Real reason behind Singapore’s obsession with tuition
-
tuition_czar:
Kiasu literally means scared to lose, which is equivalent to want to win. Isn't it so?
Nope, I don't see it that way. Kiasu to me, is just that - scare to lose. Its just like \"not bad\" and good. Not bad may not mean good. Not far doesn't literally mean near. -
Kids in top classes are going for tuition to stay at the top. Their grades are in high 90 range...gap difference is like just 0.5 or 1 mark in those classes. My son is hardly anywhere near those kids. I worry for him.
If those intelligent kids need the little push, weaker ones will need double dose.
This crazy idea of 'teach less, learn more' has caught fire. It's dumb.
Schools are not able to teach sufficiently as it is...how can MOE decide to teach less (more like lesser)? No way can it be possible that teaching less will lead to learning more :siao: This is THE reason why tuition industry is booming.
As a parent, I am not asking to 'win everything'. That is KIASU. I know my child's limits.
PSLE is getting harder every year. Parents like myself are afraid and not confident that schools can prepare kids for this BIG exam. The syllabus is so tough that I cannot and dare not coach by myself. Parents who are graduates will also find the subjects very tough. -
When I first heard the \"teach less, learn more\", I was thinking simi lai eh? How can that happen? But I thought to myself,\"ai ya u duno lah... New technology\" but after reading this much, hey - I am not alone leh
-
Imami:
When I first heard the \"teach less, learn more\", I was thinking simi lai eh? How can that happen? But I thought to myself,\"ai ya u duno lah... New technology\" but after reading this much, hey - I am not alone leh
Education is fixed...no new technology one. If MOE wanted to teach less, then don't teach models lah. Use algebra all the way. We grew up and sat for exams using that. Teach these stupid things called models and heuristic :faint:
Hey Imami, don't say that. I also thinking what stupid idea was that...frustrated, yet have to understand this whole thing. Teach less can learn more meh ??? :roll: -
I can’t u derstand that cos by normal logic, without any other influencing factor, teach 100% should end up with learn 100%, if not lesser than 100%. How come can learn more?
I supposed the education is now geared towards self learning or learn more in your own means? But it’s not fair lor. Not everyone has sufficient dough to frank all the supplementarity classes. Not everyone has the time. -
Imami:
1+1=2. Right? If not teaching 100% but yet testing 101%, what logic ?I can't u derstand that cos by normal logic, without any other influencing factor, teach 100% should end up with learn 100%, if not lesser than 100%. How come can learn more?
I supposed the education is now geared towards self learning or learn more in your own means? But it's not fair lor. Not everyone has sufficient dough to frank all the supplementarity classes. Not everyone has the time.
That means schools keep saliva from teaching, you all go find tutors to learn more lor. -
coast:
Hi Coast
Hi atutor2001,
Thanks for sharing
I just found a slide dated 2011 (pg 7 of attachment from http://www.chijpritoapayoh.moe.edu.sg/NWeb/Parents%20Briefing/P6_Briefing_2011.pdf
):-
PSLE Grading System
A* 91 – 100
A 75 - 90
B 60 - 74
C 50 – 59
D 35 - 49
E 20 - 34
U - Ungraded < 20
Would you be able to advise (based on your prior estimates of data you have analysed):-
1) Do you think PSLE awards grades based on above grading system?
2) Do you think the MT's mean is different from the other 3 subjects (Eng, Maths, Sci) since 80++% scored A*/A for MT Vs 40++% scored A*/A for the other 3 subjects?
....
1) Yes PSLE grades are based on the above marks.
2) The means of all the 4 subjects are different, so are their standard deviations. Based on my estimates, the average overall mean (lumping all 4 subjects together) is about 70. The means of math and Chinese are usually higher, more than than 70 less than 80. The means of English and Science are lower, between 60 and 70.
When a student's raw score for a subject is equal to the national mean, he will get a T-score of 50 for that subject. So a student with raw scores for all 4 subjects being exactly equal to the respective means will get T-score of 50 for each subject. The total aggregate T-score will then be 200, which is just above the cut-off point for express in secondary school.
Because of the high means for math and Chinese, a grade B in any of these subjects can pull down the T-score badly because a grade B is likely to be below the mean so the T score for that subject is going to be less than 50.
Above is a simplified view of T-score and hope I have answered your queries. -
atutor2001:
Hi atutor2001,
Hi Coastcoast:
Hi atutor2001,
Thanks for sharing
I just found a slide dated 2011 (pg 7 of attachment from http://www.chijpritoapayoh.moe.edu.sg/NWeb/Parents%20Briefing/P6_Briefing_2011.pdf
):-
PSLE Grading System
A* 91 – 100
A 75 - 90
B 60 - 74
C 50 – 59
D 35 - 49
E 20 - 34
U - Ungraded < 20
Would you be able to advise (based on your prior estimates of data you have analysed):-
1) Do you think PSLE awards grades based on above grading system?
2) Do you think the MT's mean is different from the other 3 subjects (Eng, Maths, Sci) since 80++% scored A*/A for MT Vs 40++% scored A*/A for the other 3 subjects?
....
1) Yes PSLE grades are based on the above marks.
2) The means of all the 4 subjects are different, so are their standard deviations. Based on my estimates, the average overall mean (lumping all 4 subjects together) is about 70. The means of math and Chinese are usually higher, more than than 70 less than 80. The means of English and Science are lower, between 60 and 70.
When a student's raw score for a subject is equal to the national mean, he will get a T-score of 50 for that subject. So a student with raw scores for all 4 subjects being exactly equal to the respective means will get T-score of 50 for each subject. The total aggregate T-score will then be 200, which is just above the cut-off point for express in secondary school.
Because of the high means for math and Chinese, a grade B in any of these subjects can pull down the T-score badly because a grade B is likely to be below the mean so the T score for that subject is going to be less than 50.
Above is a simplified view of T-score and hope I have answered your queries.
Once again thank you for sharing
I wrote the below post more than a year ago, managed to find the post after reading your above reply.
http://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/forum/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=21969&start=400
Copied below for easy reference:-coast:
If PSLE awards grades based on above grading system, would you be able to guess how the following is possible (perhaps with some estimated mean and SD):-Here's something for any interested parents to ponder:-
A parent wrote to the media about \"Why good grades but low PSLE aggregate\"
http://www.asiaone.com/News/Education/Story/A1Story20081211-106943.html
In summary, her son scored 3 A* (Eng, Maths, Sci) and 1 A (Chi) ... T-score 244 ... lower T-score than those of his peers with 3A and 1B.
Here's SEAB's reply:-
http://www.seab.gov.sg/publicCommunications/mediaReplies/Editor_of_MyPaper_20081216.pdf
.
Three A* for English, Mathematics and Science, an A for Chinese = aggregate score of 244. Most of his friends who managed 3As and a B have better aggregate scores than him.
I thought it is possible (3A* & 1A higher T-score than 3A & 1B) if A*, A, ... is based on a bell-curved and not on a fixed range like the PSLE Grading System quoted above?
Many many thanks if you can offer your views on this.
:thankyou: -
Kiasuism has many faces. A parent can be kiasu in many different ways when it concerns the child’s education.
1. Overly competitive, “want to win everything all the time” - let the child attend tuition/enrichment for everything whether he is already good at it or not.
2. Herd instinct - without knowing much about GEP or IP prog, also not sure if one’s own child is suited for such prog, would still hot-housing the child for it.
3. Afraid to lose, so stay away from competition - when a child qualifies for GEP or IP prog or a top school, but the parent is too afraid that he cannot compete with the other smart kids, hence chooses not to go for it.
4. Too scared of failure, provides for many “just-in-case” - Already in IP, but worried about not doing well in A-Level, hence will ask the child to take O Level as private student.
5. Don’t want to lose-out - Do not like the idea of tuition and the child is doing fine in school, but because that seems to be what everyone else is doing, so send and complain at the same time.
The list goes on…
Note, it is the mentality that I am talking about. For some people, these mentalities lead to the actions above. But the actions themselves do not imply the mentality. We can’t really tell if someone is kiasu just by looking at the action. We need to know what was the thinking behind the actions.
I believe such kiasu mentalities exist in every country/culture. But if we Singaporeans are indeed more kiasu than others, then no wonder we are not a happy bunch. -
wonderm:
you also have another form of kiasuism where the parents complain and complain cow father cow mother suggesting all kinds of actions to deal with all the holes and gaps and lackings but quietly doing the opposite -- \"hidden dangers or 阴险!\"Kiasuism has many faces. A parent can be kiasu in many different ways when it concerns the child's education.
1. Overly competitive, \"want to win everything all the time\" - let the child attend tuition/enrichment for everything whether he is already good at it or not.
2. Herd instinct - without knowing much about GEP or IP prog, also not sure if one's own child is suited for such prog, would still hot-housing the child for it.
3. Afraid to lose, so stay away from competition - when a child qualifies for GEP or IP prog or a top school, but the parent is too afraid that he cannot compete with the other smart kids, hence chooses not to go for it.
4. Too scared of failure, provides for many \"just-in-case\" - Already in IP, but worried about not doing well in A-Level, hence will ask the child to take O Level as private student.
5. Don't want to lose-out - Do not like the idea of tuition and the child is doing fine in school, but because that seems to be what everyone else is doing, so send and complain at the same time.
The list goes on....
Note, it is the mentality that I am talking about. For some people, these mentalities lead to the actions above. But the actions themselves do not imply the mentality. We can't really tell if someone is kiasu just by looking at the action. We need to know what was the thinking behind the actions.
I believe such kiasu mentalities exist in every country/culture. But if we Singaporeans are indeed more kiasu than others, then no wonder we are not a happy bunch.
or another type, act blur but lap up all the info