School Examinations Too Difficult

[bebe]

Jeda, exactly. I hv decided to outsource teaching to the sch n tuition centers this time. No time, no energy n no chemistry (my kids starting to find me a nag).. I rather spend time chauffeuring them to classes, helping tutors to monitor their progress etc. That is enough to keep me sane for the moment until the Exam comes...

[osim]

I used to follow very closely for my 1st one. He has gone to sec school and quite independent so no need my help anymore. When he has problem, he makes appointment with his teachers for extra lesson. I find that I have no more stamina to help 2nd one with the same rigor. So I mostly leave her to swim on her own. I now prefer to give more attention to their emotional and physical needs. Also, about time to focus back on DH and pay more attention to his well being. Somehow, it works better for everyone at home this way. It’s really not easy being a caregiver… So many aspects to take care of. It’s no wonder, women prefer to work and outsource

[janet88]

bebe:

I rather spend time chauffeuring them to classes, helping tutors to monitor their progress etc. That is enough to keep me sane for the moment until the Exam comes...

I focused on older one since P1...had a maid to look after the younger one. Had lots of energy and time to do so. Though I've outsourced teaching for older one, I still have monitor them when they are doing tuition hw. My tutors also update me on their progress after every lesson. Don't know if I will have same energy to do this when younger one takes PSLE...this year is plain crazy.

[usa-sing-1]

I’m not entirely sure how exams work here in Singapore, but when I went to school in the US, if the class average for an exam was particularly low, the entire class was graded "on a curve" for that exam. For example, if the class scored a 60% average on the exam, a certain number of points were added to everyone’s score to bring the entire class average up to an acceptable level (such as 70% or 75%). Do they do something similar in Singapore schools?


Note: where I went to school, any grade below 60% was considered failing…and "average" was considered 70-79%

[moomel]

Hi USA SIng,


For O levels they draw a bell curve and award the grades according to the performance of the cohort. So does PSLE and A level.

During regular school days, the grades are what you see if what you get .

[osim]

usa-sing-1:

I'm not entirely sure how exams work here in Singapore, but when I went to school in the US, if the class average for an exam was particularly low, the entire class was graded \"on a curve\" for that exam. For example, if the class scored a 60% average on the exam, a certain number of points were added to everyone's score to bring the entire class average up to an acceptable level (such as 70% or 75%). Do they do something similar in Singapore schools?


Note: where I went to school, any grade below 60% was considered failing...and \"average\" was considered 70-79%

Yeah, the education system here is about trying to outdo each other. The value of education itself is very much lost thru the anxiety over exam grades.

Grading is not criteria-based. Even if you know what is necessary in the syllabi and should score an A, the exam board will always put in a few very very tough questions to differentiate the top few percent from the rest. They also use formula to adjust the marks so the cohort always fall nicely into a bell curve. All the kiasus are fighting to be on the right side of the normal distribution curve. This skews the curve, so questions get harder, parents pumped in more, curve skew again, questions get even harder....
A vicious cycle

How much we want to play this game depends on our values and what education means to us. For me, I've seen beyond this crazy hullabaloo. My ds is not doing fantastic for now for the overall. I let him decide if he wants tuition. He doesn't. Despite this, I could see him really growing and maturing as an individual as he service his school community, taking on leadership roles and living a balanced life. DH says that is good as it is. What is important is that he is striving for better and he is. It's not about reaching the goal sometime but whether you keep trying. We have to be patient if we love him, to let him develop his own volition to learn, to, to give time for his brain to be wired for tough academics and discover himself along the way (which my family strongly believe that is what an education is for).

[BeContented]

osim:

usa-sing-1:

I'm not entirely sure how exams work here in Singapore, but when I went to school in the US, if the class average for an exam was particularly low, the entire class was graded \"on a curve\" for that exam. For example, if the class scored a 60% average on the exam, a certain number of points were added to everyone's score to bring the entire class average up to an acceptable level (such as 70% or 75%). Do they do something similar in Singapore schools?


Note: where I went to school, any grade below 60% was considered failing...and \"average\" was considered 70-79%

Yeah, the education system here is about trying to outdo each other. The value of education itself is very much lost thru the anxiety over exam grades.

Grading is not criteria-based. Even if you know what is necessary in the syllabi and should score an A, the exam board will always put in a few very very tough questions to differentiate the top few percent from the rest. They also use formula to adjust the marks so the cohort always fall nicely into a bell curve. All the kiasus are fighting to be on the right side of the normal distribution curve. This skews the curve, so questions get harder, parents pumped in more, curve skew again, questions get even harder....
A vicious cycle

How much we want to play this game depends on our values and what education means to us. For me, I've seen beyond this crazy hullabaloo. My ds is not doing fantastic for now for the overall. I let him decide if he wants tuition. He doesn't. Despite this, I could see him really growing and maturing as an individual as he service his school community, taking on leadership roles and living a balanced life. DH says that is good as it is. What is important is that he is striving for better and he is. It's not about reaching the goal sometime but whether you keep trying. We have to be patient if we love him, to let him develop his own volition to learn, to, to give time for his brain to be wired for tough academics and discover himself along the way (which my family strongly believe that is what an education is for).

:goodpost: