1/08/2006

in the real world, how good are you?

Education Great up to a point. Singapore's students are brilliant in math-science tests; American kids test much worse but do better in the real world. Why? Fareed Zakaria, NewsweekJan 6, 2006. i pick the above quote from littlespeck.com. what i would like to add, yes, in the real world, if you have a billionaire father, do you need to be very smart to run one of his companies? but if you don't have a billionaire father, or if your billionaire father is not too confident of himself or you, then he will employ an american who is so so but was made a ceo by his father to be ceo in your father's company. and you will have to smell his arse even if you have straight As. this is the real world.

2 comments:

Speedwing said...

I have also read somewhere that Singapore pupils are fantastic in Maths and Sciences but when it comes to thinking out of the box, they are far behind pupils from other country. Why? I think they learn their lessons parrot-fashion. They memorise theories and formulae and they repeat word for word, just like parrots. In other countries, although they are not so good in maths and the sciences, they are more inventive because they are allowed to explore and learn through mistakes. My 2 cents worth.

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

there are always the exceptions. some are really muggers and just parrot. but many are really good.

one area which singaporeans are weak in is articulation. and the fear of self expression could be better. there is a need to loosen them up a bit. less inhibited.

if the average or below average singaporean students could excel overseas, no reason why the better students could not do even better.