Real reason behind Singapore’s obsession with tuition
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verykiasu2010:
This is a good post. Your examples are well-chosen and convincing indeed. I agree that parents have a part to play.if you think your child may not make it academically, you will be thinking about alternatives, then before long, the alternatives will materialise and come to past, a self fulfilling prophecy
if you think your child is able to handle it, you expect him/her to be able to do it, if not you would be wondering why, finding out why, finding solution to to it
mind set, expectation, paradigm, motivation, environment-setting, brought-up, parenting, etc etc are many aspects that contribute to the academic \"success\" or otherwise of a child. School and aptitude are just two of many aspects
indulging parents who shower their kids with electronic toys, games, excessive video and cartoon & TV watching are doing much harm before they realise it
smart kids who were praised when they played e.g. video games well will soon get addicted to it and before the parents realise it, they are inextricable from the addiction, casing much harm and conflict in the parent-child relationship, and all coaching and tuition for studies are just pouring money down the drain as the heart is on the games not on the books. they find excitement elsewhere. seen enough of this. blame the school ? blame the teachers ? blame the \"tuition culture\"? I would say, blame the parents!
in another case, the parents have high expectation and when the child was not \"performing\" to expectation, they wondered why, finding out the causes, and were shocked to discover some impairment. fortunately they were kiasu and rich and could afford costly early intervention. that child is now among the top students in an IP school. Most parents would have indulged that the child is taking a little longer to develop --- by then the window of early intervention would have been gone and the impairment would have set in permanently and won't be able to achieve what the child has achieved today. Mind set & expectation.
the above is just two examples. there are others.
the MOE / education system may not be perfect to everyone's satisfaction, but parents need to reflect too.
Nonetheless, there are also responsible parents whose kids don't even watch TV, let alone play computer games nonstop... Ian Tan Yong Hoe, myself etc... blindsided by a system that expects parents to teach academics. Now that the high alert has gone out, more parents are aware and fewer are blindsided... but it doesn't change the fact that we still have to teach our kids in lieu of the school, which can't cope.
We have done no wrong... been good parents... gave our kids emotional support and only denied (and still deny) tuition simply because we feel that children should be able to manage their work in school without tuition or parent coaching. This teaches self-reliance and independence. We are shocked that the school tests so far ahead of what it can manage to teach... and now we know that WE must teach academics too on top of character education and emotional support. -
If PSLE test what was taught, I doubt the demand for tuition would be that strong.
You're talking about one school setting easy paper, whereas I'm talking about MOE setting manageable paper for PSLE, and all school teach what is to be tested at PSLE, and PSLE to be testing what the schools teach. It totally different issue. And if different schools paper difficulty varies so much, then, it is MOE's deficiency.. They should try to make it similar level.
And for the last part, I totally disagree.
I don't see that many student having tuition for or try to take S paper just because it gives an advantage of some sort. Do you?
Look at GEP? GEP is totally different from S paper, and IMO, GEP is undesirable!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]
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Imami:
Hopefully, the drastic drop of students attending tuition means the education system has improved such that schools have taught well enough so that the kids do not need to learn the basics or extra from tuition centers. The trend is alarming and the more successful the tuition centers are, the more it means our education system has serious flaws.cherryc:
\"thing will change for the better\" meaning there will be drastic decrease of the current >90% of students attending tuition.
Oh I thought u meant a change in education system. If the above, all the more I don't think there will be a change, already someone is saying ip students are taking o level as a back up so that they have something to fall back on should they don't do well at the end of ip. I believe tuition or any form of supplementary help is here to stay.
Maybe MOE should reward schools with the least number of students having tuitions and give the teachers extra year end bonus ! -
Teo la, teo la, that’s what I think. While genes, environment, up bringing etc play important role, I can’t really control how my child will turn out. I can show him all the doors but I can’t walk on his behalf. I need to tell myself that my child may not be able to make it in the academic rat race so that I don’t kill myself and my child in the rat race. But avoid the race? No, I want to and I hope my child will have the courage to join too. My motto has always been - do your best. If my child’s best is 51/100, ok I will try to make peace with that. But if his best is perfect score but he only get 98, I won’t be happy because that’s not ‘his best’.
Academic pursuit should not become the only goal. Whether he is going to be an engineer, accountant, mechanic or repairman, I hope he be happy earning his keeps and being good in his job. -
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atutor2001:
If they are of any use , there will be no one in this forum.
hmm............................ interesting point..... -
cherryc:
Thanks Melodies! Sometimes it is quite worrying seeing the \"holes\" becoming more and getting bigger as the years go by. And when these \"holes\" get reported in the news, the reply is always please get around the holes by \"seeking alternative paths\" !! But people already drop into the holes wonder how to seek alternative paths ? We parents have to constantly build planks or find detours to let our kids go up from one level to another. If more concerned parents are aware and question about the \"holes\" and request that we want a happy and effective path for our kids, maybe things will change for the better??
Plenty of wisdom behind these 4 simple words \"happy and effective path\".
It is certainly a path (IMHO) many parents are hoping for instead of \"alternative paths\" & \"we cannot stop parents from sending their kids to tuition\".
I really hope someone influencial from our government understands what these 4 simple words mean than the overused \"holistic education\" that seems more like a lip service for certain schools (e.g., CCAs accepting only students with school team potential, compulsory after-school/holidays \"supplementary classes\" for most students). A good start would be to understand why > 90% is having tuition (if MOE thinks it is not so high, let us know what is the actual %). Yes, other factors contribute to the tuition phenomenon but certainly the current education system is a key contributing factor too. Why dismiss it as \"can't stop parents?\" and not listen to constructive feedback (I have read quite a few from various people) and try to improve the situation? -
limlim:
Totally agree. A university professor told me that in university where he is teaching now, the lecturers work \"backward\" meaning they set the exam papers and will check through their coursework that the students are adequately taught, no surprises for the students. Some questions will be set harder to differentiate the smart ones but they make sure the students have sufficient materials to learn and are being taught. He is surprised that in primary schools when the kids are so young, they/ their parents have to scramble around for tuitions, assessment books, notes to grasp the full scope of PSLE syllabus and the kids are not taught systematically from the basics. He thinks that if he is in the current system, he doubts he will ever be a professor.If PSLE test what was taught, I doubt the demand for tuition would be that strong.
You're talking about one school setting easy paper, whereas I'm talking about MOE setting manageable paper for PSLE, and all school teach what is to be tested at PSLE, and PSLE to be testing what the schools teach. -
Imami:
I don't know how valid is the figure, or whether the score is high or low..
The scores seem very low. As a parent, by reading the above para, it makes me think this way - to get beyond 220, my child need tuition or additional help.
But if what you typed is the situation now, then, something is wrong with the education system..
Since when did tuition became a necessity to good grades....? something is very, very wrong..... and need fixing!
It should never have been the case! -
limlim:
I agree with your first sentence! 83% of parents feel that unabridged PSLE past years' papers help to reduce our kids' stress and workload:-If PSLE test what was taught, I doubt the demand for tuition would be that strong.
You're talking about one school setting easy paper, whereas I'm talking about MOE setting manageable paper for PSLE, and all school teach what is to be tested at PSLE, and PSLE to be testing what the schools teach. It totally different issue. And if different schools paper difficulty varies so much, then, it is MOE's deficiency.. They should try to make it similar level.
http://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=35434&start=40
The BIG issue is, MOE does NOT release EXACT PSLE past years' papers, so no one knows what EXACTLY PSLE tests.
So top schools' past years' papers are very popular now. I cannot imagine how many kids and how much time they are spending on these past years' papers on top of their usual school workload, assessment books, tution/ enrichment worksheets, ...
To make it worse, parents might believe that the standard of these top schools' past years' papers is the PSLE standard.