Education as an equalising instrument for society

[Suz855]

Dumb down exam, ha my dd happen to be in such a pri school that exam is a piece of cake as the principal believes that exam should be as easy as a piece of cake ....so guess what when all the kids scoring near perfect score n your kid score 91% do you think it will be good enough. So you think that tuition become unnecessary since now most of the children get almost perfect score (the school doing everything right by teaching less n test dumb) but the fact is majority still goes for tuition n to the premium one since most premium centres love to teach high ability kids n these kids would continue to maintain the near perfect scores .......


Just sharing my 2 cent and I for one do not believe in dumbing the exam as they make our kids seem like super kids or on another hand, 'sxxxxx' kids but they are just typical kids, all capable to learn when they are motivated and given the right input from the school.

:oops:

[3Boys]

Suz855:

Dumb down exam, ha my dd happen to be in such a pri school that exam is a piece of cake as the principal believes that exam should be as easy as a piece of cake ....so guess what when all the kids scoring near perfect score n your kid score 91% do you think it will be good enough. So you think that tuition become unnecessary since now most of the children get almost perfect score (the school doing everything right by teaching less n test dumb) but the fact is majority still goes for tuition n to the premium one since most premium centres love to teach high ability kids n these kids would continue to maintain the near perfect scores .......

So, whose fault is that? The school or the parents?

[kaka]

Nothing will be equal in this world, definitely not education, kids are born with different abilities to start with.


Our system is not bad and everything needs a balance. Where is the balance when kids are all sent to tuitions centres, where parents needs to be almost full scale teachers? Why is outside school help become a norm? Is it the fault of parents or school or the system? I think the system is the current and the rest are following the current. One school, some parents etc cannot change the current.

[Suz855]

Honestly, the fault lies w the one calling the shot … Have learnt after the past 4 yrs to look beyond her report book…just happen to experience 1st hand the pro n cons of dd going throu years n years of dumb exams n sharing it so that people can get another perspective…


Anyway, have enjoyed reading your posts, thks n have a great nite.

[toddles]

3Boys:

toddles:

well i guess my beef is not so much with streaming but with the waste of time on wayang activities.

Well, chill I guess, and take a cold hard look. Yes, there will be some wayang, but is it out of proportion and does it detract from the teaching in any meaningful way? When you were dating your husband-to-be, did you not pause to put on some make up now and then?

Yes if you talk to teachers. They tell me that they waste an inordinate amount of time on these non-teaching activities. MOE is particularly crazy about putting up a whole song and dance. In fact, all the banners outside schools trumpeting their 'achievements' is quite nauseating. It's a SCHOOL not some slimming centre!

Nah, I'm not a make-up person. 自然就是美。:)

[toddles]

kaka:

Nothing will be equal in this world, definitely not education, kids are born with different abilities to start with.


Our system is not bad and everything needs a balance. Where is the balance when kids are all sent to tuitions centres, where parents needs to be almost full scale teachers? Why is outside school help become a norm? Is it the fault of parents or school or the system? I think the system is the current and the rest are following the current. One school, some parents etc cannot change the current.

Agree! Both the school system and parents are responsible for the sorry state of affairs.

[3Boys]

kaka:

Nothing will be equal in this world, definitely not education, kids are born with different abilities to start with.


Our system is not bad and everything needs a balance. Where is the balance when kids are all sent to tuitions centres, where parents needs to be almost full scale teachers? Why is outside school help become a norm? Is it the fault of parents or school or the system? I think the system is the current and the rest are following the current. One school, some parents etc cannot change the current.

That's the biggest misconception, that we have 'no choice' but to send our kids to tuition.

We have a choice. My kids get 2hr/wk enrichment in MT due to their Dad's poor linguistic abilities, they will not get any other tuition. IMO, whilst it may cause them to be a little behind their peers in exam scores, I have every confidence that if they are good all-rounders, they will have no problem in later life. If they are not that good, no amount of tuition is going to change that, and we adapt a different life plan.

So, my question to you, what tweaks in the education system would cause you to stop sending your kids for tuition?

[toddles]

3Boys:

There is a difference when we say \"Education should be an Equalising Instrument in Society,\" vs saying, \"There should be Equality in Education.\" The first, I agree with, a laudable aim, the second....meh....it depends, and in many circumstances I don't even think \"Equality in Education\" is a good thing.

Hmm... I didn't pay that much attention to the title. It's a semantics issue. Don't think the parents here meant that education should be the great leveller. death and traffic lights do that quite well already.

Guess the title was meant to suggest that through our largely meritocratic education system, those who start life with fewer opportunities have a chance to get as good an education as someone born with a silver spoon in his mouth. Which is mostly possible, as you mentioned. Maybe not with all the frills, but for my generation at least, good enough to gain access to similar universities. For this generation, it seems to get harder, as access to good tuition seems to have become a necessity.

It's not just kiasu parents. There are so many people who have shared that teachers came to them and said 'please give your kid tuition in this subject. she is passing but not doing well enough as the rest of the kids in my class, who all have tuition. i can't afford to slow down for her'. One of those who shared this was an ex-teacher herself and was dumbstruck! Her kid was doing okay enough for her, but the teacher demanded that she give her kid tuition!

And in some schools, the standard of mandarin etc is so outta the world that even just to pass the kid has to get tuition. I think I'm pretty ok with pri sch subjects but when my kids' turns come, I have a feeling I won't be able to coach them, even if I'm willing to take the time myself and not throw money at the problem (aka hire tuition teachers cos I'm too busy earning money, which is the stance most parents take), cos it'll be beyond me, simply because the school system has morphed to this highly technical and exclusive system where you have to be a tuition professional to know how to teach basics to a child such that he is seen to be coping and not drowning in school.

3Boys:

At the end of the day, I think it really does not matter too much how well a child does in school. In modern society, generally a bright and intelligent child, will find some way to make it in life. Someone who is less bright, but hot-housed to good grades, may find life a whole lot tougher in adulthood.

That's true. we're going to see a lot of hot-housed kids in the workforce soon. The challenge for us parents is to be keenly aware of the fine line between genuine help to the child, and needless counter-productive hot-housing.

[3Boys]

toddles:

And in some schools, the standard of mandarin etc is so outta the world that even just to pass the kid has to get tuition.

Be careful when you say that around these parts....you might get stoned to death by hardliners as a heretic..... (at least I have)

[toddles]

3Boys:

toddles:

And in some schools, the standard of mandarin etc is so outta the world that even just to pass the kid has to get tuition.

Be careful when you say that around these parts....you might get stoned to death by hardliners as a heretic..... (at least I have)

No lah, I'm sure the mandarin elite have room in their hearts for the potatoes.

Anyway, this is a most friendly forum of parents who are just trying to find their footing on the rockface / feel their way in the dark...

And I'm sure you deliberately rile some ppl up just for fun.