11/21/2012

Ostrich School in Problem Solving



The latest acquisition to the Animal Farm is the ostrich, famous for problem solving skill that the kangaroos, doggies, cows and horses were found to be wanting. This ostrich problem skill is world renowned. It can make all problems vanished instantly…by burying its head in the ground. Unable to see the problems means the problems are no longer there. Problem solved.

Let me try to apply this method to the current PSLE angst of the parents and children and maybe help them to solve all their stress problems. Indirectly it will also help to relieve the problems of those in the MOE and in the govt, without the parents bugging them everyday.

Like all problem solving methodology, the first thing to do is to identify the problems. In this case, the problems are caused by the following.

1. Glorifying the high achievers

2. Creating elite schools

3. Creating elitist Through Stream Process

4. Creating elitist grading system

I believe there are many other sources and causes of stress to the parents and children. Let’s just limit to these 4 to demonstrate how effective the Ostrich Problem Solving Methodology will work.

The authorities should stop reporting and glorifying top students and those that did well in the examinations, starting with PSLE. When parents cannot compare how badly their children have fared in the examination, the stress is no longer there. See, very effective. The problem is gone.

Elite schools with their elitist names is another sore point. Raffles Institution, Hwa Chong Institution! Why is my neighbourhood school named Telok Blangah Secondary School when others are called institutions and with great names attached to them. Easy to deal with this problem. All the schools should now be named after the streets or roads nearby. Raffles should all be called Bishan Primary, Bishan Secondary and Bishan High. Hwa Chong will be renamed Bukit Timah Primary, Bukit Timah Secondary and Bukit Timah High. See, the elitist tag is removed instantly and all the schools now look the same or at least sound the same. This is like leveling the playing field.

The third problem, Through Stream. This is even easier to solve. All students entering a primary school will continue with the same secondary school and proceed to the same high school, eg, Jurong Primary to Jurong Secondary and then to Jurong High. It is a Through Stream, from Primary One to A level. It also saves a lot of hassles and administrative problems.

Finally the elitist grades. All schools are good schools, so all schools shall produce good and excellent students. For this to be believeable, all the students shall receive an excellent grade on completion of the schooling system. The grades to be adopted can be like these, Excellent in Sports, Excellent in Technical, Excellent in Arts, Excellent in Domestic Science, Excellent in Academics. All the students will be very happy, and so will be their parents.

See how effective and easy it is to apply the Ostrich Problem Solving Method to solve such a huge problem that cannot be resolved after so many years. Now no one can see which school is good, which student is good, everything looks the same. A uniform education system when every school looks the same and every student also looks the same. Wait a minute, all the school uniforms must be the same also. Can adopt the Maoist style, dull grey, same dull cuts and with no character. Everyone can blend in and not be noticeable. Very egalitarian. Can send the students to the country side to do farming, very holistic also.

Wow, I am a genius. I am going to write a book on this topic and put it in the Fiction Corner of the Library.

20 comments:

oldhorse42 said...

Perhaps PSLE should be scrapped,too.The elites's children will always do well in PSLE because they have more resources to spend in coaching their children for the exam.Having obtained good PSLE the elite children will go to elite sec schools under priority scheme since they more often than not stay in private property where good schools are located.

oldhorse42 said...

Perhaps PSLE should be scrapped,too.The elites's children will always do well in PSLE because they have more resources to spend in coaching their children for the exam.Having obtained good PSLE the elite children will go to elite sec schools under priority scheme since they more often than not stay in private property where good schools are located.

Anonymous said...

Since every one is same then after finishing school everyone will get the same salary as you don't want to stress the people after school.

Red bean, are you mad or what? Cause the system will then produce people that produce same type of goods and services mah.

I think you gone bonkers already lar.

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

After being bombarded with average thoughts daily, my writings and thoughts would level down as well. This is only natural. : )

Don't you enjoy a little fiction now and then?

Anonymous said...

You can take over the post of Education Minister...Er...What do you think..

Anonymous said...

Good that you have explained lor otherwise I thought your standard of thought and writing have gone down and I suspected that it may mainly due to inadequate red bean soup or drink consumption lor

Anonymous said...

This is the result of minsitry without vision. The amount of change in MOE is fantastic. Every new Education Minister will change something. Every new Head will implement some new measures. Teaching is no more just get students to do well in school and exams. Teachers are supposed to bring in additional activities not related to school subjects. Result is no more important critiria in determine if a teacher do well, and give higher bonus. The more activities you create will get you more points even when all your students fail in their exam. When told that one teacher to 40+ students is too many, MOE will tell you there is not enough proof.
Shit, that is our education system. At the end, those who implement all these shit get promoted and students suffer.

patriot said...

The Egalitarian School System suggested by Redbean aka Mr Chua Chin Leng Above is of the most holistic that me has came across. Hope the People will consider them seriously for the good of our students and the Society as a whole.

Me had the impression that for the last three decades, Singapore has become a home not made for living, but more for show, much like the School Ranking. And the Schools have had over the years been churning out indoctrinated and programmed cyborgs.

Parents are victims too, to the Education System. Like the Leaders, educators are loud and overbearing in insisting that they know best and are the Authority and Decision Makers. And that is why we are in the present situation with much predicament as in most aspects of our society.

Mr Chua Chin Leng deserves to have a school
bearing his Name. Preferably an Art School as he had discovered the New Art Form he called it RAR.

patriot

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

hahaha Patriots, thanks for the compliments. Where did you learn this praising skill: )

Anonymous said...

Your level of thought has really gone down the tubes if you cannot even suggest that we follow the PRC system of naming schools and hospitals numerically.

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

Really, truly, this is a great idea. It will save a lot of money in translation and is applicable to roads and street names as well. With so many nationalities here, naming roads and buildings is a very tedius process and difficult to write, read and remember.

The Brits and Americans also did it, M1, A2, F3. Hospitals can be simpler, 1,2 3,4,5. Great suggestions. No need to translate into 4 languages. : )

patriot said...

patriot has all along been and being respectful of those deserving whatever they should be accorded. This means that those deserving shit on their face and urine over their grave will oso be awarded accordingly.

Anyway, maintain giving our leaders the guidances they truly need and need badly.

patriot

agongkia said...

I discover that you have some hidden talent and have wise idea.
Start with one Red Bean primary school,Red Bean sec,Read Bean High..
I will send all my future children there.

Anonymous said...

Dear Mr Chua.
Thank you for confirming what I thought I misunderstood about all the pronouncements coming out of MOE.

The sheer stupidity had me believing that I must have misunderstood what I was reading in the Shit Times. Your blog post has reassured me that I am not alone.

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

Now what is happening, everyone seems to be practising 拍马屁 this morning. Wrong place, wrong time and wrong target: )

Anonymous said...

Written in jest or otherwise....there are in fact many points worthwhile for the MOE to think about!

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

If you think the government can "educate" children so that they can take on the real world, then you deserved to be cheated :-)

People who engage in wishful thinking are welcome to the consequences of engaging in such foolish behaviour/ habits.

Get real. The whole world is essentially a MERITOCRACY.

Got market value?

The said...

Ostrich School in Problem Solving

Not sure which one you are referring to:
1) Ostrich problem solving in schools
2) School of ostrich problem solving
3) Ostrich schooled in problem solving
4) Solving problem in ostrich school

/// Why is my neighbourhood school named Telok Blangah Secondary School when others are called institutions ///

Are you sure you want to be admitted into an institution? As far as I know, only Matilah is certifiable.

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

Oh you are right about that.

The problem with "authority" is that they can never hold me. I am a master of escape and deception ;-)

If you are mad, it also pays to be crafty.

Got evil genius?

Anonymous said...

Many tuition centres will close down and many tuition teachers will no longer get students.

More PMETs giving tuition to survive will be back in the job market looking for jobs.