12/24/2013

Appealing to the wisdom of the masses

What is the best education model for our children? This seems to be the hottest topic since the parents showed their displeasure on the PSLE. Some of the concerns are genuine and logical, some emotional and hazy. With the amount of research done in the field of education, with the great number of our teaching professionals being educated in the best universities, with a string of degrees to prove, we must have plentiful of them to tell the MOE what is the best system to adopt. If that is not enough, scouring the information available around the world should not be that difficult.
 

Why is there a sudden realization that things are not doing well and things must be changed? The obvious answer is that among all the experts in education, there is no agreement as to what is the best model for educating the young. There are so many schools with different values and assumptions of what is considered good for each country, the truth is that no one is wiser.
 

Now this perennial problem that is driving the parents and children crazy is given a new platform for airing, a kind of natcon. And the MOE is seriously looking into this issue and is also sounding out the parents for their wish lists. How many super talented Education Ministers have gone through the mills in their terms of office and how many changes have been made throughout the years? And strangely, the answer seems to be so elusive. Maybe every minister stepping into the MOE shoe deserves to tour the world to scout for the best education system.
 

There is the utilitarian school that advocates competitive education and making high demands from the children, to draw out the best from them, leading to hot housing. There are the advocates for a less stressful school system to allow the children to enjoy and be happy while in schools. There are many other variations in between. The bottom line is that parents want their children to be happy, less stressful and came out excellent in their education. Of course this combination is the best but unrealistic. The problem facing everyone, the MOE, teachers and parents, is how to find the right mix, less stressful, more fun, to give the children a good time in school and without compromising on the quality of education. A daunting and impossible task to think that this is achievable.
 

Maybe a buffet spread with all the variations and allowing the parents to make their choice and knowing very well the consequences of the different models. What I think the likely choice would still be the current system of high pressure hothousing model. What the parents would like is no choice, just an easy going, less stressful model for all children to enjoy schooling, with lesser competition. When they are faced with a buffet spread, many would have no choice but to want the best for their children, and sacrificing the more forgiving model when the children will grow up a happier child.
 

If there is a perfect model in the first place, the super talented ministers of the past would have found and delivered it to the happy parents and children. Maybe at primary level the schools should be more loving, more forgiving given the fact that nature would make most children to be children. Let the children have an easier time in primary level. The competition should come in at secondary level when the children are more mature and able, and a little better to know what they are in for.
 

I don’t think any education expert has the right answer. Ok I am not kpkb so I am not supposed to provide a solution. Neither am I paid to provide a solution.
This is Christmas. Relac.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Send them to our Asean countries school...where they will learn the "hard knocks of life."

Anonymous said...

2011 elections, not many people realised that their CPF could be gone forever, then after 2011, with three successive by elections and presidential election, their support kept dropping by the days, as more people realised the seriousness of their CPF and importation of foreigners affecting their life and their life savings(CPF)?

More and more people realised that their CPF were be locked up for life and gone forever? The retirement age could go higher and higher from 65 to 68 to 70 to 72 and the minimium lock up sum is going higher and higher from $138K to $148K to $168K and $188K?

The main party could be voted out in 2016 with the increasing importation of foreigners affecting the older citizens and newer citizens and job losing and depressing pays?

More and more new citizen is not supporting the main party as in the Punggol East by election? The oppositions is intensify talking to the new citizen and explained to them, so many are won over?

The oppositions parties is getting more organised and united, and more and more better quality, highly qualify coming forward to serve the oppositions with the heart to serve the people which give the main party the run for their money?

They are intensifying going around talking to more people and door to door discussion with the residents, earlier and earlier, which all the oppositions parties discuss the health and CPF together in a meeting, and more to come and explaining to the residents the CPF and integrity issues and the importation of foreigners affecting the life and their children life? Which many could be not so understanding of the issues earlier? 2016 the main party could be voted out?

Anonymous said...

Against titan, the mighty propaganda machinery and various machinery used by the main party, the oppositions learn to be more united and reduced the difference?

In recent health meeting all the opposition parties came together to discuss on how to face the challenge in the future and learn from each other?

The oppositions can't afford not to be united, which they stand little chances success if they are not united against the titan? The are learning to be more corroborative? Intensifying meeting the people and more regular consultation with the people?

The oppositions will be in huge disadvantage, if they don't co operate and united?

Anonymous said...

RB

Yee Jenn Yong wrote, will keeping mum about the scores reduce the excessive stress cause by the exams itself, his reply is a big fat, "NO", I tent to agree with him, the stress cause by the commotion of the "best" answer will scream stress any time of the day, schools are given a content to finish every semester and every year, the teach of concept and till they understand and the children needs to enjoy while learning have gone out the window when each term starts.

Needless to say giving each school a free hand has also contributed to funds being not so same, the "good" always gets the better, which leaves needy children out of reach for schools even if they want to help, the gahmen splashing of a billion here and a billion there does not help either, for a sampan country that could have provided free education for it's children it seems that a few billion spent on rearing donkeys in some well build dome is more important than it's own people or what's left of it's people(with the millions of FW's coming in, born and bred sinkies would be rare sight in future).

With the constraints of time schools have figure out set answers that came about because of parents sending their kids to tuition, and to grind out the very good from the good, these set answer are followed to the core, forget the grammar, the tense, the answer is what actually matters to, "A+'s".

Will the likes of "better"' schools also welcome those that have the 150's or 160's, come on la, they will fall by the wayside as sure as there is a morning sun each day, it used to be that to apply the concept learnt will get you the marks but now, the whole line of words has to be remembered as well for you to have your full marks...........isn't tougher and tougher.

We have the big shots calling the shots to have our lives easier but what have they actually turn it into?' are the lives of the children, parents locals any better, facing fare hikes, more to pay, more to share with the, "I promise to look after the FW's better". Who tweak the system until what it is today, it's really funny that the 1st system are the one that produces the likes of LKY, EWB etc, after tweaking it from the primary, secondary, polytechnic and to the varsity, with our millions, they still say that there are no quality in our educational system.

Just like the "PUBLIC",transport system tweaking and building and CEO's having big fat wages and bonuses, we are still paying more and more, the CPF scheme, the GST, the ERP's, the COE's..and the latest we will fight at every corner(dear lord, we're going back to the 60's).

I'm getting really tired are you??

Kaki

Anonymous said...

That is why Sinkieland is so peaceful unlike Thailand. Parents are too busy trying to cope and come to terms with policy changes in every aspect of their lives, they have no time to worry about poltics.

Anonymous said...

Merry X'mas and a Happy New Year, Mr.Chua C L

Kaki

b said...

Nowadays, being a baker can earn more money than being a PHD scholar. Not all degrees worth pursuing. Every trade is a worthy trade so long as it will help you to migrate to greener pastures. THink that you are citizen of the world and not just one country.

b said...

If one does not want to be slave to a particular regime or system, just make sure to accumulate skills that can migrate easily.

Anonymous said...

b

With yr words i feel so sad, but its the most honest answer to sinkies.
Whats there for us here anyway.