Not Another Brick in the Wall
Based on unconfirmed sources, the recent O'levels and A'levels results again throw no surprises, the top performers are all from the pedigree schools, the Raffles, the Chinese Highs, the Nanayangs etc etc. Amidst all these top peforming students, there was one lone stand-out, a girl from Bukit Panjang Sec Sch who aced all her O'level subjects; no mean feat at all.
I have no problems with top schools in Singapore, they have a certain type of students, they churn out one faceless student after another with the consent of their parents. They can choke the talent in their hands and mould them into the technocratic clones which will get a PSC scholarship and end up in a GLC, stat board or the civil service. Those elite students that eventually break down and become disillusioned with this deterministic process, end up flying the coop, migrating to other more fashionable capitals of the world like London, NYC or SF, and live a bohemian lifestyle. Who cares? This process is replicated throughout the world, there will be always be schools which are the mirrors of the ruling ideological regime, co-opting the talented and the privileged into the process of maintaining the existing power structure in society.
Its the other side of the spectrum that begs the attention. Whereas there are schools in other countries which are specifically tailor-made to turn a wayward child's life into something meaningful, in Sg this is a most sparing commodity. The closest I can think of are the polytechnics which take in the underachievers from O'levels and turn them into the dynamic businessmen or entrepreneurs which our gahment is so desperately craving for. In the US, there is an academy known as El Puente which takes in the most dire of students from the inner city of NYC and cultivates a learning programme for each student which works on their strengths rather than forcing them into an educational straitjacket. Such a school relies on a dedicated bunch of Real teachers and Real educators. Many such examples can be found, except in Sg. The problem of our "elite" students is that when they are disillusioned, they just migrate their talent (which has been drummed into their psyche by our top schools) into another society, another economy. For under-achieving students who are disillusioned every day as their futures are pigeon-holed into our rigid education system, a route out of this bleakness creates a fierce sense of loyalty tempered by a much needed understanding of the reality of the world. These latter types are the ones who can lead Sg in the new world. They were never in the box in the first place so there is no need for them to think out of the box. They have a natural talent for this.
Where is this route out for the under-achievers in Singapore? Who can lead an institutional breakthrough for the under-achievers?
Lau Ah Pek
15.3.2004
Sadly, it remains the stereotype that ppl who go to poly are 'losers' while those who make JC are 'winners'.
This misguided myth is merely the problem of our education system, by preaching excellence on paper grades, they have neglected the inert talent that may reside in a student.
Just because one does not have straight As, just because one is not a scholar does not imply that one has failed.
I remember a remark made by a visiting professor from MIT while he was inspecting our examinations. He said "....these questions are tough...not enough time for the paper .....even my best students cannot answer..."
While that does not make a strong enough case, it does raises the question: Are paper grades everything?
In a society of "scared lose" like our own, poor grades mean losing face, disappointment, failure. When my PSLE grades were somewhat average, i recalled asking my mom: are you disappointed with me?
To this day, i remember it as if it were yesterday. Sadly, i know now it was foolish to even mention it.
You are who you are. Your fate is not based on the letters of the alphabets on a piece of paper. Everyone is born with a certain gift.
It's a question of harnessing that special talent to its full potential. In that our education system has failed.
sg education system?? sighz.. mi give up on it long ago.. i mature abit late..and therefore not regard as those elite class.... and i am one of the few that have gotten last and first position in my class b4..
