4/14/2016

Singapore paying the price for decades of failed education policies

This verdict is controversial of course, depending on how one  measures success and failure of our education policy. If one measures it in our uniquely Singapore ways, like dignity is measured by how much one’s income, and education is measured by how many straight As, then we are very successful. We produced probably the most straight as in the world on a per capita basis. Even the new International Baccalaurette programme that was introduced recently, our students are acing the exams every year since it started. Students that used to score average grades would now get full scores possible.

Producing straight As and more straight As is a matter of moderation, a process that allows the examiner to move the scores of the students left or right of the median grade for whatever they set out to do. It is scientific or mathematical in a way, but whether the students deserves the As is subjective.

What is apparent today, after a few decades of producing straight As students is that the flaws are showing. We are getting a bunch of very brilliant parrot that could regurgitate everything perfectly. But when ask to think, they began scratching their heads, what is that? And in the industries, the lack of thinking talents, people who walked around on two legs and can think, is simply not there. And that is why so many foreigners from God knows where are here and touted as talents because, despite their dubious academic records, they could talk and think and run circus around our duds, the unthinking parrots.

Sure we have many very brilliant Singaporeans here and abroad. The really good and bright people would not be subdued and made stupid by a stupid education system. They would shine under any system or no system. But for the rest, the elite parrots and the masses, the inability to think, and the unique ability to receive and to be taught to repeat what they were told is getting to a very frightening stage, to a point when you tell them eating shit is good, drinking shit water is good, and they will eat and drink with gusto.

The daft Sinkies, not invented by me, I just regurgitate this phrase, like unthinking parrots do, oh, unthinking parrots never used this phrase in their vocabulary, will accept everything they are told to be good. I have recently wrote an article about the things the daft Sinkies were made to believe in. Some of the daft things that Singaporeans would swear to be good are: we are too small, not enough political talents, so cannot afford to have two political parties, when one opposition candidate is voted to become an MP the country will collapse, they dismissed the wisdom of not putting all their eggs in one basket, that power corrupts, and instead believe in one party is best for a democracy and nothing is better than ownself checks ownself.

The idiocy of the unthinking reaches a climax when I read this comment in the TRE.

‘Mr Lee Kuan Yew is not only founder father of spore, he also a war hero. Country everywhere always celebrate and remember war hero and their found father.’

This is a comment posted by someone calling himself True Blue Singaporean. The only consolation is that he is a fake, or at best a new citizen. And everyone reading his comment will know he is not even writing in Singlish. This guy even advised Singaporeans to read our history to verify his claim. With no due disrespect to LKY, I don’t think anyone in govt would dare to glorify him with this war hero title, not even in a state of drunken stupor.

The stupidity of Singaporeans is now legendary. Go ask those PMETs that are now driving taxis and working as temp workers, who replaced them and made them redundant and they would not have any clue. They would not want to know why someone from the 3rd world with dubious academic qualifications and experience is more suitable and qualified to do his job. He simply accepts the fact and his fate, that he is no good even if he is the product of a world best education system. He is just not taught to think, to be smart, to be smarter than fakes and cheats, so getting cheated is only something deserving in his case.

Not to worry, daft would not make a scene and will disappear into the wilderness, quietly. Oh, he is trainable and very willing to be trained, to become a low skilled worker despite his experience and qualifications as PMETs. This must be a special asset of these daft Sinkies. In Singapore you can literary trained old dogs with new tricks. Just tell them to go for training, for what they don’t care, to be better or worse, they don’t mind. Tell them training is good, like put all the eggs in one basket is good, and they will nod their heads in agreement.

And they can’t even fall back on their life long savings in the CPF when they lost their job or when they retired. The money is kept by the govt for them, for their future well being. And they accept this fate as well.

42 comments:

Anonymous said...

You ever watch trained animals in captivity? They exhibit qualities that are uncommon or unnatural to their untrained counterparts because they took on behavioural patterns or changes and intelligence imparted by their trainers or educators.

Like trained monkeys and donkeys we grade their brains with alphabet.

Anonymous said...

Ya, like monkey knows how to show the middle finger.

Anonymous said...


now then you know singaporeans are like that meh.......

please remember that at ge2015, 70% were happy, said ok and thank you very much sirs.......

the coming bb by-election will be sama sama, no chance for csj........

no choice no choice singaporeans are like that........

only kpkb kpkb kpkb, but voting is different.......

no choice no choice singaporeans are like that........

what to do ........sad.........

Virgo 49 said...

LKY war hero mah!

He works Translator for the Japanese.

Same same Prata man- ex President.

Must be posted by a filipino or by Ahgongkia who advocates strongly nothing wrong to worship our heros.

Sure our students from playschool to kindergarten to primimary to secondary to .....
Already disciplined to bow to the image of our Hero.

Most organising functions by tbe PA or por lan pars also must attend. More important than their own family functions.

If not no ECA points to go JCs or Unis you know.

That's well all kua kua are parrots.

Anonymous said...

Serve them with bananas and they shall become more intelligent and can do tricks for you

agongkia said...

Lao chek.
I only worship my ancestors.

Anonymous said...

Rb //Singapore paying the price for decades of failed education policies//


The encompassing cause may not be failed education per se but wrong tinkering of the system since the 80s?

Small changes that led to divergent outcomes?

Perverse incentives ( enacted in institutions that ) distorted motivations and led to no or little innovations and productivity?

It led to an outcome where it becomes a vicious cycle than virtuous cycle and whatever inputs fed into the systems are maxed out without a sustainable mechanism to drive innovation and productivity?

Historically, it can be a gradual slide downwards and significant change can be noticed over comparison of every 5 or 10 years?

One example is the "warped policy" of "What's wrong collecting more $$$"?

It may be perceived as a "small change" to institutional settings but over time led to huge divergent outcomes?

"You die your business" garment-nance is the "most appalling" policy any responsible garment would ever wrought on its subjects?

When everyone eventually adopts "everyone for themselves", the society degenerates into survival instincts of the animal kingdoms and deep underneath, the system exudes the "laws of the jungles"?

Human civilizations since the Neolithic Revolution in BC 9,500 advanced bcos they become BETTER ORGANISED?

When small changes that led to eventual HUGE divergent outcomes in the organisation of a society, it is going backwards, NOT FORWARD?

Two of the most "DAMN-ING" garment-led garment-nance are none other than "what's wrong collecting more $$?" and "you die your business" "unspoken, invisible" garment measures but had huge impact on societal outcomes all these years?

What ultimately lead to the difference between a rising and declining society are the right political and economic institutions?

patriot said...


Indeed the Decline and Demise of any society is whence every citizen is for him/her self.

Greeds for wealth and fame cause selfishness which then translates to You die your business even to kins.

How in the World can there be
any sense of belonging and cohesiveness?
What's family, kinsmanship and
nationhood?

patriot

Anonymous said...

Rb // ........ after a few decades of producing straight As students is that the flaws are showing. //


It may NOT be just simply producing unthinking straight As students?

The rise and decline of some of of the richest nations on earth historically can be chronicled as below:?

1) Becoming independence at a fortuitous time?

2) The world witnessing hegemonic power changing hands from one nation in decline to the next on the rise ( eg. Pax Britiannica global dominance succeeded by the Pan Americana after WWII )?

3) Global economy recovering from past ravaging wars ( eg. the massive and rapid economic recovery after WWI and WWII )?

4) Expanding populations and economic expansion ( eg. Sinkieland population rising from under 2 million to current almost 6 million )?

5) Upward mobility of new groups into the elite ranks ( eg. Lao goa, Ah Ngiam etc etc )?

6) The rulers were initially thrown up under tumultuous times and selected by the masses ( NOT ownselves choose ownselves )?

Anonymous said...

They are in the process of dehumnanizing you through sanctification. You are a drama, unreal, cry on cue. Then you shall be obedient and good domesticated animals.

Anonymous said...

Historically, the first or second generation of rulers are good. After that idiots would take over the throne and destroy the regime. Can't you see them everywhere?

The best parts, the idiots think they are god like.

Anonymous said...

How can someone who clearly abused his position of power and carry on preaching for years and doing the same thing? You are just numbed by the laws. You don't feel anymore, you just accept. You have died. Charity is a crime.

Anonymous said...

How can someone who clearly abused his position of power is able to carry on preaching for years and doing the same thing? You are just numbed by the laws. You don't feel anymore, you just accept. You have died. Charity is a crime.

Anonymous said...

7) Rapid construction and expansion of the nation's housing, infrastructure during the early phase of nationhood to cater for the economic expansion and rising population?

8) Institutionalisation in law, courts, defence, education etc etc in the early phase of economic growth and development?

9) The pioneer rulers enjoying unprecedented political support and the people unprecedented economic prosperity?

10) The elites or elites of the elites starting to close down the system or narrow the path for new entrants rising outside the most elite circles to the centres of political and economic powers ( eg. Some scholars in the 90s starting to complain about some glass ceilings they were facing )?

11) The unmistakable characteristics of the elites choosing the elites becoming the norm, the way of life ( but also the beginning of the end ..... )?

12) The repeated amendments and change of laws to favour the elites themselves and entrenched their holds to the political and economic powers ( think of some examples such as "GRC system"? "Rogue President"?, ........ etc etc )?

13) Political dominance are followed by economic dominance by the elites in every facet of life ( who is helming the mass transit system which is an impt part of sinkies life? ....... etc etc)?

14) Main lines of businesses being monopolised or narrow down by the elites through garment business entities or via their cronies ( think property, tpt, retail, construction, upgrading etc etc? )?

15) With the inevitable decline under way, different aspects of the economy and society began to falter ( increasing suicide rates, divorce, dysfunctional families, malfunctioning public tpt, unnecessary deaths, elites cornering a large chunk of the fruits of national economic production? )?

16) Intentionally or unwittingly, small changes in institutional arrangements led to or planted the seeds of national decline gaming of university ranking, nothing wrong collecting more $$$, you die faster the better - millions aliens queuing up to come in? )?

17) The unsustainable economic system most often manifested in the form of "slavery" in the labour force ( think housing slavery, car slavery, cpf slavery, foreign workers slavery, ..... etc ) and elites dominating both politics and the economy ( which big economic entity not installed with a paper general or former public servant? )?

18) The initial nationhood policies that laid the foundation of economic expansion and prosperity are gradually undermined and replaced? Intensified infighting to gain access to powerful positions that almost guaranteed access to more wealth, riches and power?

19) Greater undercurrents led to more policies designed to benefit the masses but that ended up benefiting the elites and cronies the most?

20) Social stratification intensified and deepened?

21) The lack of innovation and productivity in the system even in ancient history going back several hundreds and even thousands of year POINTED to the existence of "slavery" in the system ( think PIC? With almost infinite cheap slavery, where is the incentive and motivation for innovation, productivity etc etc)?

22) The end is getting closer?

23) Many places worldwide are strewn with the RELICS of many past rich civilizations and nations dating back a few hundred years to several thousand years?

24) Alas, some oldie beans are hoping for the wheels of decline to be turned back?

25) But the motion of the wheels of perennial decline had started and cannot be stopped? The fate, sadly, is SEALED?

Anonymous said...

It is called blind charity. Like taking plenty of sugar that eventually kill you.

Anonymous said...

Nation of stupid people and graded with As for premium stupidity.

Anonymous said...

Singapore economy nice in the best of health, Singapore dollar weaken today, FTs flooding the market, Singaporean PMETs getting retrenched, cost of living rising, population of true blue Singaporean declining, happiness index at an all time low. These are the results of 50 years of Singapore education system designed by a one party government. Good or bad, I leave you to decide.

Anonymous said...

Many past rich and glorious civilizations/ nations in history were organised along similar lines in the late declining stage and all proven to fail spectacularly?

Anonymous said...

What makes this time different?

There was/ is "a "monkey" behind the throne"?

But "one real human born in monkey year in the past but a pretender born in a reckless-animal year"?

Anonymous said...

But both monumentally different?

Anonymous said...

Rb //We produced probably the most straight as in the world on a per capita basis. Even the new International Baccalaurette programme that was introduced recently, our students are acing the exams every year since it started. Students that used to score average grades would now get full scores possible.//


In the 60s, 70s and 80s, when GKS and TCC etc were in charge, it doesn't matter how many As produced but SIA took off, NOL took off, etc etc .....?

A non-university polyfactory graduate even emerged and blaze the trail for sound technology in global ICT industry?

Remember "CREATIVE TECHNOLOGY" and "SEEM W(R)ONG WHO"?

After his company moved their HQ bk in the 2000s ( long after GKS and TCC retired ), it nosedived into "oblivion"?

The more As sometimes the more careful an employer ought to be?

But it can't beat the "horrifying consequences" of hiring those with many "stars"?

Anonymous said...

Angmo corporate "raiders" are overheard in bars and pubs telling their peers the best targets are those "helmed by war-games nuts, the more "stars" the merrier as the faster the conglomerates they are heading would likely sink into the bottom of the ocean and present opportunities for the sharks to tear them and devour into their sharp jaws and predatory instincts"?

Veritas said...

I believe it is the policy of PAP to make us as stupid as possible. When I was in secondary school 1 and 2 in 1980s, the school taught nothing other than Singapore history. And the history is all the masturbated version.

The earlier textbook taught world history.

Right now, JC is not teaching F Math. And fucking PAP want to have good pipeline of engineer by curling JC F maths -- go day dream.

Even with F Math in my days, already my uni lecturer complain SG students math too fuck up.

And now PAP even have more evil plans. They simply tell our students not to study. Fucking scholar ministers got their ticket to $$ and they come preach to students not tot study. WTF

They can prove their sincerity by closing doors on FT, make manual jobs like construction salary jump. FT policy and "dont-study-policy" are diametrically contradicting to one another.

PAP one tweak after another has finally hit the wall.

Singapore need a fundamental rethink of the system to move forward.

Anonymous said...

Can I use my $500 SkillsFuture money to learn how to Twitter a photo correctly ah?

Otherwise I accidentally post a wrong photo onto my facebook account then how?

Anonymous said...

Veritas,

Your wish has come true lah for F Math?

Starting this year, the JC1 cohort have options to take F Math and the 1st batch will be taking their "A" exam in 2017?

Problem is they are always WAY, WAY behind the curve cos they claimed they are super talents but failed to realise the paradox in their policy changes?

Making one change but without realising an earlier change is A HUGE IMPEDIMENT to achieve the objectives of reintroducing subjects like F Math and Computing into the JC curriculum?

Sinkieland needs a lot more monkey pictures?

Not just pointing a finger but the palms as well?

With many ( contradictory and paradoxical ) policies tying themselves in knots, sinkieland needs many, many monkey pictures with the palms and not just fingers, a GAZILLION FACE PALMS, that is?

Anonymous said...

Subjects like F Math and Computing were taken out from sinkieland's A level curriculum due to an earlier policy change otherwise "it won't make sense"?

Anonymous said...

Now the super talents reintroduced subjects like F Math and Computing back into the "A" curriculum without "ADDRESSING" the "PARADOX" that an earlier policy change created, which led to subjects like F Math and Computing being pulled out from the "A" level curriculum?

Anonymous said...

With such "messed up planning" even till this VERY MOMENT, can sinkieland "go places" over time?

Anonymous said...

The only direction to go is into the longkang and abyss?

Anonymous said...

Politics is a process to choose what types of rules to garment a society?

When 70% of the people in the society chose "kongcums" and jiak liao bee to set the rules, there is no medicine that can cure the ailments in this society?

Despite modern medical advancement by leaps and bounds, one particular ailment stood out like a BIG SORE THUMB in terms of its incurable nature --- "WOODENHEAD-EDNESS" aka CHAR TOW?

Anonymous said...

To assess whether an education system ( since 1985 when Lao goa started to take charge as DPM ) is on the right track, the best place to start is the teaching profession?

When many teachers detest their own profession the way lions hate hyenas and vice versa, those ministers who were in charge of this sector since the 80s should give themselves 10 GAZILLION face palms each in front of all the parents ( to atone for and acknowledge their failed policies )?

If an education system is doing OK, why SHOULD the morale in the teaching profession generally "hitting rock bottom"?

Come on?

Go spot check the schools and JCs?

What ( nonsense ) the teachers doing during lectures?

And how many students are there ( NOT SLEEPING OR SWITCHED OFF and ) paying attention?

How many times teachers just "muddle through" lectures in JCs and tell the students to read up the rest ( sometimes as much as between 80 to 90% of the lecture notes ) when those are supposed to be taught during lectures?

Why structured lecture notes that caused as much as 80 to 90% of the content cannot or unable to be completed during lectures?

Do many of the ( sleeping? ) principals in JCs know about this issue/ problem?

That a large chunk of lecture notes cannot or are unable to be completed during normal lectures/ curriculum time and many students are TOLD TO STUDY on their own?

You see? ( the problems? )

All these ( happening ) in the best education system in the world?

70% of the Parents, pls stand up now in your offices and give yourselves 20 Gazillion face palms each?

Anonymous said...

And they accept this fate as well.
RB

What to do, when the opposition is not even ready to be govt.

Are Low Thia Khiang, Goh Meng Seng, Chee Soon Juan, Kenneth s/o JBJ, Tan Jee Say, Mrs Chiam, etc even on speaking terms with each other, at least publicly?

If not, how on earth can 70% Sinkies trust them to lead Sinkies better than PAP govt? If PAP govt is bad, they will be even worse.

Virgo 49 said...


Hi Anon 1.09

Even the Tema sick CEO cannot post the picture of monkey wrongly, What about rest of the masses.

That's why they implemented the 500$ Skills ungrading fund.

But funny, can choose a monkey With the middle finger pointing up and can press wrong buttons next to another look alike two cousins.

Anonymous said...

Question is why was she looking at the monkey with the middle finger? She is not satisfied looking at pictures of aunties playing mahjong?

Veritas said...

The professors and lecturer in NUS/NTU are so fuck up and so prostituting that whore in Geylang Chao Chee Bye is less smeller than them.

Fuckers in NTU/NUS have NO FUCKING Shame.

When I was in NTU when the better students still study engineering, the sworn aim of the professors is to FAIL us and give us fucking GPA as far as possible. The professors proudly claim that this is the best motivation silver bullet in the whole world.

This is the time when schools including Harvard was giving average A to a large percentage of her students. The motive of the professors is out of love and to give her students a chance to enroll in post graduate.

I remember my time, more 30% EEE (electrical) cannot make it 4 years, more than 50% of Comp engine cannot complete their course in due date, and fucking CSE (civil) DOES NOT EVEN AWARD FIRST CLASS HONORS.

That was the time when better students goes into NTU engineering.

We see fail a level fuckers go australia become doctors and PHDs.

Today, when fucking students, moron enroll, NTU/NUS fuckers should fail them. Failing these morons would be slapping PAP. So syllabus were cut, exam were masturbated producing a cesspool of idiots, totally unpalatable to recruiting managers.

Our fucking professors in NTU/NUS CANNOT do the right thing. They ONLY masturbate. FUCK THEM.

Anonymous said...

Sinkie already born stupid. To put them through local education is to teach them how to be lagi stupid. 70% is proof the other 30% only less stupid

Anonymous said...

Thank you for your compliments to our excellent education system.

Anonymous said...

We need an academic insight on the relevancy of the monkey with the middle finger picture the dear Madame was beholding.

Anonymous said...

Rb //What is apparent today, after a few decades of producing straight As students is that the flaws are showing.//


Exactly?

Assuming each cohort have 1,500 straight As, after a few decades, sinkieland easily has produced close to 6 digits of them?

Now, should not sinkieland have gotten a few Nobel Prize winners?

Why the dearth of outstanding academics given the EXCELLENT STRAIGHT As record?

Anonymous said...

Look at the present cabinet?

In 1959 and 1965, out of a much smaller population and much lower literacy rate, there were at least 2 doctorate holders in the cabinet namely GKS and TCC?

Now only one miserable PhD in engineering and not in those outstanding league like GKS or TCC?

When they can literally staffed the whole garment machinery with ( cmi? think NOL and SMRT? ) ex-paper generals, why they can't field more in fields such as in Economics like the late GKS?

It cannot be a coincidence that many, if not most, central bankers in the US FED are ex-Economics Professors?

Why they never appoint a PhD holder say in Engineering or Science or Math as the Chairman or Vice Chairman of the US FED?

Incidentally, in the early days, MAS are helmed by highly qualified figures such as the late Dr GKS etc?

Between just a normal bachelor degree holder in economics and a highly experienced and qualified economics professor from an Ivy League University, who do you think have a much better and deeper foundation and understanding of the global economics?

Who will do a much better job as a central banker?

Any wonder why sinkieland's economy is faltering on MANY FRONTS despite thousands of straight As students in yearly A Level exam?

Anonymous said...

With literally hundreds of economics professors and PhD holders in local universities, aren't there a better, more experienced and qualified candidate to helm the MAS?

Same same banking industry?

Bright and smart people outstanding in their fields are mostly not donkeys or parrots or tail wagging DOGS but HIGHLY INDEPENDENT minded?

They will call a spade a spade?

And will not tolerate a ( weak ) boss telling them what to do or interfering in their work?

Or just to be a donkey?

Anonymous said...

To the People, the PAP's Deliberate Education Policies may been seen as failed policies.
With 50 years of hind-sight, they can even be thought of as a betrayal by the PAP upon the
the very people whom It (like inanimate objects) was and is supposed to serve, whether they
voted for the PAP or not.

To the PAP, especially the Controversial and Questionable, shamelessly described as "Father of
Singapore" and his Gang of Sycophants and Nepotistic Parasites, the Education Policies had and
have been a Great Success.

Success in transforming almost the whole citizenry into daft and obedient sheep.
Like the saying: "Thou art not so blind as those who have eyes but not see." these daft sheep
can be said as "Thou art not so brainless as those who have brains but not think."