Would Minister Heng read the thread on North Vista Pri ?

[concern2]

verykiasu2010:

concern2:

Yeah, have been paying lots of extra 'S$2', 'S$5', even 'S$10' since P1. E-learning lah, enrichment lah, all need to draw cash from us if there's not enough in Edusave. Never tried to say no before, although I did wonder if this is the result of 'Teach Less Learn More' - outsourcing to Computers and other Enrichment vendors.

you can always don't join the enrichment courses organised by the school and go enroll your own outside of school

so easy to just join the 'bandwagon' slamming \"teach less learn more\"

Slam? Did I sound like I was slamming? If I did, it wasn't my real intention. And no, my kids are taking zero enrichment courses outside of school - in case you have also categorized me into one of those who spend on tuitions n enrichments. Besides, I always give school benefit of my own doubts, hence I never question about all these extra expenses in the first place. Perhaps it is another way of more creative teaching that the schools are adopting? And yes, it is hard cash. What's more, it is not like my child could choose to stay home and do something else - since curriculum time is being used for them.

[verykiasu2010]

MOE = MacDonalds of Education


and even among MacDonalds, the cheese burgers vary in sizes from country to country and also the number of sesame seeds on the buns are also not equal in numbers. and not every fries in every country is made from russet potatoes ...... therefore all schools in singapore even if run by NYPS will still have variances .... :rotflmao: :rotflmao: :rotflmao:

[Nebbermind]

verykiasu2010:

MOE = MacDonalds of Education


and even among MacDonalds, the cheese burgers vary in sizes from country to country and also the number of sesame seeds on the buns are also not equal in numbers. and not every fries in every country is made from russet potatoes ...... therefore all schools in singapore even if run by NYPS will still have variances .... :rotflmao: :rotflmao: :rotflmao:

hmm...like cheating on the 60min expiry time for burger?

[Chenonceau]

verykiasu2010:

MOE = MacDonalds of Education


and even among MacDonalds, the cheese burgers vary in sizes from country to country and also the number of sesame seeds on the buns are also not equal in numbers. and not every fries in every country is made from russet potatoes ...... therefore all schools in singapore even if run by NYPS will still have variances .... :rotflmao: :rotflmao: :rotflmao:

Yeeeeeeeeeeah... I don't disagree with the fact that there will be variance... see below?

Chenonceau:

... which should make it easier to achieve some degree of consistency of quality (even though we know some variation is inevitable).

It's just that right now, the variance is really very wide... one neighbourhood primary school is excellently run but just a few km away, the other neighbourhood primary school is to be avoided. Along the Bukit Timah stretch, one branded school is excellently run and there is another with very poor management. Same with SAP schools.

The MOE should decide whether it wants service consistency or service differentiation. If service differentiation is desired, then don't rotate the Principals at all. Let each Principal mark out the school and build it up (or tear it down). Over the years, each school will develop a reputation. Some, for character education (and give a little on results)... others for stellar results... yet others for work-life balance... and then parents can choose. Then may the fittest and richest survive the competition to get into those schools lor...

At present, you choose such and such school that you believe is such and such... then the Principal changes... and everything changes. NYPS has a strong board and can thus ensure some continuity through the years. So can ACS. In many other schools, it becomes the luck of the draw. If you have a weak Principal... a good school can become mediocre in 1 or 2 years.

So... is service consistency desirable or are we shooting for service differentiation? At the moment, we're neither here nor there... My DS' school has had 3 changes of Principal in the last 6 years... The differences can be felt quite immediately.

[verykiasu2010]

Chenonceau:

..........
At present, you choose such and such school that you believe is such and such... then the Principal changes... and everything changes. NYPS has a strong board and can thus ensure some continuity through the years. So can ACS. In many other schools, it becomes the luck of the draw. If you have a weak Principal... a good school can become mediocre in 1 or 2 years.
....................

this I agree 100%. seen it with my own eyes (for both the good and the bad)

[HVR]

verykiasu2010:

Chenonceau:

..........
At present, you choose such and such school that you believe is such and such... then the Principal changes... and everything changes. NYPS has a strong board and can thus ensure some continuity through the years. So can ACS. In many other schools, it becomes the luck of the draw. If you have a weak Principal... a good school can become mediocre in 1 or 2 years.
....................

this I agree 100%. seen it with my own eyes (for both the good and the bad)

Sometimes we forget it is the quality of the students that make the different. If all good quality students all go to a few schools, how can these few schools fail in term of delivery of results? Well heel parents are known to move mountain and earth so that their children can enter the desired schools. Their children are provided with ideal environment (by both parents and schools) to excel academically and how can these branded schools ever fail? The cycle goes on and it just perpetuate the notion that these schools are really good.

On the other hand, the off springs of normal folks keep ended up at various neighbourhood schools and they can't compete with the branded schools because all quality students already ended up at the branded schools. To make matter worse, the really quality one at the neighbourhood schools will make it through GEP and they also ended up at the branded schools.

To me, it is the quality of the students that make the school.

[Chenonceau]

HVR:

verykiasu2010:

[quote=\"Chenonceau\"]
..........
At present, you choose such and such school that you believe is such and such... then the Principal changes... and everything changes. NYPS has a strong board and can thus ensure some continuity through the years. So can ACS. In many other schools, it becomes the luck of the draw. If you have a weak Principal... a good school can become mediocre in 1 or 2 years.
....................

this I agree 100%. seen it with my own eyes (for both the good and the bad)

Sometimes we forget it is the quality of the students that make the different. If all good quality students all go to a few schools, how can these few schools fail in term of delivery of results? Well heel parents are known to move mountain and earth so that their children can enter the desired schools. Their children are provided with ideal environment (by both parents and schools) to excel academically and how can these branded schools ever fail? The cycle goes on and it just perpetuate the notion that these schools are really good.

On the other hand, the off springs of normal folks keep ended up at various neighbourhood schools and they can't compete with the branded schools because all quality students already ended up at the branded schools. To make matter worse, the really quality one at the neighbourhood schools will make it through GEP and they also ended up at the branded schools.

To me, it is the quality of the students that make the school.[/quote]In secondary school... yes. The students get in by COP. That RI/RJC produces the largest number of top A level scorers is to be expected.

In primary schools, the cohort does not differ when two schools are in the same neighbourhood and drawing from the same HDB population... and yet one is known to be good, and the other is to be avoided... and we aren't just looking at school KPIs and awards. We are looking at the overall experience recounted by Aunties as they walk home from the market.

[Nebbermind]

Chenonceau:

In secondary school... yes. The students get in by COP. That RI/RJC produces the largest number of top A level scorers is to be expected.


In primary schools, the cohort does not differ when two schools are in the same neighbourhood and drawing from the same HDB population... and yet one is known to be good, and the other is to be avoided... and we aren't just looking at school KPIs and awards. We are looking at the overall experience recounted by Aunties as they walk home from the market.

aiyah! we are back at the other thread liao!! :siam:

[Chenonceau]

Nebbermind:

aiyah! we are back at the other thread liao!! :siam:

:?

[verykiasu2010]

Chenonceau:

Nebbermind:

aiyah! we are back at the other thread liao!! :siam:

:?

Does Minister Heng also walk back from the market with the aunties ?