All Schools are GOOD Schools

[Chenonceau]

I am not surprised. I teach adults. Unless you’re a grad, Singaporeans cannot write English. This is the result of years and years of pouring resources to help the best get world class but leaving the masses to plod along. The Finnish however, work towards a small variance between top scores and bottom scores but tries to level the WHOLE workforce UPWARDS to a high average.


This differentiation between top and bottom can be seen immediately in the differences between
(1) GEP resources, mainstream resources and normal stream resources
(2) top secondary schools VS other secondary schools
(3) top JCs VS other JCs

There is some drive this year to even out these differences by the Straits Times’ refusal to showcase the top scorers and top JCs at this year’s A levels. This is encouraging but the damage of the past 2 decades has been done. Let us hope that MOE will henceforth really even out the distribution of educational resources and not concentrate copious amounts of it at the top schools.

Next, there is issue in the past 7 years with Teach Less Learn More. Those of us who speak and write good English at home will teach it to our kids. Teachers EXPECT parents to carry the academic load. Too bad if you don’t speak and write good English at home… the school doesn’t teach sufficiently.

Look at our best, we are world class. Just because 2 students every year get into Harvard… and one gets into Princeton does not make us a world class educational system. Look at our masses and let me tell you that I mark exam scripts written by working adults that no one can understand.

[alng]

Chenonceau, I totally agree with you except for the part on grads as many grads do not write and speak well too. There are employers who have provided feedback to the universities that the fresh business graduates do not know how to write appropriately. They use smses and email languages to write formal reports. Business graduates are known to be better in communications, as compared to other graduates.

[MummyThreeStreams]

I agree that the language skills of many of our grads leave much to be desired. At one time, I was involved in recruitment. One applicant (bless her initiative) decided that in order to stand out from the rest of the candidates she would write essays on various topics for our reading pleasure. It was an exercise in "how to use the most bombastic words, with the most complicated and illogical syntax, in as long a sentence as possible, without really making any point of real substance". She was a graduate. I could not hire her as good writing skills were a job requirement. The sad thing was that many of the applicants fared no better. They may come with good grades, but at the interviews, they just could not express themselves well enough.


I hope it will be different for my son’s generation. But I hear from mums with older kids that the use of fancy words is highly valued. I hope it is not at the expense of logical thought and clear language.

[jedamum]

MummyThreeStreams:

I agree that the language skills of many of our grads leave much to be desired. At one time, I was involved in recruitment. One applicant (bless her initiative) decided that in order to stand out from the rest of the candidates she would write essays on various topics for our reading pleasure. It was an exercise in \"how to use the most bombastic words, with the most complicated and illogical syntax, in as long a sentence as possible, without really making any point of real substance\". She was a graduate. I could not hire her as good writing skills were a job requirement. The sad thing was that many of the applicants fared no better. They may come with good grades, but at the interviews, they just could not express themselves well enough.

maybe for these applicants who use bombastic words, they do not have the access to external training to brush up their writing skills and what they have learned are all self taught?
if so, it goes to shows that the process of learning is not as significant when compared to the end results cos at the end of the day, it is the results that interviewers are looking for. time to send kids to etiquette/writing/speech course and what not to learn how to make that first impression? :skeptical:

[alng]

[quote=\"jedamum]maybe for these applicants who use bombastic words, they do not have the access to external training to brush up their writing skills and what they have learned are all self taught?

if so, it goes to shows that the process of learning is not as significant when compared to the end results cos at the end of the day, it is the results that interviewers are looking for. time to send kids to etiquette/writing/speech course and what not to learn how to make that first impression? :skeptical:[/quote]

I think it is not an issue of language/writing skills but the appropriateness of writing / language use in that context.

[Chenonceau]

I have to teach them to write well enough to communicate at work. Work communication is very important for work performance. Some of the scripts I mark are incomprehensible. All the words are in English but the paragraph holds no meaning because sentences don’t link… ideas don’t develop. We’re not even talking about sophisticated vocab… we’re talking about using simple words in a way that make sense.


My DS can write better… and yet, these are people who have completed primary and secondary education. Our best are truly world class. My DD has confirmed offers from top US universities (not the very very top… but close)… but then our masses?

[1amber]

Chenonceau:

This is the result of years and years of pouring resources to help the best get world class but leaving the masses to plod along.

Absolutely agree with that. :hi5:

[marvic]

So if our education system does not encourage creativity, does it mean we cannot find ways to teach or instill creativity in our kids? Anyone can suggest some ways for us to do that outside of the system? I am also quite concerned about my kids being educated into grown ups who know only how to follow rules, respect authority etc…

[doodbug]

PiggyLalala:

[I feel the same too. Please stop asking principals to go out and keep parents informed of NEW and INTERESTING things that the schools have done. All these showcasing and exhibitions took up too much time. It is all for show and it is not necessary at all. I would rather let the teachers to have more time to prepare their lesson and do their markings. Also the use of IT or ipad etc, does not necessarily mean that the students will be more engaged or understand the lesson better. Sometimes, good textbooks/guidebooks and the old fashion way of teaching 'talk and chalk' can be equally effective too.

A didactic lecture, delivered by skilled orators, can be very powerful and inspiring. Gadgets and gizmos are sometimes more distracting than anything else else, if the oral delivery is good. IT/ipad should never replace the role of a teacher, and I hope teachers do not outsource teaching and learning to certain software!

Some teachers are bringing P1/P2 kids to computer labs, and find that it takes up half to a full period to ensure that everyone is successfully able to log in on the PC and a certain software.

[marvic]

doodbug:

PiggyLalala:

[I feel the same too. Please stop asking principals to go out and keep parents informed of NEW and INTERESTING things that the schools have done. All these showcasing and exhibitions took up too much time. It is all for show and it is not necessary at all. I would rather let the teachers to have more time to prepare their lesson and do their markings. Also the use of IT or ipad etc, does not necessarily mean that the students will be more engaged or understand the lesson better. Sometimes, good textbooks/guidebooks and the old fashion way of teaching 'talk and chalk' can be equally effective too.

A didactic lecture, delivered by skilled orators, can be very powerful and inspiring. Gadgets and gizmos are sometimes more distracting than anything else else, if the oral delivery is good. IT/ipad should never replace the role of a teacher, and I hope teachers do not outsource teaching and learning to certain software!

Some teachers are bringing P1/P2 kids to computer labs, and find that it takes up half to a full period to ensure that everyone is successfully able to log in on the PC and a certain software.

I hope it's just to allow students exposure to IT as a working tool, and not to replace teachers. It's good to be exposed to IT from young, since we are living in an IT world. No choice.