What do you think of ... the Singapore Education System
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Haha, I just wrote this huge post, but I didnt sign in. So I lost all of it.
Basically, what do you guys think of the Singapore Education System?
What do you think of GEP?
Of streaming?
Of PSLE?
Personally, I think that streaming really shatters a person's confidence. Or (sometimes) it makes people think too well of themselves. I know that it's supposed to allow people to study at their own pace, but things such as intellect shouldnt be decided at such a young age. By streaming, you may sometimes be sending the message that someone isn't good enough. That very someone may lose confidence in him/herself, and may never release their full potential. Instead of living out who they could be, they live by how they've been labelled -- ex/ a failure, a loser, a "slow-learner". Everyone is gifted in their own way. They may be good at comforting people, at cooking, at singing, at art -- but these things usually arent taken into account when it comes to 'educating' people. I have nothing against people who go to prestigious schools, but thinking about it, those who enter are usually accepted due to their high PSLE scores -- basically, those who are good at math, science and english. What about those people who have talent in other areas? And is one test good enough to determine someone's intellect? I have this friend. She's really bubbly and kind and everything -- and she was once really good at math. Actually, I'm sure that she's still good at math -- but she's lost faith in herself. Why? 'Cause she didnt do too well in her PSLE. Her teacher was counting on her to get an A* and to get into some really good school. In the end, she only got 1 A* for her exam -- Science. She counted on math, but due to stress, she messed up on the examination. According to her, she forgot how to do all the really easy questions. In the end, she went to CHIJ -- St. Theresa (i think that's how you spell it), but she was really disappointed in herself. Now, she gets Bs and Cs. Sometimes, I wonder, if her PSLE score was good and she didnt lose faith, would she still be getting A*s? Also, I think that the PSLE creates a lot of division among students. I know that some students from different schools get along just fine, but some dont. Maybe it has something to do with how some people got better scores then others, thus leading to them getting into "better" schools? People slowly form this twisted impression that those in "less good schools" are gangsters (ah lians/ ah bengs), while those in "prestigious" schools are nerds with "elite uncaring faces". Though it may be true in some cases, it usually only generalises the minority. Don't you think all this division may be getting too far?
Also, what is the purpose of the GEP? Isnt the GEP simply about allowing people with greater intellect to learn at a faster pace? If there is such a need, why cant the student simply skip a grade instead of being labelled with such a title? People may be slightly spiteful that they are younger, but at least they probably wont gain as many glares or weird looks as (I hear) some GEPs receive.
I dont know how to end this, so .. yeahh.
What's your opinion? xD -
Streaming is good, it separates the elites from the common folk early, hence grooming can be concentrated early on the cream of the crop, rather than waste resources on the bunch of useless good for nothings.
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Its the best!!
Thats why our MM sends his grandkids to Singapore American School to study!!
And few other politicians as well...
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the indian minister tried very hard to change the system but screw it instead.
nowaday our young generation have communication problem as the only word they know is '+1'. -
+1Originally posted by 798:the indian minister tried very hard to change the system but screw it instead.
nowaday our young generation have communication problem as the only word they know is '+1'. -
x2Originally posted by 798:the indian minister tried very hard to change the system but screw it instead.
nowaday our young generation have communication problem as the only word they know is '+1'. -
Actually I think streaming to a certain extend is an advantage. Streaming allows student to know where they stand, and giving them the opportunities to set an even higher and better, of course realistic target/goals in their academic life. Having targets and goals set create an invisible motivational force which slowly push the students toward their goals. And when a student reaches its goal, (s)he will set an even more goal in the future which is positive.
Singapore Education System works in a way in which you-get-what-subject-based-on-your-grades. After having PSLE, most of the students in Singapore are promoted to Secondary School. Apart from Gifted programmes, they were either stream into the Express or the Normal Academic/Technical. When comes Secondary Two, students were given a choice to what subjects combination they wanted. In the Express stream better student will have the Pure Sciences, whereas in the NA Science were given combined which required less detail in the syllabus. NT student will have basic science.
I am a NA student with strong passion for science. Often many will regard me as the "Top Science Student" in NA. After all the glourious title etc, in the end I am only having combined science. Partial, I blame Singapore Education System for wasting my passion, effort, time and talent for Science. But nevertheless, I still blame myself for not getting into an Express Stream due to my average PSLE results. You see, I am a live example of the Education system in Singapore.
The negative side of streaming not only entitle to my example. Streaming also cause student to loss confident in what they had, results. Academic declined students might develope negative thought when the results in the report book doesn't great. They will have thought like "I am so stupid", " I am dumbass" or "Why am I born retard" such thoughts. This is extremely unhealth and Sinagapore MOE are trying their best to solve this by recruiting more caring teachers/educators.
Streaming is a must but definitely should be re-reviewed. -
+1Originally posted by 798:the indian minister tried very hard to change the system but screw it instead.
nowaday our young generation have communication problem as the only word they know is '+1'. -
yeah, wat a 'live example of the Education system in Singapore.'Originally posted by Darkness_hacker99:+1 -
same thing... summarize into less than 20 words pls.
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The "streaming made people lost confidence" sh!t is not caused by the students, it's caused by the society and the parents' mindset.
When parents compare their children, they compare how well they did at school, got what achievement etc etc. Then we all know that Singapore parents are kiasu one, they want face, so they push the pressure onto kids.
I tell you guys one incident lah. When I was in Secondary school, my England is sibei powderful one. Whenever there is a family gathering, my mother would complain to the relatives how lousy my English is. (why "is"? Because my English still sux today) I got pissed. When we got home, I told her that why not said something like I got distinction for Chinese (I prefer to use the word "Mandarin", but the subject is "Chinese") and good grades for other subjects? Then under my "supervision", she called all the relatives that was at the gathering just to inform them this. It's the face that I fought to get back, myself.
The system needs to change a little bit, it's the people's way of thinking that needs a renovation. -
sucks
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Originally posted by mhcampboy:Thats why our MM sends his grandkids to Singapore American School to study!!
And few other politicians as well... -
seriously i do not like the current education minister.
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Threadstarter pretty much hit the nail on the head. Well said.
Two words to summarize everything : F---ed up. -
I'm all for having my future kids study in a baccalaureate program. The education system here is simply not nourishing enough.
There is too much emphasis on means and outcomes rather than the holistic process of learning, and a general lack of education that teaches things like personal empowerment and character development. Instead, we have vocational skills marketed as beefed up science subjects and what not.
Where's the humanities gone to? There's not enough emphasis on the softer side of life in education, not to mention a lack of exposure to the greater world, and too much focus on national education without a concurrent effort to allow kids to feel for their nation, as opposed to telling them how and why they should feel for their nation.
We are too outcome-based at the moment, overlooking the process for the answers. -
Because he's indian?Originally posted by Pitot:seriously i do not like the current education minister. -
Streaming is gd... Coz some students dun like to study at younger age... so streaming actually grps those who hv dicipline to study at younger age together.. so that they are not so distracted...
Those who haven got much attention to pay at young age would oso hv a chance to proceed to Uni if He/she decided to "like" studying later on in life.. Juz that need more stages to get to Unis nia.... -
He screwed up the whole system..Originally posted by ditzy:Because he's indian?
maybe they just put him there so that he can take the rap..
like the person who used to sign our notes. -
+1.
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However, parents and teachers condemning the slower kids as lazy buggers, and keeping them away from the field trips and other treats, isn't part of the education system...
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As for me, I must take the quality of teachers that we're producing to task.
I really, really, shake my head at the kind of nonsense my tuition student's teachers have been teaching him. He has been committing all sorts of nonsensical errors and vocabulary - but that's not surprising, considering that those same errors appear in the 'model answers' given to him by his English teacher.
And don't get me started with his Science teacher - among other things, here's what she taught them:
1. The density of water is 0.1g/cm3.
2. An atom of hydrogen has 0.0008 neutrons.
3. The basic unit of measurement for vernier calipers is the meter. That is to say, if the reading is 4.10, the length measured is 4.10 METERS. -
Singapore education places too much emphasis on grades and marks than actual learning. Don't like the bell curve thing of grading. Like a certain percentage must get this grade, a certain percentage must get that grade instead of whoever did well get this grade.
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our education system is in a mess.
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That's what I hate, 'model answers' and the rejection of other solutions (for being too advanced or 'wrong'). It stifles creativity.Originally posted by fudgester:As for me, I must take the quality of teachers that we're producing to task.
I really, really, shake my head at the kind of nonsense my tuition student's teachers have been teaching him. He has been committing all sorts of nonsensical errors and vocabulary - but that's not surprising, considering that those same errors appear in the 'model answers' given to him by his English teacher.
And don't get me started with his Science teacher - among other things, here's what she taught them:
1. The density of water is 0.1g/cm3.
2. An atom of hydrogen has 0.0008 neutrons.
3. The basic unit of measurement for vernier calipers is the meter. That is to say, if the reading is 4.10, the length measured is 4.10 METERS.