Child Underperforms Because Tested Above Cognitive Level

[corneyAmber]

doodbug:

Bottom line is, tuition and enrichment, regardless of the providers, be it commercial entities or one's parents, are necessary to doing well, or some say coping, within the current system.

This is true and therein lies the big problem we are trying to solve.....for the majority.

[corneyAmber]

Daddy

And most if not all MOE schools have these awards...

Singapore Quality Class
Best Practice Award (got a lot of sub categories)
School Distinction Award
Sustained Achievement Award (also got a lot of sub categories)
Excellence in Partnership
And many more...

Pretty meaningless.... :slapshead:
No motivation to change or do anything different, when the system has rewarded and recognize itself as the best.

Reward is ok but after the praise, must cascade the suitable best practices across the board ma.....they stop short at reward and praise.

[janet88]

ksi:

Daddy

Pretty meaningless.... :slapshead:

No motivation to change or do anything different, when the system has rewarded and recognize itself as the best.

Reward is ok but after the praise, must cascade the suitable best practices across the board ma.....they stop short at reward and praise.

Yup...enough of self-praise.
It makes our hair stand even though THEY don't feel it.

[doodbug]

ksi:

doodbug:

Bottom line is, tuition and enrichment, regardless of the providers, be it commercial entities or one's parents, are necessary to doing well, or some say coping, within the current system.

This is true and therein lies the big problem we are trying to solve.....for the majority.

And this problem leaves me rather clueless. Don't get me wrong, better textbooks and making enrichment resources available to all is a DEFINITE POSITIVE step. But I don't think this will solve the enrichment problem. Because enrichment centres are enterprising - they will evolve to carve a niche in tailoring teaching and resources to the child's individual learning need, and they will improve on the delivery of information and exam skills to the child. The demand for enrichment will be insatiable so long as (1) enrichment centres do contribute to some degree to a child's PSLE result; and (2) society and the system weighs the PSLE severely.

Therein lies the fundamental problem to me - the PSLE counts for too much. Noone will take a risk with the PSLE - and even if all enrichment centres do is to babysit one's child to spend his time constructively, parents will still send the kids for enrichment. It is an investment. Because who wouldn't want to give his offspring the best shot at the PSLE? It determines the schooling environment for the next 6 years! And some would say, the rest of the educational journey!

[Chenonceau]

Don't Teachers realize that it is their inalienable right to have access to educational materials to teach with without having to write them personally? Would a farmer ask an odd job labourer to hoe the soil without providing a hoe?


MOE is in a single country. It's Teachers don't share teaching resources. It's schools don't share teaching resources. Why? Households are fast getting open net. Mindef gives its recruits laptops. MOE does not have a e-sharing platform that would cost a fraction to set up today compared to the system we set up to link up 66 offices worldwide. Why?

MOE has been sleeping all these years, and it still thinks it is world class. MOE management was busy getting Teachers to serve that it forgot that they need to serve the Teachers too.

[doodbug]

Chenonceau:

doodbug:

Making textbooks more comprehensive *or more adequate) necessarily means adding to the content of the current textbooks, and many teachers themselves may feel unconfident of having to cover more syllabus? Especially teachers of weaker classes? I'm not sure - just wondering aloud. This is because, there are many good resources available that everyone seems to know of (like onsponge math, TAS's creative writing book etc) that are in the market and are accessible to all teachers. Some schools and teachers require that students procure extra books beyond the textbook. Some school-based proprietary material exists, and structurally, I can understand why schools and teachers selfishly keep them to themselves, because they want to help their own kids and they are measured on this count. It is their hard work. At the same time, there are enterprising enough current and former teachers who have devised resources for the market.

I think there's nothing stopping teachers from churning out their own resources, and we should encourage them to, because they are they ones who can customize best to their students' learning needs. It is our good fortune if our children are taught by such dedicated teachers. Speaking of which, a gold-prized worksheet to one student, might be useless to another student. It is not just the resource per se, but how it is presented and whether it is suited for the child's learning need at that point in time.

At the same time, I believe there is a need to 'level the playing field' in a sense that the syllabus requirements must be refined, updated and true to what it will test. Secondly, the MOE should publish sample or equivalent questions. Third, never mind if MOE curriculum specialists have no time or are unable to produce good resources. A database of good learning resources, even endorsing those created by commercial entities, should be made available to everyone.

Poor teachers are probably overwhelmed - esp those who have to handle multiple subjects.

Another :goodpost:

Doodie... keep on writing. You write beautifully and you think clearly. Write more. Start a blog. Write to the press. Write here. Write in other forums or facebook.

I hardly write - but I've been hollering on your blog! And my writing is...too serious

[Chenonceau]

doodbug:

I hardly write - but I've been hollering on your blog! And my writing is...too serious

This is a serious matter.

[Chenonceau]

doodbug:

Noone will take a risk with the PSLE - and even if all enrichment centres do is to babysit one's child to spend his time constructively, parents will still send the kids for enrichment. It is an investment. Because who wouldn't want to give his offspring the best shot at the PSLE? It determines the schooling environment for the next 6 years! And some would say, the rest of the educational journey!

See below beanbear's sharing (parts in red) that fleshes out your statement in red above.

beanbear:

This brings back memories for me. I was the only kid from my Sec 4 class who didn't make it to JC and I recalled having so much self-doubts. During my 3-yr Pre-U centre, I remembered how inadequate the materials we were given to help us learn the A level syllabus because we were housed in a Secondary school (a well-know one some more) and we were made to feel like the \"unwanted step-sister\" bringing down the reputation of the more famous secondary school. Some of our teachers were Secondary School teachers who taught both O level & A level. Those of us who want to survive and do well for the A levels for a shot at University will have to rely on our sheer determination, find resources on our own. I still remember scoring an A for my literature test paper, and my teacher asked me if I had copied the essay from someone. He gave me an A while doubting that if I was truly capable. A few people had cheated in the class and the entire class was made to resit the test. I still got my A. Till this day, I realize that the world will be filled with people who doubt your ability to shine once you're labelled \"slower\" by the system, placed by a system to a \"lesser-able\" track and really the system will not give adequate resources to even give you one leg up to compete on fair grounds.

I remember every week I went to the National Library in search of materials for readings that will help me to my A level papers because at school there were none.

Lo and behold, at the A Levels, I actually scored really well and went to NUS. There I saw many \"JC\" students with all the previous enriched learning environment but few could articulate their own opinions about issues. By the time I went to my 4th year in university, I was thrilled to find 3 other students who had also gone through a miserable 3 pre-u programme and through their grit and hard work made it to University and honours year.

Why am I sharing all this? What made my path turn out right in the end? One thing my parents did right was give me the very-much needed tuition for some Pre-U subjects because I could barely survive with the inadequate teaching & resources. 2nd thing- they really send me the message that it's really up to me to get what I want in life. They had hopes for me to get to university but knew the odds were stacked up against me. Finally, my sheer grit and my belief in myself - my self-worth was dented by what the system had delivered me but I believed that I really wanted to get to university and it was up to me to get whatever resources and help I needed to get through.

The above explains why parents won't take risks with PSLE. Add to that that HR policies in many companies are structured such that companies are not allowed to give ITE grads promotions, despite the fact that they CAN do the job better than others, unless they upgrade themselves to a better qualification. See sharing below from this thread - http://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/forum/viewtopic.php?p=706680#p706680

Joule:

Translation:

\"If everyone go and get diploma, then who is going to deliver my pizza?\"

is similar to:

\"If everyone can move up, we will not have enough ITE graduates out there in the workforce,\"

I was sort of 'mocking' that way of thinking.

However...however...

I think (I cannot say for you ah, only my own opinion) the workplace - especially GLCs are extremely cruel to ITE grads (only ITE cert) in terms of pay increment and benefits.

I know of friends and my subordinates who with ITE cert work 5 - 7 years still pay only less than 2k, then all the foreigners come in and get 2k ++ due to S-pass for similar job. Some more the foreigner english not so good, work ethnic not so good, anyhow take MC, still get higher pay.

I oso want to promote one of my best guys with higher Nitec to 'engineer' but HR say 'CANNOT! Engineer MUST have Dip minimum' and they do not want to pay this guy engineer payscale. And this guy also don't want to do cos more overtime but no overtime pay.

So I stand there suck thumb. In the end a 'foreigner' got it because no one internally to fill.

you hear oredi you pek chek or not?? This is the sort of crap ITE holders face in the workplace at starting level.

Then they all cannot get a place in Poly. So how? Borrow money from here and there and study part time at night and get a diploma la!

If you are from ITE, your life is not destined to deliver pizza...unless you let it!

By the way, got 1 electrician with ITE cert went to my house to fix my light. $190 for 1/2 hr work. Better than tuition I say

Unless we fix the educational system, the poor will remain poor. I hope more Daddies realize this and speak up. Fix the problem UPSTREAM so that our children can inherit a kinder and more equitable future. We need Daddies to speak up. We need Daddies to help protect our children.

[janet88]

doodbug:

Therein lies the fundamental problem to me - the PSLE counts for too much. Noone will take a risk with the PSLE - and even if all enrichment centres do is to babysit one's child to spend his time constructively, parents will still send the kids for enrichment. It is an investment. Because who wouldn't want to give his offspring the best shot at the PSLE? It determines the schooling environment for the next 6 years! And some would say, the rest of the educational journey!

PSLE is the first TRUE milestone for a child. No parent will want to take the risk to go easy...to ignore those intensive courses, tutors, enrichment centres to get the best shot at it. It's not the face value of the parents but the child's self-esteem for the next 4 years (assuming we are looking at O levels).

I've decided to go easy for CA1 (and the feeling takes the stress off) because my son's school will set a VERY difficult paper. No point getting all stressed up for this.

[corneyAmber]

doodbug:

ksi:

[quote=\"doodbug\"]

Bottom line is, tuition and enrichment, regardless of the providers, be it commercial entities or one's parents, are necessary to doing well, or some say coping, within the current system.

This is true and therein lies the big problem we are trying to solve.....for the majority.

And this problem leaves me rather clueless. Don't get me wrong, better textbooks and making enrichment resources available to all is a DEFINITE POSITIVE step. But I don't think this will solve the enrichment problem. Because enrichment centres are enterprising - they will evolve to carve a niche in tailoring teaching and resources to the child's individual learning need, and they will improve on the delivery of information and exam skills to the child. The demand for enrichment will be insatiable so long as (1) enrichment centres do contribute to some degree to a child's PSLE result; and (2) society and the system weighs the PSLE severely.

Therein lies the fundamental problem to me - the PSLE counts for too much. Noone will take a risk with the PSLE - and even if all enrichment centres do is to babysit one's child to spend his time constructively, parents will still send the kids for enrichment. It is an investment. Because who wouldn't want to give his offspring the best shot at the PSLE? It determines the schooling environment for the next 6 years! And some would say, the rest of the educational journey![/quote]Yes I agree with you that it will not stop enrichment but at least reduces TUITION. Enrichment is for people who want extra and willing to pay and can pay, which is precisely what the commercial people are targeting at. Tuition becomes a must because children cannot cope. However, if more children can cope after getting better support for both teachers and children and twigging the exams to be majority testing what has been learnt in class and some concepts application ones, then I think Tuition can be greatly reduced and for those who cannot afford tuition to get a better level playing field. If all these are done sufficiently and parents still flog to tuition centres like bees to honey, then the issue is no longer the system.....it's more like an addiction then. Btw, have you an idea for an alternative to PSLE that can be objective testing? Maybe that can drive a change you want to see.