10/01/2013

Tuition, the silliness of it all

There is an article in today’s ST on tuition by Nirmala, ST’s correspondent. In the article she quoted a Professor Mark Bray on some of the characteristics of East Asian societies and the growth and importance of tuition. ‘These East Asian territories are highly globalised and competitive. They stress a need for workers to remain ahead in skills and for students to acquire skills relevant to the global economy….the Singapore education system is a good one that has delivered high quality output.’ She added, ‘But Singaporean parents, like those in many other cultures, are competitive, seeking what they perceive to be the best for their children in a competitive system, and thus are trying to add more even though the school system is already delivering much that is already very good, he(Bray) said.’
 

Now what is so silly or sickening about all these comments? Did not our education system and the parents make them the best educated and skilled workers for the workforce?
 

It is not about the inequality that tuition will cause as this is a harsh reality that the poorer working class must get used to. The rich will pay for the best tutors for their children. You cannot ban tuition and tell them not to pay for tuition. Well, South Korea did ban tuition for 20 years, but has since allowed it to practice again. There were many ways to curb tuition to prevent it from worsening the inequality, which is absolutely a silly thing to do and to even think about for any govt. Forcing the people to level down is an idiotic thing to do, really, believe me.
 

Then what is so silly about tuition? With so much money and effort put in to develop the young, with such great education system and to quote, ‘They stress a need for workers to remain ahead in skills and students to acquire skills relevant to the global economy’, now can you see what is wrong or sickening?
 

Our workers lack motivation, lack drive, lack of skill, uncompetitive, lack of talent, that we need to bring in workers from third world countries without the competitive culture, without the resources and the drive to do well in education or a good education system to replace them in jobs here. They don’t even have competitive parents to make sure their children received the best education money can buy. Basically after all the stress and money spent, the startling result, our students turned workers are a useless bunch for the job market. Really, trust me.
 

What an irony? The less competitive societies and lesser equipped education system are producing all the qualified and skilled workers that our system could not produce. 

Shall I laugh or cry?
 

What is wrong, MOE, MOM?

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

"What is wrong, MOE, MOM?"

Redbean
you damn troublemaker lah you!

Long time ago.
LKY dare to surround himself with cabinet ministers who are capable people.
Nowadays, PAP standard already drop. No more self confidence left.
They only dare to surround themselves with people from 3rd world country.
PAP considers Sinkies to be too smart for them.
Sinkies not loyal enough to PAP to be trusted.
That's why PAP has so may Pro Alien Policies.

The smart Sinkies realized this and started emigrating in big numbers 20 years ago.

Anonymous said...

this u called silly?

how about .... well this happened about 40 years ago

a recruit (serving his SBMT) was accompanied by his bodygaurdS.

did his son continued with his tradition?

fuck hsien loong n his dogs n bitches!!! knnccb

Anonymous said...

there is basically no problem with tuition......we cannot stop people from tuition.....don't try to do this ........

the real problem is each time when a new minister take over the education portfolio, they like to made major changes to the education system......

ask the parents...each time when there is a change at the top, many more stresssssed and more confused....many don't know what to do .....just follow the crowds ....they think tuition maybe the answer ........

whatever you may say, I think education under mr lee ky was goooooood......why don't we get back to basic.....revisit the past system......the past system cannot be bad....many of our present leaders are the products .....

GET BACK TO BASIC !!!

virgo49 said...

In the early days, ad students, we let our fellow students copy our school works and help each other in our studies.

We are nit afraid to be overtaken un grades or marks in our examinations


So many education ministers made so many changes to the education and create a kiasui mentality for the students to compete against each other.

So called elite schools and neighbour hood low class schools etc.

Thus, they create a generation of monsters who are selfish and are afraid of been overtaken by their fellow students.

They have various tuitions just to beat the others.

This created by one who always put fear into everyone that you gonna lose your breakfast, lunch and dinner to someone if you are not to kill the other parties.

Anonymous said...

One commenter said before that what is schooling for? I wish to add that let our children go accordingto their own natural inclinations.
If they are poor ib studies, they can be apprentices to trades at younger age. By a few years, they will be good hawkers and tradesmen. Hawkers, mechanics, plumbers, electricians etc of yesteryears started learning on the jobs early and many became successful.
Even the girls learnt to sew, hairdressing and homemaking at young age as their families were too poor or discriminated them and did not send them to school. Many of them made great mothers.
Studies or schooling is for knowledge though many view it as the stepping stone to a high carreer. It was and is indeed so. However, the main purpose of education is to enlighten and make a person better. Not to chase after money and make a name while alive or in posterity. Of course it is great if that could be achieved.
Looking at the many foodstalls operate by the Malaysians, PRCs and Pinoys, me fears that when they go back due to whatever reason, sinkies may literally eat shit cooking fares.
And vehicle repairs and other breakdowns will take months to be attended to at high cost.
Maybe, the Rulers have forgotten about basic livings as most are brought up in ivory towers and never had to do anything but just study.

b said...

This thing about tuition is all about money. Many tutors have made so much monies that they owned several properties inside and outside spore.

If good education does not mean good workers then super good salary also does not mean super good ministers lah. It is time to cut the ministers pay. But they will always sell the people some bullshits to justify their super good salaries. Stupid voters (the 60%) will believe them loh. This world is just full of bullshits.

Anonymous said...

One of the problems nowadays could be the majority of the younger generation are so hard pressed for time that they hardly read outside the school textbooks or notes.

So much for the highly acclaimed education of ours. Seems like majority just mug the school syllabus to ace or get through.

I noticed this trend some years back. I make it a point to talk to them whenever there are activities etc. So far, their command of English is not that fantastic. Their general knowledge is far worst. It seems that if you at any time, you give a test to any student or young adult on simple general common knowledge, chances are majority may flop. Many may tell you a large country such as Canada ( 2nd largest in land mass in the world ) is in Europe! OMG!!! Like that how even to trust the rulers for producing such by products in our much touted education system.

I don't deny innately some are really bright. But seems like something in the MOE has short changed them. It can be quite disturbing. Why are our youth under current system being educated in this format?

With regards to tuition, probably it can't be helped. Many adults likely may have lost touch with many changes made over the years to SinkieLand's education system.

Many students just may not cope without tuition. There are many factors. I do not dispute there are good sides to the education system. But what about the flaws? Are they fundamentally fatal for our youths?

With the current power structure, it is unlikely to undergo any major review or comprehensive study. Any other power that comes into being may have many pressing tasks on hand. Reviewing and probing deeply into the by products of the education system may have to be one of them.

However, any new power may not have the luxury to do anything about it even during its first term other than some incremental adjustment. There would just be too many aspects in everything else to look into. Trying to revamp many things at the same time may be pure suicide. In the end, our society may have to live with the current education system whatever its fundamental flaws if any for many years to come even if there is a major change of wind in time to come.

But 2016 may still see the current bunch holding on to power unless something drastic happen. So any positive change may be much further into the future. Way beyond 2020. This is the reality. Anyone trying to change from within is likely to come up against an unyielding super structure bank vault type wall sooner than later. Chances of any positive practical change sustainably is next to nil.

Anonymous said...

What they are saying is that SINGAPOREANs have already reached the SWISS standards, and they (Singaporeans) must move on to more developed countries.

That is why, we need workers from THIRD WORLD Countries, so that we can trained them and they will in turn move on to develop countries.

Anonymous said...

What they are saying is that SINGAPOREANs have already reached the SWISS standards, and they (Singaporeans) must move on to more developed countries.

That is why, we need workers from THIRD WORLD Countries, so that we can trained them and they will in turn move on to develop countries.

Anonymous said...

What they are saying is that SINGAPOREANs have already reached the SWISS standards, and they (Singaporeans) must move on to more developed countries.

That is why, we need workers from THIRD WORLD Countries, so that we can trained them and they will in turn move on to develop countries.