Overseas Kids are better?

[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.

[SAHM_TAN]

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:

Is it possible to study locally and not be narrow? Is it possible to strike the balance of getting good results and yet not fall into the trap of what you have posted?

I do not know if I have the wisdom to guide my children. How to let them learn to control their answers during exams and be free in their thinking outside of school curriculum? Frankly speaking, the only resource I have is books. There will be no overseas exposure for them, I'm afraid. Will see how it all turn out.

Thank you for your sharing.

[2ppaamm]

SAHM_TAN:

Is it possible to study locally and not be narrow? Is it possible to strike the balance of getting good results and yet not fall into the trap of what you have posted?

I do not know if I have the wisdom to guide my children. How to let them learn to control their answers during exams and be free in their thinking outside of school curriculum? Frankly speaking, the only resource I have is books. There will be no overseas exposure for them, I'm afraid. Will see how it all turn out.

Thank you for your sharing.

If you choose to be different in schools, then you will never really be the top in class (because you choose not to write what your teacher thinks examples given in previous post) or you will never be teachers' pet. If you have a view of your own, you are never given credits. I remember my JC Chinese teacher scored me highest in school for my first composition in her class, then she failed the rest of my compositions because my views were always radical and I always injected humor in my writing. She didn't like it. She wanted me to write like her! I rebelled of course lah.

Having said that, I have a few students who are really good, and recently, I met up with a few who recently graduated. They think out of the box, speak up and also develop great confidence. If they find the right mentor in the university, if they dare to break out from the mold they were set into for the last 18 years, then they will be different. These are minorities. However, there are so many of these 'molded' kids who survive well, at least in the past. They belong to the govt sectors, administration, and become teachers. They are fine... until our world globalizes and they are squeezed out. Singaporeans have traditionally worked out well in this system, but we've forgotten the world has shrunk, and this won't work anymore with the world competing and human resources become less and less borderless. The government seems to know, though, so they import talents. So Singaporeans, where should we go?

I remember my professor invited me to lunch 10 years ago. He asked me how to help his charges become creative. I told him I don't know, because for 18 years of our lives, we were told not to be too creative. I only became creative because I don't belong and didn't mind being punished year in year out. And that's the problem in the unis, we are given students who need so much guidance to think, to speak their minds and write their thoughts. These basic things are what overseas students do day in day out in their high schools. To be honest, overseas students are much better:
1. Vietnamese have fire in their bellies and technically sound.
2. Chinese are entrepreneurial and good engineers and mathematicians.
3. Filipinos can present and work really hard.
4. Indonesians have connections and rich parents with big businesses they can carry forward.
5. Malaysians have business skills and people skills and willing to study hard.
6. Australians have fantastic marketing skills and talk really well.
7. Americans are creative and can speak their thoughts to bluff everyone.
8. Myanmar students can take hardship and willing to do anything to achieve their goals.
9. Indians are technical gurus and talk/politics till the cows come home.
10. Singaporeans students, mostly too soft and do not have a view.

At least in our generation, when we went overseas, we were kings in maths, engineering and finance stuff. Now, the Indians and Chinese overtake us. Marketing/innovation wise, we cannot match the Ang mos....

We survived for so long, but how long will we survive with the world shrinking, everyone laugh at us, how come we don't know? Even when we know, how come we are not doing anything about it? Why do we just keep bragging we have the best education in the world, when we know deep inside it is not the education system, but tutors and parents who have fueled the artificially good pre-high school results. Why did no one question our high school students' abilities, or our universities' standing, or even why our own universities see better research students in overseas students? Or why do we not have nobel prize winners? Why do we not have great corporations? Why do we not have breakthrough inventions? Are we a society that has become contented with being mediocre?

[SAHM_TAN]

Maybe we have become a civil servant country and change is difficult for such a big organisation.


My eldest will be in the MOE education soon, I’m still finding my way.

[2ppaamm]

Tell you another story. I have a friend whose son was selected by an Australian English teacher to say the pledge in school. He is only in P2. The family was so happy and the little boy practiced hard for that special day.

Then, the form teacher and principal found out about it and changed the pledge sayer, because my friend’s son was not the top student. My friend went to school to reason with the principal and form teacher, that this really hurts the boy, and why should only the top boy be eligible to say the pledge? She also asked that the school consider letting her son go on with this, and then implement their policy in future. Of course she didn’t manage to get her point across. What do parents understand, notwithstanding she has a post grad degree in psychology.
My friend then met with this Australian teacher at a later time and asked about the situation. The teacher just said she couldn’t do much, and she was so happy to leave the job as a teacher. She said, "I’m leaving so that I can live." Found it so funny. Good teachers leave, leaving those who are happy with status quo to stay. I pondered and concluded where all great teachers end up - better money as tutors. Intelligent individual choice. Poor kids.

[SAHM_TAN]

insider:

emmm...this forum maybe one of the worst places for you to find your way coz you are likely to 'learn' the wrong things! Hahaha....

Your eldest seems to be in good hands. When I am in mood, will meet you at Hong Wen thread to share with you more. I owe Hong Wen a great tribute for giving my two elder kids wonderful and unforgettable primary school lives for solid six years (despite also having 'bad' teachers around)...

:rotflmao:

I think this forum helps to let me work out my anxiety and then I try to be the parent I want to be, does it make sense?

I have good gut feel about the school. My DH likes the P.

I just need to tame my inner demon

[daisyt]

Its not that our kids are not better but our education system suppress their thinking and views. Our kids are quite smart though… They know what can be said and what cannot during discussion in class in order not to be marked. What types of model answers the teachers want to hear. Even you want to raise your view on issue you disagree, must do it the right way and not the left way. I love to listen to her telling me about their lesson on Singapore Studies and the type of so called model answers and how the classmates behave in this lesson. Must salute these 15 year old kids!

[verykiasu2010]

so now I am thinking whether to send the kids out from singapore after their sec 4 and sec 2 respectively …

[SAHM_TAN]

verykiasu2010:

so now I am thinking whether to send the kids out from singapore after their sec 4 and sec 2 respectively ....

seriously?

[verykiasu2010]

SAHM_TAN:

verykiasu2010:

so now I am thinking whether to send the kids out from singapore after their sec 4 and sec 2 respectively ....

seriously?

seriously!!
in order not to be \"boxed up\" in their thinking by the system