MP echoes calls for PSLE to be scrapped

[resgmom]

janet_lee88:

Frankly, it's really sad that my son desperately needed a Math tutor in P5 in order to PASS and tutors in P6 this year. The question is WHY ?

I've had the impression that school teachers are trained...well, that's why we send kids to school in the first place and didn't have much problems in the earlier years. In this crucial year, we were literally scrambling for H.E.L.P.

Why do schools set such tough prelim papers ?

This may have been discussed in other threads - but is it because we've becoming a \"tuition nation\" and the standards is pushed higher and higher, beyond what the school teachers can teach? All the tuition hours add up to a lot of extra teaching, you know. End result is if you don't go for tuition, you don't get the \"extra teaching\" hours and you lose out, since schools have to set tougher and tougher papers to differentiate the kids.

[janet88]

resgmom:

janet_lee88:

Frankly, it's really sad that my son desperately needed a Math tutor in P5 in order to PASS and tutors in P6 this year. The question is WHY ?

This may have been discussed in other threads - but is it because we've becoming a \"tuition nation\" and the standards is pushed higher and higher, beyond what the school teachers can teach? All the tuition hours add up to a lot of extra teaching, you know. End result is if you don't go for tuition, you don't get the \"extra teaching\" hours and you lose out, since schools have to set tougher and tougher papers to differentiate the kids.

The standards have gone up...that's for sure.
All the more, our SCHOOL teachers should be TRAINED to teach students how to answer those ridiculous Math problem sums set. The number of tuition hours our kids attend are meant for passing exams. Then what are school teachers paid to do ? Get credit for what they didn't do.
The end result is if kids don't go for tuition, they will definitely lose out.

[resgmom]

janet_lee88:

The standards have gone up...that's for sure.

All the more, our SCHOOL teachers should be TRAINED to teach students how to answer those ridiculous Math problem sums set. The number of tuition hours our kids attend are meant for passing exams. Then what are school teachers paid to do ? Get credit for what they didn't do.
The end result is if kids don't go for tuition, they will definitely lose out.

Well tuition teachers at tuition centres (experienced school teachers) are paid $100-$150 per hour. Can a school teacher earn that kind of money? If you're a good school teacher who knows your stuff, and especially if you're stressed out/want a more balanced life/is having a child and want to only work part-time, would you quit and be a tuition teacher instead? They just have to continue what they were already doing at school with a much higher hourly pay, less hours, more flexibility, and very little politics.

Also I know an excellent math teacher, govt. scholar, who was \"head-hunted\" and \"kept\" in HQ with high pay and a paved career path to the top...talents are very limited in Sg, indeed. And the competiting needs are not helping our children.

[HAPPYH]

Most of the tuition centres seem to be boasting that they hire only the experienced and MOE trained teachers…Does it mean some (not all) teachers are using school just to get the experience so that they will be well paid in the tuition centres???

[sunnymumsy]

HAPPYH:

Most of the tuition centres seem to be boasting that they hire only the experienced and MOE trained teachers........Does it mean some (not all) teachers are using school just to get the experience so that they will be well paid in the tuition centres???

i don't think teachers are using schools to get experience. Most of the younger teachers (fresh grads) are tempted into MOE bcos of excellent educational grants and high starting pay. So when they finish their bond, they will leave for greener pastures!

[xfx]

HAPPYH:

Most of the tuition centres seem to be boasting that they hire only the experienced and MOE trained teachers........Does it mean some (not all) teachers are using school just to get the experience so that they will be well paid in the tuition centres???

Like you said.... boasting...may not be true. Parents have to be careful of such claims like the aristocare.

[janet88]

HAPPYH:

Most of the tuition centres seem to be boasting that they hire only the experienced and MOE trained teachers........Does it mean some (not all) teachers are using school just to get the experience so that they will be well paid in the tuition centres???

There are some who remain as school teachers so as to command higher tuition fee, claiming they know the syllabus and what is 'expected'. Why not? Good pay for just 1.5 hours of 'talk'. For 1 subject at P6, it's $80.

[Lilac66]

janet_lee88:

There are some who remain as school teachers so as to command higher tuition fee, claiming they know the syllabus and what is 'expected'. Why not? Good pay for just 1.5 hours of 'talk'. For 1 subject at P6, it's $80.

$80/hr?!! We've been talking till cows come home and they are still not looking into this issue of moonlighting. Teachers' job is understandably demanding already, but with the private tuition, can we expect to get 100% from the teachers? :roll:
Spirit is willing but flesh may be weak .

[verykiasumummy]

janet_lee88:

HAPPYH:

Most of the tuition centres seem to be boasting that they hire only the experienced and MOE trained teachers........Does it mean some (not all) teachers are using school just to get the experience so that they will be well paid in the tuition centres???

There are some who remain as school teachers so as to command higher tuition fee, claiming they know the syllabus and what is 'expected'. Why not? Good pay for just 1.5 hours of 'talk'. For 1 subject at P6, it's $80.

that's why, dun go to tuition centers who are booming with business... as u know, more biz does not mean better quality... i hv so far stayed on with just a neighbourhood tuition center... not many students there, no big brand, but still delivering quality work after so long... this is what i call passion...

not that i dislike those branded tuition center... i really believe every kid learns differently.. they do not necessarily need branded schools or branded teachers to make them excel..

[verykiasumummy]

ksi:

Our experience with teachers is not so bad except for the scheduling which can cause some major glitches in learning.

The scheduling of teachers for certain subjects especially those taking 2 core subjects and have to attend a lot of outside courses for their development, or have pregnant issues, can be disruptive for learning. But these are not teachers' issues, it is a scheduling issue. Need an experienced person to know how to do constraint planning(predictable constraints) to plan well every year. In fact this is one of the cornerstones in the modus operandi of a school.

made me recall my ds's teacher who was pregnant and took very long leave, i suppose 6-7mths.. she left hurriedly and no one knows why... maybe the teachers and principal knows but parents were not informed... the sch sent a relief teacher to teach thru the entire yr till after exams and the teacher is back... worse still, the relief teacher was changed 3 times throughout the period...

this is what poor management is...