<![CDATA[How this EM3 student became a PhD scholar]]>'Grades didn't matter to me'


Once placed in stream for weakest students, he receives prestigious top scholarship.

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AT 10, he did so badly in school that he was sent to EM3, a stream for the weakest students.

Today, he is on a scholarship and will, in due time, be earning himself a PhD.

Mr Lim Yok Zuan, now 25, was remarkably sanguine about his time at the bottom of Singapore's competitive school system.

\"I knew little about the importance and value of education then,\" he said.

\"School, to me, was just part and parcel of growing up. I enjoyed the company of my classmates, but never took it seriously.\"

The scholar took the long, hard road through the system: EM3, then scoring an aggregate of 124 in the Primary School Leaving Examinations (PSLE), which only qualified him for the Normal Academic course in Secondary School - again, a meant for academically weak students.

But all this time, he had a burning passion for science.

Sister's encyclopaedia

The serious young man explained that, actually, his life-changing moment came in Primary 5, when he picked up his sister's The Giant Book Of What Do You Know?, an encyclopaedia meant for teenagers.

Said the former Chua Chu Kang Primary School pupil: \"I loved the interesting facts, colourful pictures and explanations in the book.\"

He recounted how, fascinated by the pictures and stories, he slowly became intrigued about how things worked. His curiosity had been ignited, he recalled with a smile.

There were times, Mr Lim said, when he would try to break apart electrical appliances just to see how they worked.

That tenacious curiosity would then develop into a deep abiding fascination for science.

But his school grades remained poor despite the interest.

He confessed that grades simply did not matter to him at the point.

It was only when it dawned on him that his grades in school would help him succeed in life did things really start turning around.

\"As I grew up and matured, I began to realise how education would make a huge difference in my future,\" he said.

After that, he knuckled down to some serious studying. It paid off.

He went on to do well for his N-levels, scoring A1s for all subjects except for Chinese Language.

The O-levels, which he sat for at Kranji Secondary School, was a hurdle he had to overcome.

He said: \"The fastest way to run is to look forward. Nobody owes you a good life. Nobody owes you happiness - you earn it,\" he stressed.

Mr Lim, who enjoys cycling, jogging and playing computer games, believed that one of the ways he did well in his studies was to have a strong grasp of the English Language.

\"It's a cycle. You get better when you read. And when you get better, you'll want to read more and more,\" he said.

It helped that his father, Mr Lim Thiam Hock, 67, kept emphasising the importance of education.

The retired business owner told The New Paper on Sunday in Mandarin: \"I reminded my children all the time that they should study very hard.\"

Besides Mr Lim, he has three daughters. He beamed with pride when he opened up to this reporter about his children: \"I've always looked forward to seeing them succeed, so instilling independence in them was the right thing to do.\"

Sure enough, his son's hard work bore fruit, all without him ever needing tuition.

Mr Lim qualified for junior college, scoring 8 points for his L1R4 and 15 for L1R5. But he chose to study General Biotechnology at Singapore Polytechnic (SP) instead, a decision he believes is the wisest he's made: \"I already knew what I wanted to do, and the Polytechnic was a conducive place for my studies.\"

He then entered Nanyang Technological University, where he graduated with a first-class honours degree in Biological Sciences last month.

Then last week Mr Lim became one of the Agency for Science, Technology and Research's (A*Star)'s graduate scholars - considered one of the most prestigious awards in the country.

Mr Lim, who plans to pursue a PhD in Immunology at Oxford University, spoke animatedly about his fascination with organisms' immune systems and said he hoped he could help improve the standards of healthcare.

\"I see the scholarship as a step forward in my education.

It'll give me a great opportunity to further my research,\" he added.

Looking back, Mr Lim said he would not change a thing despite his earlier struggles in school.

\"To improve, I have to love education for what it's worth, which is knowledge itself.\"

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/topic/24798/how-this-em3-student-became-a-phd-scholarRSS for NodeTue, 28 Apr 2026 16:55:16 GMTFri, 12 Aug 2011 03:12:31 GMT60<![CDATA[Reply to How this EM3 student became a PhD scholar on Mon, 15 Aug 2011 08:31:39 GMT]]>

MadScientist:


IMHO, streaming is not necessary...
I have relatives and neighbours who are teachers. In their opinion, its really too much to manage if you have too diverse a cohort with different learning abilities in one class.

My DS1 has been paired with a weaker student in class and been asked to 'guide' this student along in a couple of subjects. Whilst I don't really mind, as it will inculcate the right values in terms of helping a fellow human, I can't help but have the nagging feeling that he could be further ahead in his work if the teacher were concentrating on stretching the better students. But that would be a selfish desire, so I quash it and try and help him along outside of school. I really don't blame the teacher, if there are weak students, she needs to help them first.

So, I believe that streaming is the lesser of the 2 evils overall, as it allows students to develop at their own pace, as long as there is a safety net for late developers. Will there be exceptions? Indeed, so we ought not to make the divergent paths too difficult to navigate, that I agree.

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/547394https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/547394Mon, 15 Aug 2011 08:31:39 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to How this EM3 student became a PhD scholar on Mon, 15 Aug 2011 05:23:49 GMT]]>

wapobs:
3Boys:

[quote=\"wapobs\"]
Not perfect, but not bad.....a few special fellas made it,
you say it helps the majority?
wat brand koyok u selling? (I know, it is the only brand on sale here.)

Okay,
demonstrate to me that it is not you selling koyok.

Tell me by what measure, international or otherwise, that the education system in Singapore has failed the MAJORITY. That it has failed to equip them with the book knowledge to be employable. That it is inferior to other national systems. Please show me the stats to back your assertion.

3boys,
citing a few isolated examples to claim that our education system help the majority is weak, like selling koyok, tio bo?
if you had cited better examples, I would not have commented.

when did I say our education has failed the majority?
when did I say our education fail to equip us to be employable?
when did i say it is inferior to others?
what is my assertion that you now demand stats to back up?
all these are words you are trying to put inside my mouth,
makes you look even more like koyok seller now leh. ๐Ÿ˜„[/quote]Whatever......

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/547032https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/547032Mon, 15 Aug 2011 05:23:49 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to How this EM3 student became a PhD scholar on Mon, 15 Aug 2011 04:42:50 GMT]]>

verykiasu2010:
KSP:

[quote=\"verykiasu2010\"]so the offending word is 'EM3' ..... it does not exist anymore, by the way


actually the streaming for weaker students at primary level is still there.... is just that they have renamed it as foundation class.....

I know. they renamed it. streaming is a necessary 'evil'[/quote]I'd like to disagree with that... having been streamed out...

In the lower rungs, the students segregate themselves... I had classmates who were just stuck at the bottom cos everyone else expected them to be there. All other better students of the better classes really exclude you when you are at the lower rungs of the ladder. This is something that the policy makers have no idea about.... and that is what streaming does in effect... that is why although not rare for bright sparks, there are far and few between.

I never had the opportunity to learn what I wanted to learn... until I figured that I had to play the game to determine my own opportunity/destiny. The system disallowed me to learn science... I had a love for it since age 9... and then deprived me of as much science as I'd love until I left the system for a crossover that few ever make.

IMHO, streaming is not necessary...

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/546951https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/546951Mon, 15 Aug 2011 04:42:50 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to How this EM3 student became a PhD scholar on Mon, 15 Aug 2011 04:25:10 GMT]]>

3Boys:
wapobs:


Not perfect, but not bad.....a few special fellas made it,
you say it helps the majority?
wat brand koyok u selling? (I know, it is the only brand on sale here.)

Okay,
demonstrate to me that it is not you selling koyok.

Tell me by what measure, international or otherwise, that the education system in Singapore has failed the MAJORITY. That it has failed to equip them with the book knowledge to be employable. That it is inferior to other national systems. Please show me the stats to back your assertion.

3boys,
citing a few isolated examples to claim that our education system help the majority is weak, like selling koyok, tio bo?
if you had cited better examples, I would not have commented.

when did I say our education has failed the majority?
when did I say our education fail to equip us to be employable?
when did i say it is inferior to others?
what is my assertion that you now demand stats to back up?
all these are words you are trying to put inside my mouth,
makes you look even more like koyok seller now leh. ๐Ÿ˜„

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/546905https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/546905Mon, 15 Aug 2011 04:25:10 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to How this EM3 student became a PhD scholar on Mon, 15 Aug 2011 03:48:37 GMT]]>

3Boys:


Alright, I hear you. We should not overstream, I agree. In an utopian system, there ought to be 1;1 attention, so that each child gets pushed to his or her individual limit. Its tough enough with my own kids to even know what that is, to be honest! But in a public-shared education system, I guess there needs to be some compromise.

Cheers.
I guess you're right. There's room for improvement... that's all I'm saying.

Cheers. ๐Ÿ˜„

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/546793https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/546793Mon, 15 Aug 2011 03:48:37 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to How this EM3 student became a PhD scholar on Mon, 15 Aug 2011 03:48:09 GMT]]>

KSP:
verykiasu2010:

so the offending word is 'EM3' ..... it does not exist anymore, by the way


actually the streaming for weaker students at primary level is still there.... is just that they have renamed it as foundation class.....

I know. they renamed it. streaming is a necessary 'evil'

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/546791https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/546791Mon, 15 Aug 2011 03:48:09 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to How this EM3 student became a PhD scholar on Mon, 15 Aug 2011 03:45:18 GMT]]>

Mdm Koh:
3Boys:

[quote=\"Mdm Koh\"]
I am saying that some of them should not have been in EM3. ๐Ÿ˜„

We still have NA and NT in secondary schools. I can understand the rationale behind having an NA stream, but I think that NT is not really necessary.

And I agree. But there is no perfect streaming system, and as long as those who get mis-categorised early on get a chance to recover, I think we are doing well, don't you?

Or are you saying we do away with streaming altogether?

I think that hurts the weaker students and the stronger students from poor families, the well off can always supplement with tons of enrichment.

I agree that there's no perfect system, but I think that over-streaming does more harm than good. It's very, very difficult to recover lost ground. Once a student is streamed into NT, his choices will be limited.[/quote]Alright, I hear you. We should not overstream, I agree. In an utopian system, there ought to be 1;1 attention, so that each child gets pushed to his or her individual limit. Its tough enough with my own kids to even know what that is, to be honest! But in a public-shared education system, I guess there needs to be some compromise.

Cheers.

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/546778https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/546778Mon, 15 Aug 2011 03:45:18 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to How this EM3 student became a PhD scholar on Mon, 15 Aug 2011 03:45:15 GMT]]>

verykiasu2010:
so the offending word is 'EM3' ..... it does not exist anymore, by the way

actually the streaming for weaker students at primary level is still there.... is just that they have renamed it as foundation class.....

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/546777https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/546777Mon, 15 Aug 2011 03:45:15 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to How this EM3 student became a PhD scholar on Mon, 15 Aug 2011 03:42:28 GMT]]>

3Boys:
Mdm Koh:


I am saying that some of them should not have been in EM3. ๐Ÿ˜„

We still have NA and NT in secondary schools. I can understand the rationale behind having an NA stream, but I think that NT is not really necessary.

And I agree. But there is no perfect streaming system, and as long as those who get mis-categorised early on get a chance to recover, I think we are doing well, don't you?

Or are you saying we do away with streaming altogether?

I think that hurts the weaker students and the stronger students from poor families, the well off can always supplement with tons of enrichment.

I agree that there's no perfect system, but I think that over-streaming does more harm than good. It's very, very difficult to recover lost ground. Once a student is streamed into NT, his choices will be limited.

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/546767https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/546767Mon, 15 Aug 2011 03:42:28 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to How this EM3 student became a PhD scholar on Mon, 15 Aug 2011 03:39:45 GMT]]>

Mdm Koh:
verykiasu2010:



it is just a name

by whatever name, streaming / grouping is unavoidable

if your child is good in his / her study, you would complain to high heaven if a gangster-type who does bother with study is included in his / herclass of high achievers

Isn't your \"gangster type\" comment yet another pitfall of the streaming? It's a stereotype. You're equating poor results with poor behaviour.

yes 100% agreed; and schools have no more EM3, only have NT/NA

so streaming system is IMperfect, but is necessary

if we want to be politically correct, then we will end up like UK recently in the street riots and hooliganism. It will take some years to reach there, like UK. Yesterday Sunday Times had a good article on it

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/546759https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/546759Mon, 15 Aug 2011 03:39:45 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to How this EM3 student became a PhD scholar on Mon, 15 Aug 2011 03:38:21 GMT]]>

verykiasu2010:


it is just a name

by whatever name, streaming / grouping is unavoidable

if your child is good in his / her study, you would complain to high heaven if a gangster-type who does bother with study is included in his / herclass of high achievers
Isn't your \"gangster type\" comment yet another pitfall of the streaming? It's a stereotype. You're equating poor results with poor behaviour.

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/546756https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/546756Mon, 15 Aug 2011 03:38:21 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to How this EM3 student became a PhD scholar on Mon, 15 Aug 2011 03:35:40 GMT]]>

Mdm Koh:

I am saying that some of them should not have been in EM3. ๐Ÿ˜„

We still have NA and NT in secondary schools. I can understand the rationale behind having an NA stream, but I think that NT is not really necessary.
And I agree. But there is no perfect streaming system, and as long as those who get mis-categorised early on get a chance to recover, I think we are doing well, don't you?

Or are you saying we do away with streaming altogether?

I think that hurts the weaker students and the stronger students from poor families, the well off can always supplement with tons of enrichment.

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/546747https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/546747Mon, 15 Aug 2011 03:35:40 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to How this EM3 student became a PhD scholar on Mon, 15 Aug 2011 03:27:07 GMT]]>

Mdm Koh:
3Boys:

[quote=\"Mdm Koh\"]
I think it's because for every one guy who makes it into the newspapers, there are thousands more who fall through the cracks.

If he was not interested in studies back then, could the school have done something more to help him, instead of streaming him into EM3?

So are you saying all EM 3 students should be PhD scholars? I asked the question in an earlier post, what is a reasonable amount of effort that should be expended per student in a public education system.

verykiasu2010:
so the offending word is 'EM3' ..... it does not exist anymore, by the way
I am saying that some of them should not have been in EM3. ๐Ÿ˜„

We still have NA and NT in secondary schools. I can understand the rationale behind having an NA stream, but I think that NT is not really necessary.[/quote]it is just a name

by whatever name, streaming / grouping is unavoidable

if your child is good in his / her study, you would complain to high heaven if a gangster-type who does bother with study is included in his / herclass of high achievers

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/546713https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/546713Mon, 15 Aug 2011 03:27:07 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to How this EM3 student became a PhD scholar on Mon, 15 Aug 2011 03:22:55 GMT]]>

3Boys:
Mdm Koh:


I think it's because for every one guy who makes it into the newspapers, there are thousands more who fall through the cracks.

If he was not interested in studies back then, could the school have done something more to help him, instead of streaming him into EM3?

So are you saying all EM 3 students should be PhD scholars? I asked the question in an earlier post, what is a reasonable amount of effort that should be expended per student in a public education system.

verykiasu2010:
so the offending word is 'EM3' ..... it does not exist anymore, by the way
I am saying that some of them should not have been in EM3. ๐Ÿ˜„

We still have NA and NT in secondary schools. I can understand the rationale behind having an NA stream, but I think that NT is not really necessary.

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/546698https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/546698Mon, 15 Aug 2011 03:22:55 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to How this EM3 student became a PhD scholar on Mon, 15 Aug 2011 03:11:11 GMT]]>so the offending word is โ€˜EM3โ€™ โ€ฆ it does not exist anymore, by the way

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/546654https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/546654Mon, 15 Aug 2011 03:11:11 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to How this EM3 student became a PhD scholar on Mon, 15 Aug 2011 03:10:22 GMT]]>

Mdm Koh:

I think it's because for every one guy who makes it into the newspapers, there are thousands more who fall through the cracks.

If he was not interested in studies back then, could the school have done something more to help him, instead of streaming him into EM3?
So are you saying all EM 3 students should be PhD scholars? I asked the question in an earlier post, what is a reasonable amount of effort that should be expended per student in a public education system.

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/546648https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/546648Mon, 15 Aug 2011 03:10:22 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to How this EM3 student became a PhD scholar on Mon, 15 Aug 2011 03:07:55 GMT]]>

3Boys:
I went back to read the article to understand what this whole furore was all about. How did a local boy made good, within our education system, turn out to be a stick to beat the system from whence he came?


Look at his track, completely within the SG education, provided for via various avenues for folk at differing abilities at different points in time. EM3 --> Sec school Normal --> Poly --> NTU.

By his own admission, Mr Lim was 'not interested' in studies back in P school. Was he misplaced in EM3? As his abilities awakened, he progressed up the academic track.

It gives me a lot of comfort to see this. I am an end user of the Singapore education system, if any of my young children are not academically inclined at a young age, I know it is not a death sentence.

So why is this not a celebration of a young man's talents and demonstration of the various avenues for progress WITHIN the system, and why is it a stick to beat the educators with? Really baffles me :?
I think it's because for every one guy who makes it into the newspapers, there are thousands more who fall through the cracks.

If he was not interested in studies back then, could the school have done something more to help him, instead of streaming him into EM3?

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/546634https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/546634Mon, 15 Aug 2011 03:07:55 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to How this EM3 student became a PhD scholar on Mon, 15 Aug 2011 03:04:55 GMT]]>I went back to read the article to understand what this whole furore was all about. How did a local boy made good, within our education system, turn out to be a stick to beat the system from whence he came?


Look at his track, completely within the SG education, provided for via various avenues for folk at differing abilities at different points in time. EM3 --> Sec school Normal --> Poly --> NTU.

By his own admission, Mr Lim was 'not interested' in studies back in P school. Was he misplaced in EM3? As his abilities awakened, he progressed up the academic track.

It gives me a lot of comfort to see this. I am an end user of the Singapore education system, if any of my young children are not academically inclined at a young age, I know it is not a death sentence.

So why is this not a celebration of a young man's talents and demonstration of the various avenues for progress WITHIN the system, and why is it a stick to beat the educators with? Really baffles me :?

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/546628https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/546628Mon, 15 Aug 2011 03:04:55 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to How this EM3 student became a PhD scholar on Mon, 15 Aug 2011 03:04:53 GMT]]>I'm not sure if I agree with the term \"ordinary Joe\". ๐Ÿ˜†


I have a friend who interviews candidates for his alma mater, an Ivy League university in the US.

According to him, the top Singaporean students only know how to study hard and excel in exams. They are misinformed about current affairs and not particularly interested in getting to know the country that they might be studying in.

One student from a top JC did not even bother to find out where the university was located.

These people are supposed to be the creme de la creme. :nailbite:

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/546627https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/546627Mon, 15 Aug 2011 03:04:53 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to How this EM3 student became a PhD scholar on Mon, 15 Aug 2011 03:01:15 GMT]]>if the education in singapore is crap, how come the graduates of the system could all aspire white collar office jobs with high pay, not even eligible for HDB flats ?


and no one wants to be sales assistants, hawker assistants that clear tables, wash dishes, serve tables in restaurants, make beds in hotels, do the rounds in hospitals, no ones want to work under the sun doing construction work and we have to rely on India Indians, China Chinese, Blanga dash here dash there, to do all the heavy lifting and to build houses and offices for us to occupy ? โ€ฆsame for the ship building industry, why so dependent on foreign workers, and those machine operators ?..how come no Singaporeans โ€˜qualifyโ€™ for these jobs if our education is crap? and why is it so difficult to recruit accounts clerk, data entry staff (call them IT executive whateverโ€ฆ)? and those workers at MRT sites, rain or shine, 24/7, how come we singaporeans donโ€™t want those jobs? who are driving the trains and buses ?

ya, may be it is true, we singaporeans are damned pissed that these jobs are taken by foreigners, and we donโ€™t have a chance to clear tables and wash dishes and drive buses, Mr Heng Swee Kiat better quickly look into the education system to ensure that we do not need foreigners to do all the above jobs, better train our true blue โ€˜born & bredโ€™ singaporeans to be able to serve table, build roads and houses, and drive rubbish trucks and buses, kick their own balls and play their ping pong

liddat damn good man, everything for singaporeans by singaporeans only

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/546616https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/546616Mon, 15 Aug 2011 03:01:15 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to How this EM3 student became a PhD scholar on Mon, 15 Aug 2011 02:44:35 GMT]]>

Mdm Koh:

To my knowledge, a few years ago, there was an oversupply of engineers. Many engineering grads could not find jobs as engineers. Out of the eight people I know personally who were engineering grads, only two are in the engineering field. Six of them are doing jobs that are completely unrelated to engineering. :scratchhead:

I don't know if that can be considered a failure, but it's definitely a major pitfall. Tertiary education is not cheap and it seems a terrible waste to spend three or four years on a course only to find that you cannot find jobs in the field that you are qualified in. This is why whenever my nieces and nephews ask me for advice on what courses to take at tertiary level, I always tell them to go with their interests rather than with what the government says. ๐Ÿ†’
I think as parents in the modern era, we have wisened up to the notion that the first degree is just a start. That is somewhat the beauty of the liberal arts college approach that is taken in some of the US unis. It does mean a longer commitment to tertiary education though, and costs too.

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/546577https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/546577Mon, 15 Aug 2011 02:44:35 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to How this EM3 student became a PhD scholar on Mon, 15 Aug 2011 02:42:01 GMT]]>

gohtab:
3Boys:

[quote=\"wapobs\"]
Not perfect, but not bad.....a few special fellas made it,
you say it helps the majority?
wat brand koyok u selling? (I know, it is the only brand on sale here.)

Okay,
demonstrate to me that it is not you selling koyok.

Tell me by what measure, international or otherwise, that the education system in Singapore has failed the MAJORITY. That it has failed to equip them with the book knowledge to be employable. That it is inferior to other national systems. Please show me the stats to back your assertion.

Tell me also by what measures, the Singapore education system is helpful when at the same time we have our dear leaders openly claim that we need FT to \"pouch above it's (Singapore) weight\" (he quoted and I said). If our education is so perfectly and flawless like what you claimed, why do our leaders still believe that FT is better?

Tell me also again, if our education system is so great, why than are our jobs replace by FT? Jobs from clerks, sales, stall helpers etc to even teachers and doctors (just go visit the polyclinics). No doubt, our education system has it's strength. But we also need to see the overall package and how it helps our kids in finding a job in the local market.

And finally, it is very encouraging to see a previous EM3 student claiming success. But at the same time, how many more EM3 students did not make the cut or just give up under the current system. The numbers is not surprising.

3boys, I believe you will have no problem showing us the stats, since you will be (as usual) here all day long posting to and fro and researching high and low in the web for stats. By the way, when showing stats, please avoid those from the local ministry. One knows how they like to lump PR and citizen together.[/quote]The answer to your question on FTs is very simple. Because, like everyone else, we are limited by genetics. There is a saying (tongue in cheek!) that God loves ordinary people, because he made so many of them!

Singapore is no different. We no more or less smart than other people, be they Chinese, Indians, Americans or Europeans. Tough reality, but it is what it is. Therefore, our ability to have masses of super achievers (on a Global scale) are simply limited. So, in order to play on that field, we need to import.

We are not the only ones. France imported footballers to help win the World Cup. The USA, with its masses of top Universities, draws a large proportion of its strength in tech from imported talent. Should we perhaps not do the same?

However, it does not mean we leave ordinary Joe behind. We need to craft a system that is affordable and at the same time gives very good basic education the the majority (ordinary Joe), allow them to learn at their own pace, and maybe push them a little. Our academic achievement levels at primary level is not bad, look up the international league tables yourself. Mr EM3 was a slow starter, would he have been better off thrown in the deep end with higher achievers from the get go, or should he be given the opportunity to grow at his own pace? Bear in mind, a large number of those in EM3 are probably at their correct academic level, or do you disagree? Or do you propose to completely do away with EM3? Or do you wish to commit more resources to EM3 than available to children of normal ability? What do you propose?

Look up stats? Sure, I wished more people would do so, instead of wallowing in a vacuum and scratching their heads. Here's one more for you --> <http://www.realonlinedegrees.com/education-rankings-by-country/> You can disbelieve me, but then you have to do some research to do so, yes?

I'm not sure you have really framed the problem, or perhaps have just the germ of a solution? I.e., if you wish to critique and tear down the present system, do you have something I can trust to take its place? The reason I dig into numbers is to understand if there is really a problem in the first place. Sometimes there is, sometimes there isn't.

I'm not as prolific as you think, taken me 3 years to get to GM1.

Yeah, I'm persistent and a pest, but that's the beauty of the web.... ๐Ÿ˜†

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/546568https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/546568Mon, 15 Aug 2011 02:42:01 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to How this EM3 student became a PhD scholar on Mon, 15 Aug 2011 02:14:06 GMT]]>

3Boys:
wapobs:


Not perfect, but not bad.....a few special fellas made it,
you say it helps the majority?
wat brand koyok u selling? (I know, it is the only brand on sale here.)

Okay,
demonstrate to me that it is not you selling koyok.

Tell me by what measure, international or otherwise, that the education system in Singapore has failed the MAJORITY. That it has failed to equip them with the book knowledge to be employable. That it is inferior to other national systems. Please show me the stats to back your assertion.

We have yet to produce a Nobel Prize winner? ๐Ÿ˜‚

Singapore's education system is good for the majority, but the pitfall is that it's not flexible enough and the \"must-take course of the moment\" is what the government sees as economically beneficial to the country at that time.

There was a time when the government was avidly encouraging students to take up engineering. After that it was biomed, or something like that.

To my knowledge, a few years ago, there was an oversupply of engineers. Many engineering grads could not find jobs as engineers. Out of the eight people I know personally who were engineering grads, only two are in the engineering field. Six of them are doing jobs that are completely unrelated to engineering. :scratchhead:

I don't know if that can be considered a failure, but it's definitely a major pitfall. Tertiary education is not cheap and it seems a terrible waste to spend three or four years on a course only to find that you cannot find jobs in the field that you are qualified in. This is why whenever my nieces and nephews ask me for advice on what courses to take at tertiary level, I always tell them to go with their interests rather than with what the government says. ๐Ÿ†’

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/546469https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/546469Mon, 15 Aug 2011 02:14:06 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to How this EM3 student became a PhD scholar on Mon, 15 Aug 2011 01:58:26 GMT]]>

3Boys:
wapobs:


Not perfect, but not bad.....a few special fellas made it,
you say it helps the majority?
wat brand koyok u selling? (I know, it is the only brand on sale here.)

Okay,
demonstrate to me that it is not you selling koyok.

Tell me by what measure, international or otherwise, that the education system in Singapore has failed the MAJORITY. That it has failed to equip them with the book knowledge to be employable. That it is inferior to other national systems. Please show me the stats to back your assertion.

Tell me also by what measures, the Singapore education system is helpful when at the same time we have our dear leaders openly claim that we need FT to \"pouch above it's (Singapore) weight\" (he quoted and I said). If our education is so perfectly and flawless like what you claimed, why do our leaders still believe that FT is better?

Tell me also again, if our education system is so great, why than are our jobs replace by FT? Jobs from clerks, sales, stall helpers etc to even teachers and doctors (just go visit the polyclinics). No doubt, our education system has it's strength. But we also need to see the overall package and how it helps our kids in finding a job in the local market.

And finally, it is very encouraging to see a previous EM3 student claiming success. But at the same time, how many more EM3 students did not make the cut or just give up under the current system. The numbers is not surprising.

3boys, I believe you will have no problem showing us the stats, since you will be (as usual) here all day long posting to and fro and researching high and low in the web for stats. By the way, when showing stats, please avoid those from the local ministry. One knows how they like to lump PR and citizen together.

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/546429https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/546429Mon, 15 Aug 2011 01:58:26 GMT