11/22/2012

PSLE - New school of thought?



The most common reply for not announcing the top students in the PSLE is that it would remove the pressure on parents and children. Why should it be so? I always look at the achievements of these youngsters as a shining light for the rest of the children, that with hard work and some talents, they can aspire to do much better in their examination. I am always impressed by the abilities of these children to do so well in their PSLE. They are real success stories to be told and to be proud of.

The good results of the top students are something admirable, not something to be envious but acceptable in some ways, but definitely not something disgusting, to be ashamed of, to be hidden and not spoken about.

What is important is to educate the parents, to live with what their children can achieve. The important thing is for the children to do their best, and grow up as decent and responsible young people. The grades are just grades and the future of the children is not dependent on these grades alone. There are many avenues to achieve success, to do well in life, to live well. There is a saying, 行行出状元, or every profession will have its star achievers.

This craziness about not publishing names of top students is getting ridiculous, and stupid. Might as well abolish all examinations.

19 comments:

Anonymous said...

The guessing game may make matter worst.

BTW, most parents will continue to push their children and themselves up to WALL to achieve excellence by any means... heard of students having tuition for H3 subjects for 'A' levels.... its by all means.

Perhaps abolishing PSLE, maybe all exams will be the best choice.

Anonymous said...

RB, I share your sentiment. I think the ministry is not doing the right thing. To help ease thepressure, they should look into the school curriculum. Is there a need to pack so much into six years? As someone has said, we go through so much in schools but finally still could not compete with FTs who did minimum in their studies. Not because we are stupid but we lost due salary disparity.

Anonymous said...

Mr Chua is definitely not an ordinary person that is easy to please.
When outstanding students were put to the limelight and then lumped together in elite schools, it was unacceptable to him. When outstanding got blankout from the media, maybe with the authority trying to please Mr Bean, again it was not right to him.

What should others do to please You Mr Bean?

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

No need to please me lah. I am just looking at 4 sides of a coin. What is important in policy making is to make good policy and not waver at every noise and chatter, right or wrong.

Trying to please everyone for the wrong reason is the dullest thing to do.

Anonymous said...

Elitism is rightly put to rest with the Education System. The Next objective is to have it taken out fron the Political Leadership and the Civil Service.
Singapore is at last heading in the right direction.
Respect and accolade with be duly given when they are earned and talent will be recognized when one possesses the substance.
No need to trumpet about them.

Veritas said...

I do not see any big issue about publishing names of top students. Every society "publish" the names of their top intellects, like Einstein, Newton. PAP always make cosmetic change and tweaking while leaving the big worm can as it is.

The main problem of our education is streaming. Also the stress of education is not really education per se, but it was a deliberation by PAP to inculcate competition and division into young minds since childhood.

We are encourage to backstab one another by PAP system of zero sum game. We are told that even we are good, we must make someone screw up so that to make it to prestigious schools.

The cure of all these illness is to remove LKY and PAP. Socialism is the cure of such evils.

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

I think the pressure on children should be increased by any means possible.

These little shits (yes, folks: your children) are becoming too cocky and yaya. It is MoE's job to ensure that these Spawn of Evil aka kwai lan kia are put in their place, and indoctrinated accordingly ; to be moulded into the automatons the state needs for social engineering.

The purpose of the government when it comes to young people is to BRAINWASH the children.

Anonymous said...

think "行行出状元", meant one can be a "star" or "achiever" in undertaking every profession, rather than "every profession will have its star achievers". This is an old Chinese saying, so can not be so "elitist", it is meant more to "pacify" and keep the masses contented in their station (and not to be envious or question the 1%)

Btw, by not publishing the names of top achievers, it may help to reduce stress for some quarters if ever foreign sounding ones pop up too often or are crowding the list.

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

You are right to say that it was used to appease the commoners in the past. Today it has become more relevant with many professions that were down in the economic ladder but making real good money today, like celebrities, actors, sports people, artists, cooks, crooks, biz people etc etc.

Many in those non academic professions can do very much better than the scholars.

Anonymous said...

Maybe the top PSLE achievers are mostly foreigners kids.

Anonymous said...

"... still could not compete with FTs who did minimum in their studies. Not because we are stupid but we lost due salary disparity."

We lost to FTs because we voted for the Pro Alien Traitors.
We can't win when the game is structured against a Singaporean.
Stop complaining.
And start voting Opposition.

Anonymous said...

By not publicly announcing the top scorers in school examinations will save many parents from envy and students from anxiety and jealousy.

The problem with sinkies is howlian(loud show off), glory seeking and namesake pursuit.

Anonymous said...

Meritocracy is bullshit and had been used to put sons and allies in political office.Meritocracy ,through scoring top grades In schools,in itself alone is deficient so long as the freedom of the mind is not unleashed.

Anonymous said...

just wondering if the data will show the high acheivers are those with the "haves" vs the "have not"

Anonymous said...

Matilah, I assume u are childless to make that kind of comment. Go and jump from the tallest building for all I care. Wtf knn

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

Hi Fawad, welcome to the blog and thank you for placing your advertisement here. How can I send my bill to you for advertisement fee?

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

@anon 622:

I don't follow your logic...i.e. how you arrived at your conclusion.

If the govt is in-charge of "educating" children, then it makes perfect sense to brainwash them into being good, obedient citizens.

It seems to me you are living proof of the efficacy of state brainwashing ;-)

Anonymous said...

You can't understand logic lah. You mean you can understand logic?

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