S'poreans to get priority for P1 places during balloting

[phoenix]

Chenonceau:

Just to put things in perspective, I think this Priority for Singaporeans is an easy political win. It is more difficult to rewrite textbooks, beef up online educational resources (youtube... shared documentation etc), reduce teacher turnover, revamp incentives and disincentives for schools.


This Priority to Singaporeans is a short term first aid plaster on a wound that eases some pain for people who have the vote (SC). It hurts the PR (and most of all the Malaysian PR who've been here all the while) but well... they don't have the vote, so too bad for them lor... The solutions that will REALLY strengthen the educational system for the years that will be lived by our grandchildren is not this easy change written in 2 minutes into policy papers.

This is a political card and it strengthens NOT the system in any way.

Over time, if MOE decides to strengthen the minimum quality in all its
schools... and ensure better consistency of quality in education, then the SC & PR priority becomes irrelevant. We're getting hot under the collar about a political sweetener.... The issue is not how pure we are as Singaporeans.
The issue is how quality in poor schools can be leveled up so that schools are less discrepant in their delivery of education.

And here we are scolding each other for Genetic Purity... It distracts from issues of real importance. IMHO. :siam: :siam:
:siam:

:goodpost:

[iRabbit]

Chenonceau:

And here we are scolding each other for Genetic Purity... It distracts from issues of real importance. IMHO. :siam: :siam: :siam:

Whatever it is, using the term 'impure' to describe other people's children is way out of order. It's insulting and terribly rude; and there's simply no excuse for this.

[blessed777]

limlim:

zakashi:

Is this not a forum about Singaporean to get priority for P1 places during balloting?

yes.. but it seems to be deviating into different \"Grade\" of Singaporean....

And that doesn't sound good.....

just like soya sauce got different grade :evil:

[Chenonceau]

FQW:

Chenonceau:

And here we are scolding each other for Genetic Purity... It distracts from issues of real importance. IMHO. :siam: :siam: :siam:

Whatever it is, using the term 'impure' to describe other people's children is way out of order. It's insulting and terribly rude; and there's simply no excuse for this.

This is true. In addition, I would imagine that such thinking was the origin of the Holocaust. We've all said it at one point or another. I didn't wanna repeat. For me, pure/impure distinction is a distraction from more substantial matters. It's bad enough that it insults... it's worse when it both insults and distracts from more substantial issues. :sick: :sick: :sick:

But well... let's move on and forgive lor... the people (I can't remember whom) who started these may have proposed these thoughts and after hearing from different parties, may now have revised their opinion? That is what we do here, no? Learn from each other's perspectives? We all disagree sometimes. It should not leave behind a bitter aftertaste.

Most people have posted that they dun like the notion of different grades of Soyaporeans... oops... Singaporeans. We've all also had a great time laughing at the notion from the perspective of every major historical era from Abraham through Sri Vijaya right down to Ah Meng. The point is clear lah... :imcool:

So... :xedfingers: Peace.

[Funz]

It was really disturbing and upsetting reading a fellow Singaporean posting those suggestions. The forum has been rife with anti FT sentiments that I personally find a tad distasteful but this thing about citizens this is beyond distasteful. And you are right. It distracts from the original issue.


I am very much heartened that majority do not hold such thinking and I hope that the people who initially suggested this consider their stand carefully. I believe goatee is right in asking us to reflect. The things that I am reading these days make me feel that we are an ugly intolerant a bunch of bigots.

Ok back to the issue. This priority thing is the easiest to implement and the 1st that MOE is giving us in response to our unhappiness. Why can’t we graciously accept this gesture from them and say thank you for hearing us. This is just a first step of many and we hope more of our concerns will be addressed.

[Chenonceau]

We should be gracious and say thank you… but you know… until there is at least an acknowledgment that there is much else left to do, I can’t help but feel that this is not enough.


This is a small scrap compared to what there is still to do (textbooks, e-resources, incentives/disincentives for schools, minimum quantity of handouts from schools if textbooks cannot be re-written) from a Ministry that styles itself world class.

If this is all, then it is not enough. If this is a sign of better things to come, then yes, I will be grateful. Personally though, whilst I have written my support for this move, I am not keen to suddenly start being very grateful/angry until I see more substantive changes.

Or not.

I used to have a great deal of faith. I was 100% sure that the govt would hear and help, and all we needed to do was to dialogue. I have dialogued gently. I have dialogued vigorously. I have dialogued face-to-face and even submitted research proposals, as well as provided names of people who research in Teacher Quality. As a citizen, I have put in time (free of charge) and been very sincere in my dealings and dialogues.

Finally, I have dialogued to the point of online misbehavior (for which I cringe)… only to hear "All Schools are Good". I am sorry to say that I no longer have 100% faith and trust in the government I voted for and encouraged everyone I knew to vote for. I no longer have 100% faith and trust in the government that I vigorously defended simply because I was grateful for 50 years of bounty. I am afraid (afraid, not certain) that this government suffers from System Calcification… and it cannot change what needs to be changed… and it has too much pride to admit that textbooks are insufficient.

Through all this, I speak for myself. I can understand your perspective (I used to be there). It speaks well of your character that you would urge "thankfulness" and "gratefulness". It shows a clean and pure heart with an aversion to violence and evil. But I confess… I cannot bring myself to be very grateful for this, knowing there is much more to do.

I know being grateful is the nice/right thing to do. But I just can’t… at the moment.

[Chenonceau]

Funz:

I am very much heartened that majority do not hold such thinking and I hope that the people who initially suggested this consider their stand carefully. I believe goatee is right in asking us to reflect. The things that I am reading these days make me feel that we are an ugly intolerant a bunch of bigots.

:goodpost:

[resgmom]

I also agree with this author, which I suspect from her name, is one of the newly converted Sg Citizen as well. She'd made excellent points. Though her claim \"永久居民就没有任何机会上大家所谓的“名校”或相对较好的学校\" is not true since PR can still enter the earlier phases through PV/alumni/community connections.


http://www.zaobao.com.sg/yl/yl120403_004.shtml

小一报名新措施弊大于利 - 刘嘉虹

　　最近看到教育部公布关于小一报名的新措施，公民有绝对的优先权报名，而永久居民只能在公民“选剩”的学校就读。我虽然是公民，却认为这项措施从几个方面来看是极为不明智的。

　　首先，我们看到的是“小的量变”和“大的质变”的关系。本来永久居民报小一的数目在所有报名者中只占非常小部分，而且，公民有两次抽签权，永久居民被选中的概率就更小了。不会很大程度上对公民造成威胁，即使他们退出，给新公民补充上去的空位也是非常有限的，我说这项措施对公民来说是一个“小小的量变”。而对永久居民来说，确是一个“很大的质变”，即永久居民就没有任何机会上大家所谓的“名校”或相对较好的学校。从有小小的机会，到完全被拒之门外，这个“重大的质变”就会使永久居民或想要移民的人对这个教育制度失去信心。

　　其次，这项措施给人的信号就是，我们新加坡不欢迎外国人来这里定居。想要移民新加坡的人，就是冲着这里安全的社会环境和良好的教育环境而来的，而且他们并不是为自己，更重要的是为下一代。国际投资大师罗杰斯，就是一个例子，试想一下，在他还是一个永久居民身份其间，他的两个女儿完全没有机会上“名校”，尽管他已经买了乌节路的房子，但他只能被迫选择邻里学校，试问，他还会考虑移民新加坡吗？可能他都不会选择当永久居民。这个措施的实施，会让有能力移民的人望而却步。

　　第三，新加坡真的不需要海外移民和外来人才了吗？虽然我们看到新加坡政府正在试图关注更多国人的利益，比如改善交通状况，提供更多有趣的去处，提供更多的就业机会，改善老年人的医疗福利制度，照顾弱势群体等等。这些举措我们都看到了，都会支持，在下一届的大选，我还会支持现任政府。但是，如果一味地讨好选民，牺牲了国家长远发展和竞争的能力换来的固步自封和自以为是，我认为是非常不可取的。政府在批准外国人为永久居民的时候，就是考虑他们的资金、技术和人才等方面的优势，相信他们会给国家和社会做出贡献才批准他们成为永久居民的。而这个社会却没有给他们一个相对公平的待遇和竞争环境，他们还会来吗？

　　最后，我想提一下双语教育。李光耀先生发起的双语基金获得了社会的积极响应，培养双语人才，要从孩童时期抓起，小学教育更为重要，它帮助奠定一生的语言基础。如果小学校园里有来自不同国家的“小人才”，这个多元种族的校园活动一定会更加丰富，至少我们可以期待学校组织的各种语言的辩论赛会更为精彩。学生相互激励，学习双语的兴趣会更为浓厚，这往往会比学校花更多的金钱建立更多的设施来学习语言还更为有效。

　　吁请政府切勿矫枉过正，要以国家大局的长远利益出发，让我们的国家以更好的制度来吸引和包容外来人才，这样，我们的国家才能在竞争激烈的国际环境中绽放自己的光彩。

[limlim]

Chenonceau:

But well... let's move on and forgive lor... the people (I can't remember whom) who started these may have proposed these thoughts and after hearing from different parties, may now have revised their opinion? That is what we do here, no? Learn from each other's perspectives? We all disagree sometimes. It should not leave behind a bitter aftertaste.

Most people have posted that they dun like the notion of different grades of Soyaporeans... oops... Singaporeans. We've all also had a great time laughing at the notion from the perspective of every major historical era from Abraham through Sri Vijaya right down to Ah Meng. The point is clear lah... :imcool:

So... :xedfingers: Peace.

Ya..

But I'm disappointed that some is calling for the thread to be locked bcoz it may get \"ugly\"..

like you said \"Learn from each other's perspectives\"..

I feel the discussion shd continue.

[Funz]

Chenonceau:

We should be gracious and say thank you... but you know... until there is at least an acknowledgment that there is much else left to do, I can't help but feel that this is not enough.


This is a small scrap compared to what there is still to do (textbooks, e-resources, incentives/disincentives for schools, minimum quantity of handouts from schools if textbooks cannot be re-written) from a Ministry that styles itself world class.

If this is all, then it is not enough. If this is a sign of better things to come, then yes, I will be grateful. Personally though, whilst I have written my support for this move, I am not keen to suddenly start being very grateful/angry until I see more substantive changes.

Or not.

I used to have a great deal of faith. I was 100% sure that the govt would hear and help, and all we needed to do was to dialogue. I have dialogued gently. I have dialogued vigorously. I have dialogued face-to-face and even submitted research proposals, as well as provided names of people who research in Teacher Quality. As a citizen, I have put in time (free of charge) and been very sincere in my dealings and dialogues.

Finally, I have dialogued to the point of online misbehavior (for which I cringe)... only to hear \"All Schools are Good\". I am sorry to say that I no longer have 100% faith and trust in the government I voted for and encouraged everyone I knew to vote for. I no longer have 100% faith and trust in the government that I vigorously defended simply because I was grateful for 50 years of bounty. I am afraid (afraid, not certain) that this government suffers from System Calcification... and it cannot change what needs to be changed... and it has too much pride to admit that textbooks are insufficient.

Through all this, I speak for myself. I can understand your perspective (I used to be there). It speaks well of your character that you would urge \"thankfulness\" and \"gratefulness\". It shows a clean and pure heart with an aversion to violence and evil. But I confess... I cannot bring myself to be very grateful for this, knowing there is much more to do.

I know being grateful is the nice/right thing to do. But I just can't... at the moment.

Heheh.

I don't mean fall over ourselves in gratitude lah. I mean to acknowledge the gesture as it is. A gesture of goodwill to smoothen some ruffled feathers. I won't even call it an effort cos it does not take much to do this.

I am no idealist and no I am not delusional. The govt does not have a perfect score card in my books. This step is not going to solve the P1 registration woes. The way I see it, not at all. And seriously, there will never be a process that will please everyone in this P1 registration process. Look at all the debates going on for and against, alumnis, clan, distance, etc, etc. Can argue until cows come home and out again and still no consensus.

Your beef with MOE is beyond P1 registration. Your efforts to be heard and to effect change is commendable. The tactics you have employed is interesting. From logical and gently persuasive to, being caustic and confrontational and dare I say, irritatingly persistent and event at some point flippant (dun :torchme: ok? :please: ). I admire your conviction and even if MOE moves only that 1 inch in the direction you are trying to shove them into, it will lead to great improvements for teachers, students and parents alike.

100% faith in the govt, nah, my 100% faith is reserved for something else.

Nope, not an idealist, not delusional, just a pragmatist with a fair dose of optimism to keep me going.