Parents, not enrichment centres, are key to result

[Lynn2010]

Chenonceau:

wonderm:

Actually all mathematically correct methods have always been accepted, including algebra. In my children's time, they also learnt simple algebra in P6.

Thanks for clarifying.

Chenonceau, I was told this too.... by a \"PSLE marker\"

[PiggyLalala]

Lynn2010:

Chenonceau:

[quote=\"PiggyLalala\"]
Btw, the GE also did not teach the kids on solving simultaneous equations.

See lah... that's why my son's ex best friend JJ, in GEP, has to go for tuition too!!!!!!!!

Last year they did teach the GE students simultaneous eq for my dd sch[/quote]You mean there is a worksheet on solving simultaneous equations?

[DesertWind]

insider:

The will power was amazingly strong at that time. So i believe this 'will power' should be residing in every child and given the correct stress, it will be triggered. I saw this demonstration of 'will power' in my eldest daughter when she was 7 and I only saw this in my elder son when he was 16. Current P3 son yet to see.

For me, \"poverty\" was a powerful trigger plus the thought of having to work as a \"samsui woman\" under the hot sun as my mother pointed out to me when I was in K1/2 when I did not hand in my homework! There were constant nagging about money which made me fed up and one day, I decided that I MUST study hard, get a good job, earn money to give my mother so that she does not need to worry anymore!

I started powering ahead from Sec3 especially when I had great teachers in my street-named school. One great teacher is now the current Principal of ACSI (yes, that ang moh!). The teachers during my time were great!

Nowadays, not too sure what would motivate our kids?

[sleepy]

DesertWind:

Nowadays, not too sure what would motivate our kids?

I think it's still poverty... whether real or 'perceived' :evil:

Survival instinct does bring out excellent will power

[2ppaamm]

DesertWind:

Nowadays, not too sure what would motivate our kids?

Maybe tell them if they won't study hard, you will work for that coffee lady from China's son one day?

[Laura02]

Well, I’m happy to see that many of the people in this thread agree that tuition is not as effective as having parental guidance. I teach my kid, myself. And I think its the parents who are best able to judge if their kid is weak or strong in certain areas, and boost the relevant area.

But tuition is so pervasive in our society. I have heard that tuition is even more pervasive in China. And recently I got a shock when I heard that even doctors who are training to be specialist are given "tuition" to pass their exams! In the past, the trainee just worked and studied on their own to get enough experience, see lots of patients, "eat enough salt", to pass that exam.

[2ppaamm]

2ppaamm:

DesertWind:

Nowadays, not too sure what would motivate our kids?

Maybe tell them if they won't study hard, you will work for that coffee lady from China's son one day?

Having said that, motivation is not really an issue with my kids, they are pretty motivated to do well academically. I think that has to do with how they see their education, and how much they were involved in the decision process. Must make them 'own it rather than 'top-down'.

My son likes to say that he is more fortunate than most Singaporean kids because he gets to do what he likes. I guess that is important?

[DesertWind]

DesertWind:

My colleague with a P3 kid told me the school teacher called her and said her girl's Maths was not up to standard, did she send her for tuition? My colleague (who is a PR) asked the teacher, if she thought the girl's Maths not up to standard, then why don't the teacher/school give her remedial lessons? This PR colleague told the teacher, then you do something lah!

To continue on the above story, despite the fact that my colleague thought strongly that the teacher should conduct remedial lessons to help the weaker students, nevertheless, she went around to shop for an enrichment centre at a large shopping mall in the East.

She said by then she had discovered that almost all her girl's classmates and neighbours were having tuition only her girl did not hence she also go look for one.

This large shopping mall in the East had one floor almost entirely covered with enrichment centres. She walked into one to enquire. The manager asked my colleague \"Is your girl looking for tuition or enrichment?\" My colleague replied \"Tuition cum enrichment lah, ya know? Got difference meh?\" The manager said \"Yes, tuition means your girl is weak, needs help. Enrichment means your girl is already good but wants to do more. Ours is an ENRICHMENT centre!\"

:yikes: Wah lau! What a slap in the face for my colleague! And I learnt something new too when I listened to her recount the incidence.

So don't confuse Tuition with Enrichment hor! :heresmyfish:

[phtthp]

so the key question is …

for parents, how to motivate an un-motivated / dis-interested child to adopt a correct positive attitude, willing to learn ?

bec if the attitude is not there - be it come for tuition or enrichment, also no use.

[Lynn2010]

PiggyLalala:

Btw, the GE also did not teach the kids on solving simultaneous equations.

See lah... that's why my son's ex best friend JJ, in GEP, has to go for tuition too!!!!!!!![/quote]

Last year they did teach the GE students simultaneous eq for my dd sch[/quote]

You mean there is a worksheet on solving simultaneous equations?[/quote]

Yep.... abt 2 wks of lessons and i almost wrote a letter of complaint..... Here i was \"kan cheong\" abt prep for PSLE and they seemed so relax and had not started the prep. This was last yr i was talking abt. My dd Sec 1 lah