh]

2ppaamm:

aqeqiq:

Maybe our kids have no time to wonder, think and question with the kind of routine they have. Maybe our kids have no one to appreciate their views and reasonings with the standards we are all trying to meet. It is easier to follow instructions than to decide for oneself and have to answer for it.

Maybe no time, but more likely not allowed. Tell you a little story.
My daughters went to Europe last year with the school CCA. Had a fabulous time, it was a group of about 50 and they went there for a competition which they won first prize. They also had sight seeing.

When they came back, they were told exactly what to say when people asked them how their trip was. I was curious why both girls say exactly the same thing when I asked them about the trip. Then my older daughter told me they were asked to memorize what to say when asked, so that the response was good and consistent, and that the CCA can go again in future. :shock:

They were also asked to pen their thoughts about the trip and give suggestions how to be better. Then the CCA leader was called up and given a terrible scolding in front of the rest of the girls, so bad that she cried. She had suggested that the trip be longer and that they should have more leisure time. Again, I was like :yikes: Why ask for feedback when you don't intend to listen? Why were the children not allowed to voice their opinions and views?

My girls did not write their views, or even thought about that again. I told them they can tell me what they think, I may not agree, but at least I will respect them. Yep, the problem is the lack of respect for our children's thoughts, beliefs and views from a young age. Consequently, our children and students begin to doubt themselves. What kind of academic freedom can we get out of such an environment?

That's terrible. Indeed, why ask for their opinion when it won't be considered.

[corneyAmber]

kekeke…all these lack of academic freedom of thoughts is already very obvious in the science teachings and answering technique and sometimes comprehension too… I hope the GEP curriculum makes the difference otherwise there is really no true critical thinking that can be given a chance to be exercised…

[jedamum]

ksi:

kekeke...all these lack of academic freedom of thoughts is already very obvious in the science teachings and answering technique and sometimes comprehension too.... I hope the GEP curriculum makes the difference otherwise there is really no true critical thinking that can be given a chance to be exercised....

why only GEP curriculum? not MOE curriculum?

[2ppaamm]

jedamum:

ksi:

kekeke...all these lack of academic freedom of thoughts is already very obvious in the science teachings and answering technique and sometimes comprehension too.... I hope the GEP curriculum makes the difference otherwise there is really no true critical thinking that can be given a chance to be exercised....

why only GEP curriculum? not MOE curriculum?

Actually, I also don't know the difference between GEP and non. Can't really tell the difference... maybe I am expecting too much. The teaching style is the same, the things they do quite the same leh, I wish they would do a bit more exploring, and really stretching the kids without giving stress.

I was told GEP has changed over the years. The teachers used to be trained and coached by foreigners overseas. Now, they are no different from another MOE teacher. My friend, who is the first batch of GEP teacher, also noticed the difference. So, GEP now is just a group of high achievers, I guess. The curriculum is differentiated by the depth, not by the teaching style. GEP should be called HAP (High Achievers' Program), more suitable and reflective of what it really is.

From my observation, GEP teachers don't know how to handle giftedness, but great at handling high achievers. Gosh, they don't even understand LOG (level of giftedness). I thought that must be fundamental.

[2ppaamm]

ksi:

kekeke...all these lack of academic freedom of thoughts is already very obvious in the science teachings and answering technique and sometimes comprehension too.... I hope the GEP curriculum makes the difference otherwise there is really no true critical thinking that can be given a chance to be exercised....

kekeke.... your daughter going to GE next year is it?

[corneyAmber]

2ppaamm:

ksi:

kekeke...all these lack of academic freedom of thoughts is already very obvious in the science teachings and answering technique and sometimes comprehension too.... I hope the GEP curriculum makes the difference otherwise there is really no true critical thinking that can be given a chance to be exercised....

kekeke.... your daughter going to GE next year is it?

kekeke....I am making a general statement that hopefully the GEP is the saving grace of encouraging critical thinking in the MOE curriculum. Having gone through 3 years of standard exams with my child, I am inclined to think that quite a lot of lateral thinking has been \"murdered\" along the way to ease marking scheme.......but we adapt and adjust because I believe versatility is also one skill that can be learnt at a young age for her.

[corneyAmber]

jedamum:

ksi:

kekeke...all these lack of academic freedom of thoughts is already very obvious in the science teachings and answering technique and sometimes comprehension too.... I hope the GEP curriculum makes the difference otherwise there is really no true critical thinking that can be given a chance to be exercised....

why only GEP curriculum? not MOE curriculum?

GEP promises to apply more critical thinking skills whereas the MOE curriculum for the larger group which we have already experienced is not so much freedom.....alot of compliance in thinking required, which is not a bad thing if a child learns what is discernment and versatility in the process.

[2ppaamm]

ksi:

kekeke....I am making a general statement that hopefully the GEP is the saving grace of encouraging critical thinking in the MOE curriculum. Having gone through 3 years of standard exams with my child, I am inclined to think that quite a lot of lateral thinking has been \"murdered\" along the way to ease marking scheme.......but we adapt and adjust because I believe versatility is also one skill that can be learnt at a young age for her.

Hm... from my experience with GEP, I think they continue to 'murder' this lateral thinking. Though, I must say those that did GEP more than 10 years ago are quite a different batch. I have students and relatives and they are different. GEP has changed, and I feel it is more like an endorsement for intelligence for parents and children rather than an opportunity for children to have a different path for their education. Unfortunately, with the new teachers, I fail to see the differentiated teaching style. I sat in some classes myself, so I can attest to that. The thinking/arrangement of things do not encourage creativity. Everything seems 'doctored' to me - the usual Singaporean style. Or maybe, my thinking is just different.