Primary school maths: A vicious circle (from TODAY May 8)
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3Boys:
Nothing wrong, I agreed. Let set this year PSLE maths paper as easy as 1 + 1. The rich and famous will tell you it is majorly wrong as the poor man child can get A* without paying super tuition fee.
I believe there is nothing majorly wrong with our education system at all. -
Chenonceau:
Yes, parents who have kids in the lower primary are unlikely to understand what it's like in P5 and P6. Some of these parents have been quick to dismiss the concerns as kiasuism and advise others to temper their expectations of their kids.
I have noticed that parents who maintain that there is absolutely nothing wrong with our system are usually (not always) highly intelligent parents with kids in lower primary, with time to spare coaching. I wonder what these parents will say when come end P4 and P5... and even P6, their kids fail for no reason other than that tests examine what was never taught because of some theoretical principle that states \"A test where students score 100 is a too easy test. Of course, these parents may teach ahead. They may find it normal to do the school's job... but some will realize that as much as they teach ahead, the school will then test further ahead.
But come P5, P6, what if their kids are in one of those schools that set \"killer papers\" and they discover that their own kids fail their exams together with more than half the class? What if on further analysis of the exam paper, they discover that the kids would not have been prepared for the difficulty level of the exam paper even if they have diligently done school homework and revised school materials? What if this trend of many kids failing continues from term to term? Would these parents be singing the same tune? Would they be tempering their expectations and telling themselves that their kids are destined to fail? -
Are our primary math requirements the "difficultest" among Asian countries? No.
Are our children more stupid than other countries? No
Are our parents the most kiasu? No
So why all the complaints?
Let’s look at how a normal kids will perform with out extra coaching (tuition) and especially without extra materials.
If a child relies solely on works given by school and confine his/her knowledge to the prescribed text books, the child will be lucky to get around an average of 65 marks for the 4 subjects. Translated to T-score, that is about 190 plus for T-score. The child can still opt for express in sec school.
If the teachers are hardworking and provide extra materials, the child will be lucky to get around an average of 75 marks which is a T-score of about 220. He/she can find a more comfortable sec school and will have more well-behaving classmates.
Yes, above are my guesses. However, I can assure you that they are pretty accurate. The question is, why can’t the system provide equal opportunity for all to attain a T-score of above 250 if a child rely purely just on what was covered by the school curriculum. Some will rebut that there are records showing top scorers from poor families with no access to the extras. My answer is "don’t be bullshitted". They may be poor. But they have great parents who sourced for free assessment books and past year papers for their children. Most importantly these few special children are self-motivated and above average in intelligence to do self-study. However, without those extra materials, they will not be able to achieve that score. Therefore, is there something wrong between the amount covered during lessons and that being tested in exams? I think that is what most parents here are upset with. -
atutor2001:
I found the above to be true - without my intervention, my DDs would have been labelled \" mixed ability\" and pulling in 70+ in an easy school. I felt the inequity of the whole scenario - why should my kids be made to feel that they aren't that good? They already have attributes going for them ie obedient, diligent, attentive in class, willing to put in the effort...so I stepped in.Let's look at how a normal kids will perform with out extra coaching (tuition) and especially without extra materials.
If a child relies solely on works given by school and confine his/her knowledge to the prescribed text books, the child will be lucky to get around an average of 65 marks for the 4 subjects. Translated to T-score, that is about 190 plus for T-score. The child can still opt for express in sec school.
If the teachers are hardworking and provide extra materials, the child will be lucky to get around an average of 75 marks which is a T-score of about 220. He/she can find a more comfortable sec school and will have more well-behaving classmates.
Yes, above are my guesses. However, I can assure you that they are pretty accurate. [b]The question is, why can't the system provide equal opportunity for all to attain a T-score of above 250 if a child rely purely just on what was covered by the school curriculum.[/b] Some will rebut that there are records showing top scorers from poor families with no access to the extras. My answer is \"don't be bullshitted\". They may be poor. But they have great parents who sourced for free assessment books and past year papers for their children. Most importantly these few special children are self-motivated and above average in intelligence to do self-study. However, without those extra materials, they will not be able to achieve that score. Therefore, is there something wrong between the amount covered during lessons and that being tested in exams? I think that is what most parents here are upset with.
I've asked the question in Bold before too - but the feedback I gave to the powers that be didn't seem to result in any changes that would be in time for my DDs so I moved on, stepped in and true enough, the DDs were labelled \"HA\" based on their PSLE results.
I now share to spread this message -- the system is one of labels, but you know your child best. Don't let the system label your child and give up on them.
Remember --
\"Labels are for cans - not people.\" - Anthony Rapp -
Some of my P6 students from the same school came back with their Maths results. From what they told me, there's a class with only 1 passed i.e. all failed while another class only 14 passed. The saddest thing to hear was from one of my students: \"Teacher, I give up!\". I looked straight at his eyes and replied, \"I am not giving up on you yet so don't give up on yourself.\" I just took over the class last month from another teacher but I can tell that these students are not dumb. By any standard they are at least of Middle Ability but looking at their Maths results you would really think that they are of Low Ability. They are not slow or dumb for that matter cos they understand what I taught and could follow my lessons very well. I guess they may have a poor foundation and my heart goes out to them. You should see the dejection in their attitude. :sad: :sad:
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My kids are from neighboourhood school, their math paper were set tough too. Saw p5 level math question there, whereby their math workbook don't even have this kind of practices for them. I searched high and low for these kind of questions in my assessment book cupboard but couldn't find it.
Even my p3 was taught one new method which his brother p4 did this year which was not cover when his brother was in p3. They were taught the method, still do not know why need to do it that way. They just follow the method blindly without understanding. Finally, I spend some time to figure it out why need to do it that way and explain to the p4 one. Don't think he still get it.
So I'm wondering why they need to teach the kids this method or that method, why they don't explain the question and steps properly. It's like some form of memorization of which methods to use when you see this kind of questions.
Math should not be like that. We are not creating future generation of robots????
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What is tested is not what is taught
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tutormum:
Some of my P6 students from the same school came back with their Maths results. From what they told me, there's a class with only 1 passed i.e. all failed while another class only 14 passed. The saddest thing to hear was from one of my students: \"Teacher, I give up!\". I looked straight at his eyes and replied, \"I am not giving up on you yet so don't give up on yourself.\" I just took over the class last month from another teacher but I can tell that these students are not dumb. By any standard they are at least of Middle Ability but looking at their Maths results you would really think that they are of Low Ability. They are not slow or dumb for that matter cos they understand what I taught and could follow my lessons very well. I guess they may have a poor foundation and my heart goes out to them. You should see the dejection in their attitude. :sad: :sad:
I spent 10 blissful years at my alma mater and based on \"good\" O-levels\" went to a JC that tested me every week. Juggling 3 sciences with all the lab work -- I just had no time to sit down and digest anything.
The weekly testing system deemed that I belonged to the wrong side of the bell curve and that I was incompetent in quite a number of my subjects.
At the end of the first year, I am sure my name almost made the list for consideration as to whether I would benefit from being retained to repeat the year. In particular, I distinguished myself by obtaining an O-level pass for an A-level subject for Math. My Civics Tutor ( bless his soul) with all good intent gave me a warning of the dire consequences if I were to deliver a repeat performance in Year 2.
The grades showed it, my teacher said it to me... I was no good. Doubt crept in and I started to allow myself to believe that I was a goner especially for Math.
Thankfully, common sense prevailed after a while and since I wasn't benefiting from the teaching at that JC nor the severe testing, I planned my own revision, did just enough so that they wouldn't throw me out of college and duly delivered at the A-levels.
The kids who are dejected this time round from their SA1 results need a big hug, a ton of affirmation and someone to believe in them -- believe in them inspite of what their marks tell them, inspite of what their teachers tell them.
Will you stand in the gap for your kids and tell them that You know THEY CAN, even as everyone and everything else around them says they can't?
Success comes in cans, not cant's. ~Author Unknown
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psle2011mum,
As usual, I like & love your article. I'll stand in the gap, committed, though sometime, need to complain to let out the frustration inside. Even my hubby asked me to get a tutor for my p3 son. I said 'No', who else know him better than I! :roll:
Even I don't know, I'll try ways to learn and teach them. Of course, not to mislead them. -
The Singapore math curriculum is held in high regard in some states in the US. They are using our syllabus. Am I missing out something here?
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