All (school) work and no play
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All (school) work and no play
I COULD not help feeling sorry for many parents and their children, after hearing what the 12-year-old son of my friend is going through every day.
The boy is in Primary 6 in a neighbourhood school in Jurong. In one week, there are four supplementary classes and he gets home between 3.30pm and 4pm. Homework - there are six to eight assignments every day - keeps him up till 11.30pm, or even later, and he has to wake up at 6am to go to school.
My friend shouts at her son to stop checking his work or doing his work too neatly. She realises that she is imparting the wrong values/work attitude to her son but it breaks her heart to see him struggling with his homework, with little sleep every night. In fact, her son's plight has brought much tension into the family.
Since the school term started in January, the boy has stopped watching his favourite Sunday cartoons and never takes out his toys from the cupboard. Except for bath and meal breaks, he spends all his waking hours on homework, even on weekends. His cheerfulness has been replaced by a weary look and every morning he wakes up like a zombie to go to school. Is this what school is all about?
Appeals to the form teacher to cut down on the homework were in vain. When my friend was invited to a parent-teacher conference before the March school holidays, she wanted to make a complaint to the principal. However, before she could do so, the principal proudly announced that the school had performed excel-lently in last year's PSLE exams and had received the Singapore Quality Class award. Now, with this medal, there is no turning back - cannot 'lau kui' (lose face), she said - and the school is now aiming for a higher award.
When it came to Q&A time, one brave parent asked the principal to reduce the amount of homework. The principal's face clouded over and she asked for her child's name and told the teacher in charge that the child be allowed to do only the number of assignments the mother deemed fit and attend only the number of supplementary classes the mother suggested.
The anxious mother tried to explain that she did not want her child to be singled out and that she was speaking on behalf of many other parents but the principal gave her no chance to carry on.
The principal asked all the Primary 6 teachers, one by one, to declare the number of supplementary classes they were conducting. Apparently, some were conducting more than four a week and the principal commended them for putting pressure on other teachers who conducted fewer classes.
She asked if five classes a week was all right and when a couple of hands went up, she assumed that there was total concurrence from parents.
My friend said what was more shocking was that one parent stood up to show support for the principal, declaring that he wanted more supplementary classes and more homework for his child.
Although some parents revealed that their children also worked non-stop till late at night, some said it was all right, 'children need to be stretched'.
Learning is best achieved when one enjoys it. Also, aren't we advocating creativity? School does not sound interesting at all in this instance. In fact, it has become hell for many.
CHAN YING LENG (MS)
http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/forum/story/0,4386,253211-1085781540,00.html?____________________________________
I have more then ten cousins going thru this 'system' at the moment.
My little nephew is three.....
What irony have we brought our children and generation to?
Is it the children's fault that they have to be born to suffer as such?
Is there really no turning back? -
full speed ahead.. damn the torpedoes...
frankly, i saw the "Singapore Quality Class" thing there, i knew there was nothing good to be said about it...
as for our children, we've doomed them if clueless parents insist on "more supplementary classes" and all that...
well, their children actually...
i would not do that to anyone, much less children of my own whom i would love... -
Their Children....our future generation.Originally posted by the Bear:full speed ahead.. damn the torpedoes...
frankly, i saw the "Singapore Quality Class" thing there, i knew there was nothing good to be said about it...
as for our children, we've doomed them if clueless parents insist on "more supplementary classes" and all that...
well, their children actually...
i would not do that to anyone, much less children of my own whom i would love...
*lament* -
What school is that, I won't send my kids there.
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Sometimes not good to put your kid in top ranking sch. unless he/ she is very smart. Very stressful, also after PSLE if u don't meet their cut off points, u get posted to some neighbourhood sch. eg Nanyang Pri cut off is 250. Better to go average sch. More opportunity to shine. My kid was very shy in pri. sch. with PSLE slightly more than 200 pts. but went to affiliated mission sch., became prefect & still manage to go good JC. Another stressful time is "O' & "A' levels. No time for anything except study, tuition, remedials, CCA & project work. Really pity the kids nowadays. Everyone fighting to get into top schs. + pressure from teachers cos of sch. ranking
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Teacher also under pressure lah...
you think we want to pressure you all so much meh....Got HOD pressuring us...and P presuring HOD...and got to go for prep talks if things don't work out to what they want....and parents screwing us if kids have too little or too much homework or grades not up to their standard....pity us also lah....we also no space to breathe liaoz. -
agree.Originally posted by gerrykoh:Sometimes not good to put your kid in top ranking sch. unless he/ she is very smart. Very stressful, also after PSLE if u don't meet their cut off points, u get posted to some neighbourhood sch. eg Nanyang Pri cut off is 250. Better to go average sch. More opportunity to shine. My kid was very shy in pri. sch. with PSLE slightly more than 200 pts. but went to affiliated mission sch., became prefect & still manage to go good JC. Another stressful time is "O' & "A' levels. No time for anything except study, tuition, remedials, CCA & project work. Really pity the kids nowadays. Everyone fighting to get into top schs. + pressure from teachers cos of sch. ranking
it can be very demoralising if the kid is unable to keep up, but was thrown into a certain stream or class or school due to the parents' expectations.
its the child's life, not the parents'! but alot of parents want to control how their kids live their lifes!
sometimes parents need to ask themselves - if they wan their kids to be great and wonderful by their definition, or if they wan their kids to be happy.
please, children need education, but they need their lives and childhood too! parents! do u seriously understand or haf u tried to understand wat ur kids want? or haf u been deciding for their lives for them, based on wat u think is good for them?
sometimes there is a need to lower expectations. there is nothing wrong wif this at all! -
i think the parent should just transfer his son out of the school. if he/she really feels that the school wont yield, then either they should transer or lauch a media attack/picketing.
You know whats the funny thing, by ranking schools, giving them quality awards and stuff, you cause principals to add pressure on their staff for results. and now comes the news that Mr Tharma says that out students are "soft" and would implement policies to make them tougher. basically NS which was meant for toughening and other reasons now screwed because parents complain to their MPs about this and that and with the commando death and stuff here and there. Its typical of ministers who have this"helicopter view" of things (meaning that they are never on the ground) to implement the wrong policies. Even now a days my brother complain that in college, schools actively discourage students from taking part in sports either by plcing quotas on their grades if not by not funding them when they dont get titles.
So where does the buck stop? should we have more children? i honestly believe that the future is for the foreigners coming to singapore. It has always been the trend just like when our ancestors came here. it will be the trend. -
that is why my kid will stay out of the "meat grinder" for as long as my pockets and NS restrictions allow...
he will be a happy child, growing up according to his years, play playstation, read and do what he is interested in, learn to think on his feet rather than follow an assortment of standard operating procedures, treat people as human beings than classify them first and treat them according to whatever is currently officially prescribed
most of all, he will smile often and have a soul -
I think enough is said about the Matrix we all have to live with and exist in, here in Singapore. It's time we all take action, as action speaks loudest.
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I never did my holiday work.......nv went back to sch during my holidays(save having to play football or take part in sporting events).The thing is my parents allowed and since they do then there is NOTHING the school can do about it.I mean it is afterall so called extra classes and is thus not complusory.I'm not sure if it's just my school or what but after awhile the teachers decided to rotate conducting the extra classes and take in all the students who want to come for it.Those who didnt,did not have to.Also most of the better students who are also kiasu were discouraged frm attending
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Kids should be allowed to play esp. during holidays & weekends. Parents should not freak out when they see a red mark. There are many reasons why the kid failed eg maybe the sch. set very high standard. What I don't like is the teachers asking the kids to drop the subjects cos they fear will affect the sch. ranking. Everyone should be given a chance to try for it, whether they pass or fail is not impt. The emphasis on good grades also results in selfish behaviour- not willing to help each other, afraid to loose out.
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As I have said, it is not so simply a teacher asking a student to drop a subject or not. Very often, there are larger politics at play here that students usually do not see and the easiest scrap goat to find it the teachers themselves. No teacher will want to ask a student to quit for grades unless he or she sees the student really struggling with that subject and failing others in his or her attempt to understand it.
Perhaps, time is the issue really. Some students simply do not have enough time to fully appreciate their studies and to explore it deeply. But well, our kids have to grow up fast here....or do we give birth to kids anyway... -
sad...
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talking about failing.. i never passed a single subject except for GP in my 2 years in JC... and that was literally half a lifetime ago!
those who just managed to pass the tests and pre-lim exams, went and got distinctions for their S-papers...
so, what's the deal with cause undue anxiety? -
This topic runs a few points over my head...
Kinda reminds me of my life and my time...? But seems like things are changing and our 'work life' is expanding... Indeed, I AGREE that Singapore is growing STRONGER... But when I think back about my life... My generation... And the ones before me... I remember this old saying people used to tell me... "When you step into the society, it's much about work and survival.... Enjoy your childhood now while you still can..." Indeed though not exactly the picture, sometimes (in the past) people just think back about their wonderful (for some?) childhood... But sadly to say things ain't quite the same today though? What we're doing today... Earning for ourselves tomorrow... Nice apartments... Nice car(s)? Hmm... Big bucks?
I believe there would come a time... (?) When people just look back into their life and see NOTHING... VOID... No childhood, no dreams... Just slaves to the life of others....
And I also think about... How some time ago people were commenting about how lazy Malays are... No bright future and such... Well... I wish to add? At least they know much better to enjoy their family life and spend times with their friends... (the so called 'nothing better to do' under the HDB flats...)
Mentality you see...? Beliefs you see...? We are the ones who are actually getting ourselves all chained up..? -
working with the youths i am working with, i can see and feel the dilemma parents feel.
on the one hand, there is the pressure from society to do well in studies - singapore is afterall a paper society.
on the other hand, as parents and even for myself, i want the youths to be happy.
btw these youths i am working with are not academically inclined. to them studying is just something they do cos its normal - not because their futures depend on it. they are not too worried about the kind of results they get (which btw, can be quite bad - frankly).
often i think about advising them about putting in more effort in studies. and cos i give them tuition too, i would sometimes want to teach them and make them do more.
but i also realise they dont like to study and anything related.
and working on their other non-academic interests is not easy too - many do not really have one, other than their interest in sports. and their interests do not automatically endow them with proficiency.
there lies the dilemma - to cater to their happiness, meaning let them decide how they wish to proceed in their studies which probably means barely scraping through, or to put more pressure and force them and drill them, supposedly for their future.
but who is to decide what is good for them and their future, although we may say we are adults and they are still young and might not be able to think so far ahead so well? -
Students nowadays, don't whether they're bless with proper education or simply gridlocked to a world trying to ensure 100% gurantee to their so-called "survival" in this rigid Singapore society.
This is the current side-effects of most modern societies. Parents not able to let go and let their children to be more independent, earlier (maybe most parents think they would be dependent on their kids in old age, I guess).
So parents put in their kids what they can't achieve. In the end, the kids achieve nothing of their own, and in turn when they grow up, putting in this value in their own kids in the future.
A down-spiralling value input.
Children now takes longer take to be mature and be independent. Parents now takes to much of time to groom their kids to "perfection".
But I can tell you perfection may not be happiness (that's only in heaven, we're on Earth).
We are making "well-achieved" but unhappy kids, adults of the future.
The Singapore society needs to be awaken form this ugly value input trend into their kids.
"An educator told me when I was young that the principle of educating children is to hold them tight, put them down gently and then make them walk (their own). I think this says it all." ~ Junichiro Koizumi
Now, for the stupid, inflexible award.
"Singapore Quality Class" is only beneficial to the reputation of an organisation. For in this case, the school.
The "Singapore Quality Class" is an award for productivity.
Productivity is something that if it is not flexible, it is nothing more of a slaver indicator. Productivity should be put on the shoulders of WORKING SOCIETY, not learning and growing students and kids.
So I really hated schools or education organisations putting the award on their heads, especially those who put there and did not maintain that reputation through proper means, but rather, covering up things.
Singapore is needs productivity to survive, yes. But I think many organisations, especially those of government linked, are blinded by it.
Not really that long ago, we heard of a private education institution being stripped off its "Singapore Quality Class" award. No government statute boards I've heard had been strip off though.
But I really doubt they are some government statute boards that needed to be stripped off that honourable label. I really doubt so.
I see this in one of the goverment tertiary institution. I've been in it. On the ugly side of it. -
this kind of childhood is really pathetic.....
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Eiizumi is dead right about the SQC thing...
it's pointless and a paper exercise... my organisation's been through it and.. we've not benefitted from it.. all we get is a lot more useless and pointless work, killed about a forest of trees and killed the morale of the staff...
in the end, for a small little thing on the stationery...
which no one cares about anyway...
i think the SQC thing is a reflection of what we're going through... paper qualifications without substance...
that's what we're gearing our future to be anyway... mindless automatrons who are excellent at scoring in exams, but totally clueless when given practical work... -
My exact sentiments but also with a price to pay.Originally posted by Devil1976:This topic runs a few points over my head...
Kinda reminds me of my life and my time...? But seems like things are changing and our 'work life' is expanding... Indeed, I AGREE that Singapore is growing STRONGER... But when I think back about my life... My generation... And the ones before me... I remember this old saying people used to tell me... "When you step into the society, it's much about work and survival.... Enjoy your childhood now while you still can..." Indeed though not exactly the picture, sometimes (in the past) people just think back about their wonderful (for some?) childhood... But sadly to say things ain't quite the same today though? What we're doing today... Earning for ourselves tomorrow... Nice apartments... Nice car(s)? Hmm... Big bucks?
I believe there would come a time... (?) When people just look back into their life and see NOTHING... VOID... No childhood, no dreams... Just slaves to the life of others....
And I also think about... How some time ago people were commenting about how lazy Malays are... No bright future and such... Well... I wish to add? At least they know much better to enjoy their family life and spend times with their friends... (the so called 'nothing better to do' under the HDB flats...)
Mentality you see...? Beliefs you see...? We are the ones who are actually getting ourselves all chained up..?