Real reason behind Singapore’s obsession with tuition

[corneyAmber]

Dreamaurora:

My boy just turned 1 month old last week. Any idea what kind of tuition I can give to him now? I want him to has the best chance to be an ultra-mega-elite scholar in the future. :siam:

Janet's PD suggested \"Talk\".

[corneyAmber]

janet_lee88:

As parents, we cannot allow ourselves to follow the herd blindly. Once the child starts school, it is almost for life. Our kids no longer get to enjoy childhood. They are deprived of it.


My SIL is expecting her first child. As an accountant, her baby is probably learning to crunch numbers. Given mummy's intelligence, the baby will not have any prob learning Math.

You are so right, nowadays cannot play so hard. :sad:

[corneyAmber]

BeContented:

jedamum:

[quote=\"ksi\"]
Tuition is a must-have to solve a known problem. Enrichment solves future problems which may or may not exist but people still want to do it.

tuition is a must have to pull up grades.
enrichment is for those who have spare cash and kiasu.

Why u scold me kiasu??? Got spare cannot meh??

:rotflmao: :rotflmao: :rotflmao:

Joking
That's why I say, there is no way to stop people from wanting more tuition/enrichment cos' of the desire to want to be better, headstart, future problem etc. Reduce perhaps maybe.

Truth is, my kids dun need tuition (mine should be enrichment under ksp definition) But I think they are not challenged enough & fact is, they do learn more. If they are overloaded or do not learn new stuff, I will stop. Whole day long full of energy fight, bicker, test each other....no tuition = bug me for tv, computer games = my blood pressure shoots up & I kept losing temper. Occupy their time learn useful things & give me chance to shop while waiting & a little 'date' time with hubby [/quote]I agree with you, the category of 'enrichment' kids are the one who do not need but still want to go for other reasons and they have the option to stop any time if they want. Are they being included into this \"tuition\" nation? I hope not, they should be excluded because theirs is a good-to-hv case.

[limlim]

jedamum:

limlim:

[quote=\"ksi\"]
Tuition is a must-have to solve a known problem. Enrichment solves future problems which may or may not exist but people still want to do it.

If tuition is a must have, wouldn't it be better if it is administered by the schools?

The school can engage professionals to coach the \"identified\" kids..

:goodpost:
but then wont schs indirectly admit that their teachers are not 'professionals'? :? [/quote]If 90% of their students need tuition.... you say leh..? can they be consider professionals in this case..? :evil: :evil:

If <1% needs additional help, it clearly shows that it is isolated cases and not a reflection of the teacher's inability..

If the teachers can manage.. they can administer the tuition themselves..

If they do not want to overload the teachers.. can consider engaging outside help.... in which case, of coz, the tutors are vetted carefully.

[corneyAmber]

Funz:

Hmmm.. let me recall about the compo.


I know they do get back their compos both Chinese and English, that they do in class. With corrections and all. They are given the good compos written by their friends as reference as well.

For SA1, the compo was not returned. DD was absent for that period as well but according to her the class got to see their compos but had to return them to the teachers after the teachers have given them pointers.

Yes that is the practice that we have as well. (Cat 2)

[verykiasu2010]

firefly38:

verykiasu2010:

[quote=\"janet_lee88\"]I am disappointed, very disappointed that such vital info cannot be revealed.

Was told that heads will roll if compo marks are told.

I am very skeptical

Was told by who? If you don't mind sharing, jan..

In my DS' previous school ( a neighbourhood sch) as well as his current school (a GEP sch), teachers return ALL exam papers and go through the answers with the pupils in class. Pupils check through the papers and approach the teachers, should there be any erros in marking (yes, there are errors in marking, sometimes). Pupils then bring the exam papers home for parents to look through and sign. There is a Cover Page (for every subject) to show the breakdown of every single component (eg. Oral, LC, Compo, every section of Paper 2, and Total). After parents look through and sign, pupils bring the exam papers back to class the next day. Teachers collect the exam papers back for final computation of marks. After the marks of all subjects have been finalised and computed in the Report Books, the exam papers are returned to the pupils for filing, and the files are kept at home for revision..

With the exception of DS1's P4-P6 Social Studies GEP exam papers.. I have, in my home now, all the exam papers of all the subjects for both my DSs.[/quote]that is what we had. got to sign and acknowledge the marks for every test and assignment, and for compo, there is always a re-write of the whole compo based on the necessary corrections and teachers would still mark it to make sure corrections are correct.

I can also say most of the schools are practising the above as firefly38 has described :evil: (based on those I know)

[verykiasu2010]

limlim:

If 90% of their students need tuition.... you say leh..? can they be consider professionals in this case..? :evil: :evil:

If <1% needs additional help, it clearly shows that it is isolated cases and not a reflection of the teacher's inability..

If the teachers can manage.. they can administer the tuition themselves..

If they do not want to overload the teachers.. can consider engaging outside help.... in which case, of coz, the tutors are vetted carefully.

the 90% need tuition has no basis

you can disagree with me

[verykiasu2010]

ksi:

I agree with you, the category of 'enrichment' kids are the one who do not need but still want to go for other reasons and they have the option to stop any time if they want. Are they being included into this \"tuition\" nation? I hope not, they should be excluded because theirs is a good-to-hv case.

for some, the \"need\" is to pull up from the F grade

for some, the \"need\" is to ensure don't drop below A*, and even for A*, its must be a high A*

one man's meat is another's poison

neither is Singapore unique ..... enrichment and tuitions are prevalent in Malaysia, China, Taiwan, HK, Korea, and isolated cases in France and US generally described in 'hothousing' instead of calling it enrichment

[corneyAmber]

verykiasu2010:

firefly38:

I am very skeptical

Was told by who? If you don't mind sharing, jan..

In my DS' previous school ( a neighbourhood sch) as well as his current school (a GEP sch), teachers return ALL exam papers and go through the answers with the pupils in class. Pupils check through the papers and approach the teachers, should there be any erros in marking (yes, there are errors in marking, sometimes). Pupils then bring the exam papers home for parents to look through and sign. There is a Cover Page (for every subject) to show the breakdown of every single component (eg. Oral, LC, Compo, every section of Paper 2, and Total). After parents look through and sign, pupils bring the exam papers back to class the next day. Teachers collect the exam papers back for final computation of marks. After the marks of all subjects have been finalised and computed in the Report Books, the exam papers are returned to the pupils for filing, and the files are kept at home for revision..

With the exception of DS1's P4-P6 Social Studies GEP exam papers.. I have, in my home now, all the exam papers of all the subjects for both my DSs.

that is what we had. got to sign and acknowledge the marks for every test and assignment, and for compo, there is always a re-write of the whole compo based on the necessary corrections and teachers would still mark it to make sure corrections are correct.

I can also say most of the schools are practising the above as firefly38 has described :evil: (based on those I know)

Ours return all exam papers except compos & LC only but the kids still get to view those papers not returned.

[corneyAmber]

verykiasu2010:

ksi:

I agree with you, the category of 'enrichment' kids are the one who do not need but still want to go for other reasons and they have the option to stop any time if they want. Are they being included into this \"tuition\" nation? I hope not, they should be excluded because theirs is a good-to-hv case.

for some, the \"need\" is to pull up from the F grade

for some, the \"need\" is to ensure don't drop below A*, and even for A*, its must be a high A*

one man's meat is another's poison

neither is Singapore unique ..... enrichment and tuitions are prevalent in Malaysia, China, Taiwan, HK, Korea, and isolated cases in France and US generally described in 'hothousing' instead of calling it enrichment

That is because in France and US they home school the kids on the enrichment which is also found here in SG practised by some families who claimed no enrichment and tuition for their kids. In any case, I have no issue about enrichment, hothousing, whatsoever people want to do to help their children improve their grades from A to A* or maintain A*. As Schweppes put it aptly, people just want to fight for the limited resources to have a better life called survival, enrich all they want but that is not tuition because they can already make the baseline mark to suggest competency in a subject.

So if we mix up needs and wants, how is MOE going to respond to that?