Real reason behind Singapore’s obsession with tuition
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limlim:
So eliminate ALL forms of selection?
Getting passionate teachers is something that MOE can't really control..BeContented:
I often wonder......
So how do we get motivated teachers? And in the great number that we require for the education system to teach smaller classes?
Sometimes I will equate teachers to the ministers......one needs the 'passion to serve'. But how many of such people are around, still around? Passion = cannot increase pay/selfless/sacrifice......but how many can sustain such passion for long term?
Can you? Have you been 'serving/sacrificing' for your passion esp. for others?
I can't. I dun have the ability. I have not. And neither have I been teaching my kids to have this selfless/serve the nations value system. :oops:
So I :salute: those who are willing to do it.
:siam: :siam:
However, settings standards is something within their control.
What I feel is, the school should test what their teachings can deliver. If they cannot teach so much, don't test so much.
So what if 90% of the students got an \"A\". It simply means 90% can absorb what was taught and apply according.
The problem with the current \"elitist\" education system is, they not want to just make sure the students are \"educated\", but rather, they try to single out the \"elites\" from the average.. hereby creating a rat-race situation where everyone tries to be in front of the race, and employing whatever help or advantage that they can lay their hands on.. such as enrichment classes.
If their aim is to educate the nation, then, as long as the student can manage what was taught, they can score 100% (for e.g.). And, if the parents find their kids can score 100%, why would they spend extra on tuition if their kid is 1 of the 20 or so \"100 marks students\" in a class? with this system, the need for tuition would disappear by itself.
Teach what is necessary. Test what is taught.
100% = no need for tuition?
Sorry, but I seriously do not believe so. I have kid in lousy school, when DS score 100% for P6 SA1 maths + a few others....my first thot was paper too easy. Teacher confirmed that the standard was not pegged to PSLE to make kids happy. Yap, kids happy but parents?? All you'll hear from parents are
- paper easy so results not realistic/reflective, must do difficult paper ie. top school paper etc. (why do you think top school papers are such a top-seller??)
I also know some other top students....who score >95% but yet tuition all 4 subjects...cos' paper easy mah but yet never get 100% plus sooooo many others also score so well.
Every year the top students from P1-4/5 apply for transfer to better schools ie. schools that set difficult exams = higher standard.
Every year, loads of parents (some exceptions of course) die die must try to send their children into these top schools irregardless of distance despite knowing the school sets tough exams.
Ironical ?? :roll:limlim:
Ummmm. Either rid of ALL means of identifying or the vicious cycle will just continue. As long as there is any chance of being 'better'.....parents will find means to put/squeeze/force/train their kids for such programmes. Just look at GEP....
Maybe, they can offer additional subjects/papers to identify gifted students. But these subjects/papers would not be factored into secondary school or university admission. Something like \"S\" paper for A levels. You can leverage on it for scholarships etc.. but it is not taken into account for university admission.
Guess I'm one of the broken record with a minority view.
Will try to revert back to be a silent reader........ -
verykiasu2010:
Aiyo VK2010, optimistforum may catch no ball what you mean by singlish since he is a foreigner... May I have the honor to give you some examples :
welcome to explore our singapore system ...... our england all returned to england alredi and now we practise singlish ....optimistforum:
Hi Melodies
I am from England. I am also a \"he\". I am trying to get involved, in some form, of reviewing the English National Curriculum.
Our Singlish. What it mean
Can lah. - Yes
Can leh. - Yes. of course
Can lor. - Yes, I think so.
Can hah ? - Are you sure?
Can hor ? - Are you sure then.
Can meh ? - Can or not?
Can can. - Confirm.
Can gua. - Maybe.
Can liao. - Already can / Done
Can wor. - Yea.
Can liao la. - ok, enough.
Ok can liao la... better :siam: fast before moderator catch me for :offtopic:
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fightingmom:
Aiyo VK2010, optimistforum may catch no ball what you mean by singlish since he is a foreigner... May I have the honor to give you some examples :
welcome to explore our singapore system ...... our england all returned to england alredi and now we practise singlish ....verykiasu2010:
[quote=\"optimistforum\"]Hi Melodies
I am from England. I am also a \"he\". I am trying to get involved, in some form, of reviewing the English National Curriculum.
Our Singlish. What it mean
Can lah. - Yes
Can leh. - Yes. of course
Can lor. - Yes, I think so.
Can hah ? - Are you sure?
Can hor ? - Are you sure then.
Can meh ? - Can or not?
Can can. - Confirm.
Can gua. - Maybe.
Can liao. - Already can / Done
Can wor. - Yea.
Can liao la. - ok, enough.
Ok can liao la... better :siam: fast before moderator catch me for :offtopic:
[/quote] :rotflmao: :rotflmao: good one. can can. pass liao. -
Hi fightingmum
Can lor.......... :imcool: -
fightingmom:
Aiyo VK2010, optimistforum may catch no ball what you mean by singlish since he is a foreigner... May I have the honor to give you some examples :
welcome to explore our singapore system ...... our england all returned to england alredi and now we practise singlish ....verykiasu2010:
[quote=\"optimistforum\"]Hi Melodies
I am from England. I am also a \"he\". I am trying to get involved, in some form, of reviewing the English National Curriculum.
Our Singlish. What it mean
Can lah. - Yes
Can leh. - Yes. of course
Can lor. - Yes, I think so.
Can hah ? - Are you sure?
Can hor ? - Are you sure then.
Can meh ? - Can or not?
Can can. - Confirm.
Can gua. - Maybe.
Can liao. - Already can / Done
Can wor. - Yea.
Can liao la. - ok, enough.
Ok can liao la... better :siam: fast before moderator catch me for :offtopic:
[/quote]alamak, your england teacher will have your singlish canned, or he will cane you, failing which he will have you canned :evil: :evil: -
BeContented:
So eliminate ALL forms of selection?
Getting passionate teachers is something that MOE can't really control..limlim:
[quote=\"BeContented\"]
I often wonder......
So how do we get motivated teachers? And in the great number that we require for the education system to teach smaller classes?
Sometimes I will equate teachers to the ministers......one needs the 'passion to serve'. But how many of such people are around, still around? Passion = cannot increase pay/selfless/sacrifice......but how many can sustain such passion for long term?
Can you? Have you been 'serving/sacrificing' for your passion esp. for others?
I can't. I dun have the ability. I have not. And neither have I been teaching my kids to have this selfless/serve the nations value system. :oops:
So I :salute: those who are willing to do it.
:siam: :siam:
However, settings standards is something within their control.
What I feel is, the school should test what their teachings can deliver. If they cannot teach so much, don't test so much.
So what if 90% of the students got an \"A\". It simply means 90% can absorb what was taught and apply according.
The problem with the current \"elitist\" education system is, they not want to just make sure the students are \"educated\", but rather, they try to single out the \"elites\" from the average.. hereby creating a rat-race situation where everyone tries to be in front of the race, and employing whatever help or advantage that they can lay their hands on.. such as enrichment classes.
If their aim is to educate the nation, then, as long as the student can manage what was taught, they can score 100% (for e.g.). And, if the parents find their kids can score 100%, why would they spend extra on tuition if their kid is 1 of the 20 or so \"100 marks students\" in a class? with this system, the need for tuition would disappear by itself.
Teach what is necessary. Test what is taught.
100% = no need for tuition?
Sorry, but I seriously do not believe so. I have kid in lousy school, when DS score 100% for P6 SA1 maths + a few others....my first thot was paper too easy. Teacher confirmed that the standard was not pegged to PSLE to make kids happy. Yap, kids happy but parents?? All you'll hear from parents are
- paper easy so results not realistic/reflective, must do difficult paper ie. top school paper etc. (why do you think top school papers are such a top-seller??)
I also know some other top students....who score >95% but yet tuition all 4 subjects...cos' paper easy mah but yet never get 100% plus sooooo many others also score so well.
Every year the top students from P1-4/5 apply for transfer to better schools ie. schools that set difficult exams = higher standard.
Every year, loads of parents (some exceptions of course) die die must try to send their children into these top schools irregardless of distance despite knowing the school sets tough exams.
Ironical ?? :roll:limlim:
Ummmm. Either rid of ALL means of identifying or the vicious cycle will just continue. As long as there is any chance of being 'better'.....parents will find means to put/squeeze/force/train their kids for such programmes. Just look at GEP....
Maybe, they can offer additional subjects/papers to identify gifted students. But these subjects/papers would not be factored into secondary school or university admission. Something like \"S\" paper for A levels. You can leverage on it for scholarships etc.. but it is not taken into account for university admission.
Guess I'm one of the broken record with a minority view.
Will try to revert back to be a silent reader........ [/quote] :goodpost: -
Melodies:
Hello!Hi Imami,
Which sec school they are in now? Do they attend tuition class now? Did they attend any tuition class during primary school?
They are in one ip in the very western part of sg. I thought I better not name the school... Since they are not my children.
They don't attend tuition at all, not since pri1. But both had at least one enrichment class during primary school years. One is piano and the other is math. -
It’s hard to get people to be teachers…it’s even harder to keep them with such long hours of teaching/marking books with a pathetic pay. Not to forget,
HODs constantly breathe down their necks with targets.
Singaporean parents are obsessed with tuition bcos we cannot do without tutors. Regarding this issue of testing what is taught in school. Schools cannot even teach the basic ‘skeleton’. How can students build on what is taught at home? How can students pass school exams?
Everyone is hard pressed for time. -
It puzzles me. Each child spends about 5 hrs per day x 5 days = 25 hrs per week in school. 25 divided by 4 and that is 6.25 hrs per subject per week. They spend an average of less than 2 hrs per subject per week for tuition. Yet the impact from tuition is so great. Something is very wrong with the school environment or the teaching method.
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I guess we all spend a lot of time tutoring or kids at home. I certainly do.
I am shocked at one thing though. I get the feeling, frm recent posts, that Singapore educaton success is mostly attributable to out of school tutoring rather than the perceived quality of your schools. Am I right? I thought your schools were world-class.