Education as an equalising instrument for society
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kaka:
While I empathisize with his situation and celebrate his late bloomer success, I have a different perspective. Becos of the IPs, he can get 5A1s becos the IP kids do not take O levels. The bell curve is completely different should the IPs take O levels ie old system. So under old system, he may have been 'eliminated' or dropped in the education game immediately after O levels eg can't get in JC/good poly. Also what constitutes his 5 As? Not clear - not necessarily 4As in core H2, could have some As in GP, project work, H1 etc. If so, isn't that the grades of an average JC student? And an average student in PSLE but late blomer in sec sch would have achieved that in old system w/o IP too. Pardon me if I sound cynical but I believe everything has two sides to the story. When he criticize IP, he didn't realize it has actually helped him indirectly....
It saddens me to read that \"a child's fate to be determined when he is merely 12 years old\".
:scratchhead:
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Chenonceau:
Teach better. No one would complain if the gap between what is tested and not taught, were small. It's all a matter of degree. The gap between what is tested and not taught is far too large.
I totally agree with this! -
I do not believe a child’s fate is determined at 12 yos or for that matter at any age.
If a child does not perform well in PSLE, the parents are just heart pained that the child will need to go the tougher and less uncertain route.
If a child performs well, the parents just have more confidence that the child will do well later on. It’s always good to feel more confident then to feel uncertain. So the key is how to let a child learn to "fight" when the odds are against him/her. How to see the opportunities and possibilities.
I’ve been thinking alot recently, the problem of believing that education is the tool to success is that I’ve limited my choices for my kids. I’m not saying I will relac, relac about the education thing but that even with limited resources and capability I must open up more mental windows. Not sure if I’m making sense. I’m just exploring a thought, an idea.
It’s interesting that ST has published the article. -
SAHM_TAN:
Doesn't sound dumb to me. My DD made a reasoned decision to not apply to Ivy league universities in the USA even though all her friends are applying. I was at first concerned that it might be because she thought herself not good enough without even trying... but then she told me that she wanted a less stressful education... wanted to be a little more laid back, and explore other things, because there is more to life than graduating at the top of the class in the top university of the top country, and then lose one's job overnight because one worked at Lehman Brothers.
I've been thinking alot recently, the problem of believing that education is the tool to success is that I've limited my choices for my kids. I'm not saying I will relac, relac about the education thing but that even with limited resources and capability I must open up more mental windows. Not sure if I'm making sense. I'm just exploring a thought, an idea.
Who knows... maybe she and I will regret this decision later... Haha!
For the present, good enough to get a job is good enough for me... and there should be time to make friends, explore other areas... My carpenter left school to go to ITE. Today, he owns a SGD$7 million workshop with yearly turnover of a few million. -
Your carpenter must be really skillful and have commonsense.
The secret is to find something that you are really good at.......then commercialised it for HUGE profits :rotflmao: -
SAHM_TAN:
Makes plenty of sense.I do not believe a child's fate is determined at 12 yos or for that matter at any age.
If a child does not perform well in PSLE, the parents are just heart pained that the child will need to go the tougher and less uncertain route.
If a child performs well, the parents just have more confidence that the child will do well later on. It's always good to feel more confident then to feel uncertain. So the key is how to let a child learn to \"fight\" when the odds are against him/her. How to see the opportunities and possibilities.
I've been thinking alot recently, the problem of believing that education is the tool to success is that I've limited my choices for my kids. I'm not saying I will relac, relac about the education thing but that even with limited resources and capability I must open up more mental windows. Not sure if I'm making sense. I'm just exploring a thought, an idea.
It's interesting that ST has published the article.
I will push my kids, sometimes quite hard, but at the end of the day, the piece of paper is just a piece of paper. If they are good, they will succeed, regardless of how many A's they scored, and vice-versa.
Which is why I am sanguine about how the system is. My kids get enrichment in only one subject, mother tongue, for 2 hours a week. -
[quote]
Makes plenty of sense.
I will push my kids, sometimes quite hard, but at the end of the day, the piece of paper is just a piece of paper. If they are good, they will succeed, regardless of how many A's they scored, and vice-versa.
Which is why I am sanguine about how the system is. My kids get enrichment in only one subject, mother tongue, for 2 hours a week.[/quote]There is more than 1 way to success and values are much more impt than scores on a paper.
So students with better values, e.g. hardworking, honest, never-say-die, resilient, respectful will and may translate these values to whatever they are doing - e.g. exams - grades, etc
Sometimes the rich remain rich and the poor remain poor not because of the innate wealth but because of the values transferred...
But having said that, parents are the ones that translate the values.
So you all, being members of a forum called 'kiasu'parents, should do all right, correct? -
Joule:
There is more than 1 way to success and values are much more impt than scores on a paper.[quote]
Makes plenty of sense.
I will push my kids, sometimes quite hard, but at the end of the day, the piece of paper is just a piece of paper. If they are good, they will succeed, regardless of how many A's they scored, and vice-versa.
Which is why I am sanguine about how the system is. My kids get enrichment in only one subject, mother tongue, for 2 hours a week.
So students with better values, e.g. hardworking, honest, never-say-die, resilient, respectful will and may translate these values to whatever they are doing - e.g. exams - grades, etc
Sometimes the rich remain rich and the poor remain poor not because of the innate wealth but because of the values transferred...
But having said that, parents are the ones that translate the values.
So you all, being members of a forum called 'kiasu'parents, should do all right, correct?[/quote] :goodpost: -
get the first and most important thing right, i.e teach - impart knowledge and nurture, and do that as a priority in terms of your resource and time .
certain policies are implemented not because it please everybody , but becos it is good for the majority , it does not matter if the majority know it, or like it .
But, if one is not doing what his or her primary job is, this person is a free-rider and taking advantage of the system , knowing full well that they have a very good chance of getting away with it, shame on them.
When you are paid to go on stage to address a group of people, it is not just about what you say, it is ultimately what the majority of the group of people get out of that talk. If they dont, you are not doing your job.
Fortunately for the speaker, he will get paid for it nonetheless .
Time is differant thing to differant people. In the real world most do not have the luxury of time and time, and time again.
If you are working in the real world, you would know that academic excellence is not the end, it is a mean to the end. If anything, the people who are doing really well, most do have good results and a good degree, but only a small number have excellent results.
So, my point is not about getting that A star.
My family and I have spent some years abroad, working, schooling and living life . I missed Singapore terribly during those years when we do not know for sure when we will be returning .
Because we have the benchmark for comparison, we know what we have, and what we do not have. When the opportunity came for us to return, we had no second thoughts .
If the family is the core of the society, then, education is at worst, a close behind. It not just about knowledge and mental abilities . In the course of education, the young ones are expose to the good, the bad, and the ugly .
They will either learn the good, or they may learn from the bad and the ugly. Be it they teachers, or the parents.
The illusion that the education system have no major flaw is, in itself an illusion. -
Thanks 3Boys.
I'm still trying to find my balance
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