Hehe… but I find having 1 kid the toughest, having more means they take care of each other. So that’s why I get 5 hours lah…

I used to think that the best education in the world does not exist, but since this is repeatedly drummed into me, I am beginning to agree that Singapore does have the best education system in the world and is an envious of many countries, and the main reason is because it has the best parents in the world. You see, to me, parents are vital in the whole education ecosystem.


You can put a Singaporean child in any education system and the child will do well - my simple observation in most cases. Simply because there is at least one concerned parent behind every Singaporean child. It is amazing that more than 97% of our children go for tuition, the highest in the world, ahead of other Asian countries like South Korea and China. Truly, for whatever reasons, our parents have made tuition part of our education system, and often, how well a child does is correlated to the number of tuition hours he/she receives.

I believe our country is a true example to the world how important parents are in the education process, that even with one of the highest student-ratio and the smallest education budget (% of GDP) amongst the first world countries, we produce excellent academic results.

People often credit that to the education system, and I agree. Just that my definition of education system includes a vital group of people who would go all out to support their children academically. They take leave to gear their children for PSLE, take a whole year off to watch over their kids in the ‘critical academic’ years, stop their children from doing their favorite sports and aesthetics. They would scream at the children the moment a teacher calls to complain. Personally (or employ someone to) look over their children’s shoulders to ensure homework is done. They are a reliable source for teachers to turn to whenever their children fail to perform academically. They will find solutions. And, when all else fail, some are willing to take out a whip to discipline their children for poor performance.

Take these people away from the education system, and I am pretty sure our children will fair pretty differently in international tests. Our parents are the heroes in our education system.

Having stayed in western countries, I witness the absence of such parents as they struggle to find the Asian secret to education success. Fingers point and temper fly at the education ministers. I wonder if these people have ever looked deep within themselves to realize that if their parents won’t do their part, their children will not strive academically no matter how good their systems are, and no matter how much the government spends.

So here is my toast to our Singapore parents, for making our education system great and an envy of many.

Nebbermind:

20062008:

Hi all, if interested to go for some of IQ test or whatever test for a child, anyone can recommend where to seek such test?


After such test, what's next? there will have course to assist the kid?

Appreciated if anyone can advise me....thanks

I search the net : Dynamic Therapy, DAS, KKH

Just curious, what do you intend to achieve from the diagnosis?

Exactly, why is knowing if your child gifted important?

Em:

sleepy:

Please post the news clipping here :please:

Will try, cross fingers n toes it'll come out okay.

Er, sorry, no can do. Tinypic is rejecting me for whatever reason :? Maybe someone else can try. Or buy today's Straits Times yeah? [/quote]
This one ok? http://goo.gl/UMEUOm

laughingcat:

Hello 2ppaamm! Nice to read up about you in the newspaper. You are sensational!

My girls aren't neat either and I often wonder why... the boys seem better... :?

jedamum, I agree with Sun. Sometimes, it’s little reminder like these that make our family lives so much better and I have learned much from you and parents here who have given me much insights.

toddles:

Nice to see you back here!


Your FB page has really taken off huh?

Miss the long chats with you and chenoceau (whose blog and book have also taken off in a big way!).

Hi toddles!

I come back to KSP once in a while and find that I have nothing much to contribute, and sometimes, I try to put in my views and people might find them irrelevant because I come and go so often. So I read to understand what is happening among parents here, but cannot contribute much in case I affect the 'flow'.

If there is value, I will try and contribute anywhere. And yes, the FB has taken off suddenly, and I don't really know why...

I talk to Chen once in a while too, she is always a blessing to discuss things with. :please:

jedamum:

Nice sharing!

I always categorized you as an intelligent mother.
What will you say about not so intelligent mothers like me?
I find it difficult to find common grounds for discussion as I am not a current affairs person and not very smart or know a lot of things. Elder son's is usually directed to his dad when he asks about stuff he wants to know. I feel a bit dumb. I find it hard to get interested in physics or to understand economics or even gaming stuff. ....
The conversation topics will just get lesser when the boys grow up and they may view it as me probing, or give their infamous single syllabus answer. Elder one is now into this stage. My husband also doesn't converse much with his mother, not that he loves her any less. The amount of SMS I SMS her to chat her grand kids stuff or household in a month is more that his conversation topic with her in a year. ....

Is this the fate of mothers with boys?

Do also share your views too next time when you become a mother in law! This is a path which is tricky if you have boys. Kekeke.

Yes, I do have boys, three of them!

Do I have a good conversation with my oldest boy? Actually, yes but not because I am an intelligent mum (not as intelligent as I hope to be :imdrowning: ) There are topics that I cannot comprehend completely, since my son is already doing post grad, and I have no idea what he is talking about especially in the topics he studies, because I never studied those things.

What I do is tell him I do not understand those terms he uses, and would he please explain them to me. I explained to him only recently that he must not talk to everyone expecting them to know in the same kind of details he understands certain topics because he studied in depth about them, and most of us didn't. So he has to treat everyone like we are completely ignorant, and then patiently bring us to a level he understands it. After many \"I don't understand you\" discussions, he is now beginning to explain himself in simpler terms.

I think it is the same whether they are our boys into late teens, or our husbands who go to work and come home to share their stories. We do not really know what they are talking about. I actually have to do a lot of research about what my kids say just to have simple conversations with them about what they love. Sometimes, when it gets too deep, I ask if we can talk about something else, or just sit pretty and listen.

Boys tend to talk little. Somehow, I 'managed' to get my sons to talk a lot, and sometimes, they just keep quiet. I treasure the times they decide to open up and discuss things and try to bring it deeper and give analogies. Of course, I also bring in my own topics lah... like my own child hood, why I think this or that way, my friends, my funny stories. The sons seem to like my silly stories. I am a pretty good story teller, hahaha... like to animate and entertain, tell jokes and act funny just to make them laugh. At times, even for my boy who is turning 20, I will tickle him till he rolls on the floor just to make him feel like a little boy again. (Only mothers can do that. :boogie: )

As they grow older, there will be less topics of common interest, but fortunately, since we brought them up, there are always great shared memories. My boys like to know what they are like when they were little. I tell them how they used to be when they were small, my challenges and my happiness as I watched them. How I used to cut their hair on the sink, when my oldest fell and how worried I was, what they used to say they would do and whether they did eventually do them, what their ambitions were and why they did or did not pursue them, what they think about the other siblings' choices, how they felt about me selling the old house or old sofa, what they thought about their choices of schools, actually, every car ride, we have lots of things to talk about. The present, the past and the future. The news in circulation, and the latest fashion in music, dress and their friends' latest fancies.

I think we don't have to be intelligent to have a good conversation with our intelligent boys, we just have to get into their worlds. If their worlds are too difficult to understand, I ask if they would get me there. If the future is too distant, we talk about the present or the past. Try everything lor....

It will be sad for me if my sons stop talking and sharing with me, but knowing me, I will go in all directions and find common topic. I very ji za. Haha... When they finally get married, I know my daughter in law will be jealous if I talk so much with my sons, I guess my role will dwindle into a supportive role, and I just do things to support them. At that time, my responsibility to keep him happy and accompanied will be handled over to another woman, and gladly so. And if I badly want a conversation, I will invite him for lunch so that the wife does not know or feel intruded.

Thank you for leaving nice notes.