Compulsory Overseas Trip

[VitoRelax]

ks2me:

VitoRelax:

Sometimes it takes a poor to really understand a poor ....


Cheers

You mean you poor meh???

Apek like me not only poor but VERY POOR !!

\"Thong kor bo lang chai\"

[corneyAmber]

Nani, I am with you on this too. Honestly I feel that such trips are really unnecessary especially at a young age(primary school). With all the duress that everyone is going through, I wonder how much benefits one can get from it. I heard a few cases where kids went and finally a few days when the novelty wore off, they called back crying on the phone. At that point, the parents felt so helpless, so was it necessary to stress everyone from principal to the children's family? My take is \"no\" too.


There will be a time they will fly out of the nest when they are ready, no need to force it across the board as everyone has different maturity levels, just like losing the milk teeth...when it happens, it happens, nothing can stop it.

Also, these days, children travel widely with parents, why replicate the effort and create more stress?

If parents can lose 2-3 children in Disneylands, all the easier for teachers to do so with so many more kids and for the teachers to be worrying throughout the trip, they also cannot be effective in delivering the learning process.

If you ask me, this is more like a MOE perk for teachers as employees to go on overseas incentive trip(like what MNCs would do) aligning with \"teach less, learn more\" concept.

Personally I would prefer the teachers to go on their own incentive trips if that is MOE's intent for some training. :idea: Then for any projects that require overseas venture to provide the links of required network for the children to go with their parent(1 or 2) to explore. It should also be made an option as to whether people want to have a personal experience overseas to complete the project or rely on the internet research materials to do so. This, to me, is a better idea. For parents who have less time to bond with the kids, \"forcing\" them to think of a trip with the child helps to strengthen family ties if they wish to do so. Then companies should be made to APPROVE such leave without questions asked as part of family welfare as long as school signs off the trip. If MOE can go one further step to subsidize one parent, it would be good. Afterall, I heard some schools now introduce this \"father bonding\" programme where only fathers are encouraged to do certain activity together with the child. So a family can decide if they want to \"kill 2 birds with one stone\", do a project with overseas trip and also respond to this 'father bonding' programme concurrently where they can submit a brief trip journal/scrapbook page meaningful for the school and for the family, especially for the father.

Aiya....this is just another of my wild dream la...thanks for listening to my ranting... :lol:

[corneyAmber]

VitoRelax:

Apek like me not only poor but VERY POOR !!


\"Thong kor bo lang chai\"

I only know your \"thong kor\" is driving around bukit timah a few mornings trying to find the best time and route to your kid's new school... but this kind of \"thong kor\" is only richer people can experience leh....

[luckystar]

There will be a China trip in sec-3, global classroom trip in sec-4 for NYGH. just for info.

[csc]

My son just left yesterday on his overseas school trip. It is third trip overseas. His first trip was to China when he was in primary four. I remember I could not sleep well throughout that trip when he was away.


Over time, I’ve learnt to let go and have faith that the teachers will take care of the students and the children must also learn to take care of themselves.

Don’t forget that in a few years’ time, our boys will have to go for National Service and may need to travel overseas for training. And that is, definitely compulsory.

It’s good to train our children (especially sons) to be independent and to be exposed to difficult culture and living environment. Our future generation is going to grow up in a global world and need to be global citizens. In fact, we are living in one now. My siblings and sibling-in-laws travel very frequently for work and business.

They need to be prepared for that kind of challenge ahead.

As a parent, especially a mum, it is definitely not easy - but we have to
prepare them ahead. It will be worse if your child still needs your attention in his twenties. This is what happened to my friend’s son who has to pursue a degree overseas (a specialised degree) out of no choice and he requested his mum (a SAHM) to go and stay with him there. My friend went with him to help him settle down and visited him rather regulary over the last year he was there. And mind you, the air tickets are not cheap.

Being the only child, he must have led a sheltered and protected life and that’s why he can’t let go of his insecurities even in his twenties. He needs the mother around. My friend made a wise decision not to move over to stay with him - afterall, she still has to see to her husband’s needs.
She is hoping that he will ‘grow up’ soon.

[corneyAmber]

Yes buddy, the 3 conditions I will agree to is:

1. age appropriate and necessary
2. when they are ready, cannot even stop them
3. especially if boys

[nani]

Wonder if anyone keen to write to MOE or ST forum on this topic to stir some views/comments/looking into :?


Btw - has anyone here actually disallow your child to go for the \"complusory\" trip? How/What did you explain to your child? Did he/she get peer pressure?

[csc]

ks2me:

Yes buddy, the 3 conditions I will agree to is:

1. age appropriate and necessary
2. when they are ready, cannot even stop them
3. especially if boys

Definitely when they are ready. But hopefully not when they are in their twenties and then still not ready. :lol:

Actually I'm secretly wishing that he will get an overseas education, so better prepare him ahead. In fact, if there's an opening, I will get him to sign up for one year of boarding school programme.

[alant]

nani:

Wonder if anyone keen to write to MOE or ST forum on this topic to stir some views/comments/looking into :?


Btw - has anyone here actually disallow your child to go for the \"complusory\" trip? How/What did you explain to your child? Did he/she get peer pressure?

Any educator / staff from MOE reading this forum?

[mummyjoyce]

nani:

Wonder if anyone keen to write to MOE or ST forum on this topic to stir some views/comments/looking into :?


Btw - has anyone here actually disallow your child to go for the \"complusory\" trip? How/What did you explain to your child? Did he/she get peer pressure?

Fortunately my 2 DDs oversea trips were not compulsory. Even if it is, I will disallow caused they were only 10 years old at that time and I dont think they know how to look after themselves properly and will not learnt much during the less than a week trip. It is not the $ but in the end how safe it is for the child to be by herself for the 1st time.