Teachers from India join S'pore schools

[nansk]

optimistforum:

I am shocked, as I read all posts in this 17-page thread. A lot of it borders between intolerance and racism. It smacks of \"Keep Singapore Singaporean, for pre-defined indigenous Singaporeans\". Equally shocking for me, I have engaged in discourse, on this forum, with some of the posters


....
I am curious btw. I hope to visit Singapore soon. Are there many Indians there. Would I feel out-of-place if I visited? Ought I to bother? It is a genuine question!

Regards

Please don't let the racist attitudes demonstrated on this thread keep you away from visiting Singapore. It is a great place to visit and, as a tourist, you will be welcomed and treated with respect. (We need your dollars and pounds, you know. :evil: )

Singaporeans are not more, or less, racist than any other people in the world. Indians can be just as racist (even with Indians from other states). Haven't Indian parents in the UK ever balked when their daughters acquired non-Indian (or non-South Asian) boyfriends?

Singapore is not more racist, but rather, it is 'race-conscious', due to being a multi-racial society. So there are more 'generalizations' (i.e. stereotyping) of other races (especially the minority races) as in, \"Indians are like this,\" and \"Malays are like that.\" But overall, the people here have learnt to more-or-less live peacefully beside each other. Even if they feel less-than-cordial towards each other, their 'attitudes' will only be displayed anonymously on online forums, never face-to-face.

So don't let the posts in this thread deter you. Come on over to Singapore!

[optimistforum]

[quote]Nansk wrote: Even if they feel less-than-cordial towards each other, their 'attitudes' will only be displayed anonymously on online forums, never face-to-face. [/quote]
Sadly, they are expressing their real feelings online, and being hypocritical face-to-face........

Also, some views expressed by the Kiasumasters on this thread, are odd to me. I somehow expected a little more impartiality from them........

[nansk]

optimistforum:

[quote]Nansk wrote: Even if they feel less-than-cordial towards each other, their 'attitudes' will only be displayed anonymously on online forums, never face-to-face.

Sadly, they are expressing their real feelings online, and being hypocritical face-to-face........

Also, some views expressed by the Kiasumasters on this thread, are odd to me. I somehow expected a little more impartiality from them........[/quote]I get your point, and would urge you not to let it affect your mood or decision to visit Singapore. Although a person may be a 'kiasumaster' here, in real life, they are just normal people, with a normal person's opinions (right or wrong) and prejudices. Please don't let a normal person's base opinions expressed online prevent you from expanding your own world and experiencing a new country.

Also, the very fact that people cannot openly express racist views (and must resort to anonymous forums to do so,) shows that the establishment in Singapore is working towards becoming a tolerant and inclusive society.

Look at it this way: you (and your children) have a chance to open your mind to a new culture and be a better person after the experience.

[optimistforum]

Nansk, I still shall visit Singapore. There is after all a local Indian population there, and so I should not feel out of place, unsafe or unwelcome… I hope!!!


I just did not expect ca 98% of posts on here, from educated, civilised and enlightened Kiasu members to purport such views. I do agree that foreigners to any land should wholeheartedly assimilate into local society, and to add cultural, and economic value to it.

Anyway the matter is closed now, otherwise I may come across as a whinging Anglo-Indian polemic.

[HAPPYH]

resgmom:

I agree with laughingcat. When you look at the best Eng Lit teachers at the top schools, many of them are ethic Indians (interestingly, my Eng Lit teachers that are Chinese, all married Indian guys..haha). They do not have any disernable accents. I guess we do not disagree that many Indians have high English standards. We're just doubtful on the kind of teachers Sg is attracting. I think it's the same case with the Chinese teachers from China. I have a feeling that the best of the best will not come to Sg. They'll either stay in China/India (because they love their country and will want to contribute to the education of children in their own country), or they'll be attracted to the West with higher pay and higher living standards.


In short, we should continue to attract our native Singaporean to be teachers, who, because of their love for their motherland, would have a higher chance to be the best they can be, to pour their hearts out, to teach the local children. This rational should be the same all around the world.

I will be happy if this is really true. Of course, some are really dedicated. I do not deny that fact. Unfortunately, I did not come across the good one yet.

[cimman]

HAPPYH:

resgmom:

I agree with laughingcat. When you look at the best Eng Lit teachers at the top schools, many of them are ethic Indians (interestingly, my Eng Lit teachers that are Chinese, all married Indian guys..haha). They do not have any disernable accents. I guess we do not disagree that many Indians have high English standards. We're just doubtful on the kind of teachers Sg is attracting. I think it's the same case with the Chinese teachers from China. I have a feeling that the best of the best will not come to Sg. They'll either stay in China/India (because they love their country and will want to contribute to the education of children in their own country), or they'll be attracted to the West with higher pay and higher living standards.


In short, we should continue to attract our native Singaporean to be teachers, who, because of their love for their motherland, would have a higher chance to be the best they can be, to pour their hearts out, to teach the local children. This rational should be the same all around the world.

I will be happy if this is really true. Of course, some are really dedicated. I do not deny that fact. Unfortunately, I did not come across the good one yet.

I'm afraid I have to agree with you. The ones that pour their hearts out belongs to the minority or have started up their tuition agencies. Of course it doesn't help that our local teachers speaks singlish in school and we have our Miss Boomz, a by product of our education system.