Primary school maths: A vicious circle (from TODAY May 8)

[cherryc]

Next time we can ask the mps or ministers who had tuition before and can you imagine practically everyone raises their hands.


Anyway, not only we didn’t have tuition, we also spared our parents from many things like looking around for tuition centres/tutors, pay lots of money , change tuition centres /tutors if not suitable , ferry us and wait for us to finish tuition 4 times a week. In addition , our parents don’t have to frequently discuss with their friends how to solve Maths questions , what are the good guidebooks etc. They dont get worried so often or frequently scold us for not knowing how to do maths questions that are not properly taught in school . I always tell my mom how I envy her life !

[Chenonceau]

cherryc:

Next time we can ask the mps or ministers who had tuition before and can you imagine practically everyone raises their hands.


Anyway, not only we didn't have tuition, we also spared our parents from many things like looking around for tuition centres/tutors, pay lots of money , change tuition centres /tutors if not suitable , ferry us and wait for us to finish tuition 4 times a week. In addition , our parents don't have to frequently discuss with their friends how to solve Maths questions , what are the good guidebooks etc. They dont get worried so often or frequently scold us for not knowing how to do maths questions that are not properly taught in school . I always tell my mom how I envy her life !

http://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/forum/viewtopic.php?p=767804#p767804

[J and J]

:xedfingers: :xedfingers:

sunflower:

Mychildren:

At present, there is no way to tell whether a child underperforms because he is not taught (and has no access to the material)... or because he just can't handle the material. No one is asking for 100% comprehensive textbooks... but one certainly does not expect the textbooks to document only 20% of what one needs to know for PSLE. Seriously, to do well in school exams, one hardly needs to flip the textbooks at all. They are really BASIC, as you put it.


Many children who ARE capable are NOT fulfilling their potential because they are NOT taught the material (and their parents DON'T give them tuition)... It's almost like a beehive where some bee larvae are fed Royal Jelly because they are the designated Queen Bees. The quantity and quality of the educational material our children are fed with... do have a bearing on their PSLE results.
by Chenonceau

:goodpost:

GOOD POST & WELL SAID!!!
Totally AGREE with you!

I've been sourcing materials for my children now. No point depending on the school. :hugs: :spank:
Parents of p1 & 2 won't feel a sting now. They'll know it as children progress from p4 onwards. Wait for the school to do something, by the time my children already finished their PSLE lo....... Got to take action before it's too late. Sigh, my job lo...... :sick:

Err...I think not only parents of children in schools who don't seemed to provide the necessary materials who are giving extra stuff to their children, being kiasu, parents of branded schools are doing the same as well, boosting their children's performance with enrichment and tuition, despite the schools having done their part in teaching and giving extra resources (as believed by many parents).

:grphug: :imconstipated:

[oxyleo]

http://www.asiaone.com/News/Latest%2BNews/Singapore/Story/A1Story20120523-347701.html


PM LHL reiterated yesterday at a CDAC celebration that the government will continue to enable social mobility, especially through education.

I sincerely hope they can figure something out sooner rather than later.

[Chenonceau]

J and J:

:xedfingers: :xedfingers:

sunflower:

Err...I think not only parents of children in schools who don't seemed to provide the necessary materials who are giving extra stuff to their children, being kiasu, parents of branded schools are doing the same as well, boosting their children's performance with enrichment and tuition, despite the schools having done their part in teaching and giving extra resources (as believed by many parents).

:grphug: :imconstipated:

And because branded schools' parents give enrichment, the PSLE standards and school tests must pander to the extra things rich kids learn at enrichment?

Just because rich parents do it, the system must follow their lead... and create a situation where the whole nation needs to go engage tutors to keep their kids from failing?

[Chenonceau]

oxyleo:

http://www.asiaone.com/News/Latest%2BNews/Singapore/Story/A1Story20120523-347701.html


PM LHL reiterated yesterday at a CDAC celebration that the government will continue to enable social mobility, especially through education.

I sincerely hope they can figure something out sooner rather than later.

He can reiterate all he likes. If he cannot control his MOE, it's just an empty promise made for the sake of the By Election.

[Pen88n]

Chenonceau:

J and J:

:xedfingers: :xedfingers: [quote=\"sunflower\"]
Err...I think not only parents of children in schools who don't seemed to provide the necessary materials who are giving extra stuff to their children, being kiasu, parents of branded schools are doing the same as well, boosting their children's performance with enrichment and tuition, despite the schools having done their part in teaching and giving extra resources (as believed by many parents).

:grphug: :imconstipated:

And because branded schools' parents give enrichment, the PSLE standards and school tests must pander to the extra things rich kids learn at enrichment?

Just because rich parents do it, the system must follow their lead... and create a situation where the whole nation needs to go engage tutors to keep their kids from failing?[/quote]It has progressed to a stage of either provide enrichment, if not, provide external good materials and coach yourself, or at least give materials to kid if kid is motivated enough to learn on his / her own.

[BeContented]

Chenonceau:

J and J:

:xedfingers: :xedfingers: [quote=\"sunflower\"]
Err...I think not only parents of children in schools who don't seemed to provide the necessary materials who are giving extra stuff to their children, being kiasu, parents of branded schools are doing the same as well, boosting their children's performance with enrichment and tuition, despite the schools having done their part in teaching and giving extra resources (as believed by many parents).

:grphug: :imconstipated:

And because branded schools' parents give enrichment, the PSLE standards and school tests must pander to the extra things rich kids learn at enrichment?

Just because rich parents do it, the system must follow their lead... and create a situation where the whole nation needs to go engage tutors to keep their kids from failing?[/quote]Hi Chen.....
sometimes I wonder.....what should the school do. What do I want?

DS school sets rather easy paper....so easy that you find >5 score 100% (even at P5/P6) & many others in range of 90-99 in his class. But from 3rd/4th class, you start seeing in range of 50s and failures...some horribly low. So should the school set even easier questions so that more can pass? Doing so, you'll increase the number of students scoring high too.....but is that a true reflection of the standard? When I asked DS teacher how to improve, reply was \"he is very good already, no need to do anything\". Worried and unhappy that school standard is so low, that was how I was prompted to look for better school cos I know DS had lot more potential & can excel given the right 'environment' But I tried once....he didn't get offered and I left it as it is, I hope it's the right decision.
PS : While he is scoring in his current school, when doing top school exam papers, there's gap of 10-25 marks.


Younger DD managed to transfer to a better sch which I believe is known to set tough papers. Come every exam, I start to worry for her......and get to hear all the complaints about the school for setting such tough papers.

So in all honesty.....that balance to set paper of right standard is very hard to find. We are dealing with whole spectrum of kids with different abilities.....what is right for you may not be for me. It's not easy to get the right balance and please everyone. :love:

[Pen88n]

Chenonceau:

oxyleo:

http://www.asiaone.com/News/Latest%2BNews/Singapore/Story/A1Story20120523-347701.html


PM LHL reiterated yesterday at a CDAC celebration that the government will continue to enable social mobility, especially through education.

I sincerely hope they can figure something out sooner rather than later.

He can reiterate all he likes. If he cannot control his MOE, it's just an empty promise made for the sake of the By Election.

Education is no longer a level playing field. People who has deep pockets have ability to get enrichment / materials for their kids to give them the edge. The starting point is getting ridiculous with even babies are exposed to expensive brain training courses!

[Laura02]

I’ve been reading up on the effects of helicopter parenting on the internet. It’s interesting and it explains why I hear of job applications from the parents of the job applicant - not the young person applying for the job, but their parents. And performance reviews that get feedbacked to the parents, who then "discuss" the performance review with PR dept.

The implications scare me - if our society as a whole moves to churn out over-protected young adults.