PM Says new Stat Board to oversee pre-school education

[Cuppamocha]

HVR:

It's time to contribute your ideas now. If anyone has useful suggestions, not just for education but all the national issues, do get involved with the national dialougue. It's easy to criticize but if we really care and we think we can help, please do our part. You can sense the sincerity and genuine concerns throughout PM's speech.

:goodpost:

[Nebbermind]

Cuppamocha:

HVR:

It's time to contribute your ideas now. If anyone has useful suggestions, not just for education but all the national issues, do get involved with the national dialougue. It's easy to criticize but if we really care and we think we can help, please do our part. You can sense the sincerity and genuine concerns throughout PM's speech.

:goodpost:

Well, to begin, maybe we should 'dissect' the rally into several topics PM touched on and make them sticky.

[Oppsgal]

Mawar:

Nebbermind:

[quote=\"Daddy D\"]How come no1 :rahrah: for paternity leave?

think most of us here may not even qualify for childcare leave now!!

I also think most of us are past this stage. Nevertheless, it is a move in the right direction. During my time, DH drew on his own AL to help with errands and chores. There was so much to do with a new baby. Sharing maternity leave is great too. The new mom and her employer will be happier, and it gets the new dad a better chance to be involved too.[/quote]Do not affect me, paternity leave or not, as a stay home mother.

[Oppsgal]

Apelove:

Hi, just my two cents worth...


I think this boils down to the vast disparity between the middle to higher end preschools vs the lower or more standard preschools. In fact, those who can afford to complain that the preschool is over teaching, I think you are very lucky. Do note that children who are well equipped early will suffer less in pri 1. I am very happy that LHL would be doing something about the preschool standard.

I have witnessed my own nephews who are currently in a 'lower range' fee structure childcare centre. One of them will be entering pri 1 next year but is unable to even read a standard Peter&Jane reader 2A, much less to say blend phonics properly.
The younger sibling is a year younger and attending a standard $90 per month pcf. He is currently in k1 but unable to sound phonics, nor recognize any words without the picture appearing beside it.
With such basics not well established in the child, they are very ill equipped to enter pri 1. I would not even dare to think about how they might cope in school. To these children, pri 1 would be extremely demanding. It is extremely shocking that the lower range childcare/preschool standard can be so lacking!

Then parents should teach at home or send to enrichment to cope?

My kid's teacher even ask me how my kid already learn all the phonics...as most of the friends there don't know.

She thought I have sent my kid to some sort of tuition. Told her cannot afford to have childcare + tuition. I DIY the teaching currently.

I would prefer to continue teaching new things to my kid. I do not want to overload my kid when reach primary school. I rather space out the information to my kid for easier \"absorb\".

[Imp75]

aiya maybe need to shut down this website (:P) to stop parents from being so kiasu!

But I agree with LHL - it needs a mindset change from parents and educators to stop this stupid trend of preparing our kids so hard for that paper chase which, at the end of the day 10 years later, almost everyone will have a degree so where’s the differentiating factor?

[Oppsgal]

Imp75:

aiya maybe need to shut down this website (:P) to stop parents from being so kiasu!

But I agree with LHL - it needs a mindset change from parents and educators to stop this stupid trend of preparing our kids so hard for that paper chase which, at the end of the day 10 years later, almost everyone will have a degree so where's the differentiating factor?

Trying to go beyond degree education? :rotflmao:

[Oppsgal]

So what happens if children are lacking behind others in education?


Probably the thought make me want to teach my kid harder.

[Apelove]

Oppsgal:

Apelove:

Hi, just my two cents worth...


I think this boils down to the vast disparity between the middle to higher end preschools vs the lower or more standard preschools. In fact, those who can afford to complain that the preschool is over teaching, I think you are very lucky. Do note that children who are well equipped early will suffer less in pri 1. I am very happy that LHL would be doing something about the preschool standard.

I have witnessed my own nephews who are currently in a 'lower range' fee structure childcare centre. One of them will be entering pri 1 next year but is unable to even read a standard Peter&Jane reader 2A, much less to say blend phonics properly.
The younger sibling is a year younger and attending a standard $90 per month pcf. He is currently in k1 but unable to sound phonics, nor recognize any words without the picture appearing beside it.
With such basics not well established in the child, they are very ill equipped to enter pri 1. I would not even dare to think about how they might cope in school. To these children, pri 1 would be extremely demanding. It is extremely shocking that the lower range childcare/preschool standard can be so lacking!

Then parents should teach at home or send to enrichment to cope?

My kid's teacher even ask me how my kid already learn all the phonics...as most of the friends there don't know.

She thought I have sent my kid to some sort of tuition. Told her cannot afford to have childcare + tuition. I DIY the teaching currently.

I would prefer to continue teaching new things to my kid. I do not want to overload my kid when reach primary school. I rather space out the information to my kid for easier \"absorb\".

Sigh, the parents are from the lower income group and have only PSLE qualifications. They work very hard to make ends meet and leave the kids in the care of the grandmother aka my mother in law. It is very sad, but they think providing childcare or just the basic education would suffice for their children. In fact I think they do not even the problem their kids are facing. The lower income group definately needs more help.

I think I am very lucky to be able to be a sahm to teach and guide my kids, scrutinize the preschool curriculum and know how to fill in the missing gaps for my kids.

[Mawar]

Let me assure parents with young kids that P1 & P2, and even p3 is manageable. It is not all that scary as some made it out to be. One parent shared earlier that it can be a honeymoon period. It is and can be IF you are not expecting a near full score.


Someone told me that the mindset of many parents is that competition starts from the say their kids step into P1. They are not there to practice or learn, they must perform. The fault is not entirely their parents. In earlier sharings, we read about P1s being led to different rooms during orientation to take some tests etc.

I still say, let the kids fumble and fall. Dont spoonfeed them. Let them learn to learn on their own. They will learn to take control of their learning journey earlier.

[MummyThreeStreams]

Just wanted to echo some voices here in stating that The P1 syllabus is really not that scary. They children should be able to do simple reading, but no need to be that fluent. My son was not really a good reader after the end of K2. He understood the basic phonics from school and could sort of read, but not very well. He managed to pick things up in P1 and I was quite amazed by that. The math lagi easier. First few months just learning to count to twenty and spell up to twenty…So P1 and even part of P2 is really a honeymoon period.


So I kinda felt silly coz before P1 I was stressing about whether I had under prepared him. I had others tell me I should send him for P1 prep classes coz Kindy was not enough. I’m glad I saved me that money and my son had lots of time to play.

He can make amazing Legos, music, drawings etc. He wouldn’t have been able to do all these if he didn’t have time to play.