Asia spending billions on tutors: study

[Sun_2010]

LOLMum:

As long as the child has ample playtime and rest daily, why not?


It is similar to putting a child in child care except the one in child care doesn't need to travel from one school to another.

In a child care the teachings are spread out - may be 1-2 hrs in the morning , followed by bath, lunch, post lunch activity, nap, wakeup , tea time, only then some more learning time, usually 1-2 rs. So there is atleast a good 3 hr break with routine activities

In a good kindy - in 2-3 hrs they have well planned out structured mostly mind-body stimulating activity with short breaks . If this is followed by another equally well planned out structured mostly mind-body stimulating activity with just half an hour gap , it is likely to be detrimental to the child.

imoh, A child needs some hours of unstructured free play - a kind of ruminating time for the brain. a time free from goals, time pressure, and yes, no electronic gadgets.

A holiday at the end of the term is not sufficient. (that is assuming it is free from some more enrichment...) :faint:

[Funz]

limlim:

larkspur:

my cousins and my uncle are primary school teachers. They would tell me that a lot of parents of p1 to p3 kids engage tutitions and it is really \"good business\" for them. In fact my cousins and uncle give tuitions at night after school hours and what they earn from tuition at night is more than their basic salary as a school teachers. My whole clan are talking as to how they earning big money to an extent that one cousin give her mum pocket money of $1k every month and she staying in condo with 1 kid and both herself and her hubby are primary school teachers. Sometimes my parents would be in an envy , i told them no choice your daughter me dun like teaching and i am paying tuition teacher to teach my girl

janet_lee88:

What has been done to the education system that we need tutors to coach our kids ?

Good question......

Something is very WRONG somewhere.. many juz refuse to see it.

Some truly need tuition for various reasons. A lot want tuition so that their kids do not fall from the top 10 or 5 or 3.

Yes something is wrong somewhere. Many just refuse to see that it is not just 1 area.

[limlim]

Funz:

Yes something is wrong somewhere. Many just refuse to see that it is not just 1 area.

The question is, what can be done and should be done.

I feel, it should start from MOE.

As for kiasu parents, you can't do anything about them, there is no point talking about them and put all the blame on them, then what?

I do not dispute or disagree that some kiasu parents maybe an important cause..

But it is meaningless to talk about them.

We need concrete action to improve the situation, not blame one party and then.. continue to suffer?

Let's talk about what can MOE DO to correct/improve the situation, and not just say that kiasu parents is one of the cause, and stop there.

[concern2]

limlim:

Let's talk about what can MOE DO to correct/improve the situation, and not just say that kiasu parents is one of the cause, and stop there.

Relook and revise KPIs of teachers and Principals.

[3Boys]

limlim:

As for kiasu parents, you can't do anything about them, there is no point talking about them and put all the blame on them, then what?

I do not dispute or disagree that some kiasu parents maybe an important cause..

But it is meaningless to talk about them.

If they are an important cause, why is it meaningless to talk about them? If attitudes don't change, can anything the MOE do be enough?

[Lilac66]

3Boys:

limlim:

As for kiasu parents, you can't do anything about them, there is no point talking about them and put all the blame on them, then what?

I do not dispute or disagree that some kiasu parents maybe an important cause..

But it is meaningless to talk about them.

If they are an important cause, why is it meaningless to talk about them? If attitudes don't change, can anything the MOE do be enough?

If indeed it's due to kiasuism, then what is the thing the MOE, or anybody for the matter, can do to stem this fear of losing out? I mean afterall, kiasuism isn't something that the government can \"ban\". (sounds silly of course). But instead of all the blaming and shaming, what is the very first concrete step (even a baby step is to be encouraged) that can be taken to tackle the problem? Will a campaign on \"Happy and less stressed kids perform better later in life work?\"

[concern2]

Lilac66:

If indeed it's due to kiasuism, then what is the thing the MOE, or anybody for the matter, can do to stem this fear of losing out? I mean afterall, kiasuism isn't something that the government can \"ban\". (sounds silly of course). But instead of all the blaming and shaming, what is the very first concrete step (even a baby step is to be encouraged) that can be taken to tackle the problem? Will a campaign on \"Happy and less stressed kids perform better later in life work?\"

I think what is glorified affects people's perception of what is important. Don't just glorify academic excellence, millionaires, or who lives in Sentosa Cove, who won the president scholarship, which school is top etc., Glorify good values like honesty, filial piety, loyalty, justice, kindness, persistence, grace etc.

So the loudspeakers of the 'glorifier' is our media - they have a critical role to play in the forming of our society too. And since we only have THAT many media players here, ... All that is glorified is also well in check?

[wonderm]

Lilac66:

3Boys:

[quote=\"limlim\"]
As for kiasu parents, you can't do anything about them, there is no point talking about them and put all the blame on them, then what?

I do not dispute or disagree that some kiasu parents maybe an important cause..

But it is meaningless to talk about them.

If they are an important cause, why is it meaningless to talk about them? If attitudes don't change, can anything the MOE do be enough?

If indeed it's due to kiasuism, then what is the thing the MOE, or anybody for the matter, can do to stem this fear of losing out? I mean afterall, kiasuism isn't something that the government can \"ban\". (sounds silly of course). But instead of all the blaming and shaming, what is the very first concrete step (even a baby step is to be encouraged) that can be taken to tackle the problem? Will a campaign on \"Happy and less stressed kids perform better later in life work?\" [/quote]Maybe MOE can do these:
- Change the names of all the primary and secondary schools to the same
- Change PSLE to one which gives only pass or fail grade and most if not all students should pass

Don't ask me how this will affect the application to university courses because we are only talking about primary school education here.

Don't flame me, just trying to think \"out-of-box\" :siam:

[concern2]

Glorify sports, glorify sacrifice and perseverance, glorify different kinds of successes, glorify love, glorify different parenting styles - that can be just as successful, for their children, and for themselves (ourselves) as parents.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULHXOz9Wk2M&feature=relmfu

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5JtGutXCLwE&feature=endscreen

Boy, I'm already looking forward to watch the Olymic Games 2012!

[Lilac66]

concern2:

Lilac66:

If indeed it's due to kiasuism, then what is the thing the MOE, or anybody for the matter, can do to stem this fear of losing out? I mean afterall, kiasuism isn't something that the government can \"ban\". (sounds silly of course). But instead of all the blaming and shaming, what is the very first concrete step (even a baby step is to be encouraged) that can be taken to tackle the problem? Will a campaign on \"Happy and less stressed kids perform better later in life work?\"

I think what is glorified affects people's perception of what is important. Don't just glorify academic excellence, millionaires, or who lives in Sentosa Cove, who won the president scholarship, which school is top etc., Glorify good values like honesty, filial piety, loyalty, justice, kindness, persistence, grace etc.

So the loudspeakers of the 'glorifier' is our media - they have a critical role to play in the forming of our society too. And since we only have THAT many media players here, ... All that is glorified is also well in check?

I do agree wholeheartedly about the influence of the media. In fact it has ever crossed my mind how in the past, girls aspire to be teachers, nurses etc, basically becoz of what was depicted in the news (30 years ago). These seem very noble jobs and the people in such professions are seen as selfless, kind and contributing much to society.

Now, I see alot of youngsters aspiring to be actors and singers or some CEO (not saying it's bad), or even if the media highlights a rags-to-riches story, the ultimate success measurement is that the person has arrived in the material sense. (own many properties, cars, fancy watches ). <Sigh>.. it's the change of the whole landscape. Well,we cannot underestimate the power of the media. If suddenly an article about parents spending a bomb each month to prepare the kids for GEP is not put in a more negative light, sooner or later , parents will take it to be the new norm :sad: