12/15/2010

Good grades equal to nerds

Reading the article by Sandra Davie in the ST today, I can’t help but come to the conclusion that students who did well in tests and examinations, with good grades, are all nerds and lack creativity. Also they often do not do well in life. This is the biggest problem in Singapore’s education system. Though we bragged about how world class it is, how other countries are copying our teaching material, and how our students are able to score straight As everywhere, even winning international competitions, in Science, Maths, General Knowledge and also in Law, don’t expect much from them when they grow up. All these will come to nothing as they enter the adult world. Many are destined to fail or become underachievers in real life. Then where can we find all the creative and innovative people in Singapore? One sure place not to find them is the elite schools. Try the kitchens, the football fields, the night clubs, the world of the celebrities, there must be many creative and successful people in these fields. We need more Bill Gates and Steve Jobs, failure academically but big success in life. Personally I doubt they will not be able to score straight As if they wanted to. This is the secret to creativity and success. We should throw out our top students half way through universities and give them a job in the industries. That is the sure way to trigger their creativity and later be successful innovators and inventors. There is no need for elite schools and top universities as their products will only be so so. Parents of children who did not do well in schools must be relieved that their children will be the ones with more creativity and be more successful in life later. This is about the only piece of good news from the article.

6 comments:

  1. The education when one is young is only meant to provide the basics -- after that you are on your own to make something of yourself and your life.

    Can't rely on the govt or "school exams" all the time. Exams teat your knowledge. Wisdom, ability, skill and creativity take a lot longer to develop than 12 years in a classroom.

    Most education systems fail to deliver anyway. Ultimately it is up to you to wade through the bullshit fed to you and to find/ create your own place.

    If you can't do that: too bad for you. You may have just wasted your life.

    However if you are in one of the western cuntries, fear not: all you have to do is claim welfare :-)

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  2. No point...won't work in PAP singapore...

    Why?

    The parasitical system in place for these past many years...

    I had friends who had "crazy" ideas like an internet search engine or MMORPGH games approach singapore controlled "business" entities...they either tell you are crazy and bugger off...or try to "steal" your creative ideas and palm it off as their own...

    So which idiot will want to create something which they know in the end will end up with the PAP parasites...

    They rather go to place like America or Germany where they are very clear and transparents laws protecting their creative ideas and self made products...

    PAP singapore...

    Just loads of BS parasites and pale copies of supposed intellect living off from the real creative and real intellectuals...and yet still so "proud" of their "self idiocy".

    No humility and no conscience...who will want to fight for singapore and it's people...when the government is "ripping" off the very people they are supposed to "serve".

    Sad to see this.

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  3. I wish they will really believe what they say and practice what they preach.

    When you go for a job interview, as an example, qualities such as wisdom, ability and creativity are, most of the time, all secondary to academic qualifications.

    These qualities are not apparent by just looking at the person and asking a few pointed questions. They will only surface when a person is on the job. If the person is not even given the chance by not being given the job, how is he to show his ability, creativity or wisdom?

    They can talk until the cows come home and call good grade students nerds, but parents will still take the tried and tested route and ensure that their children do well in schools.

    They will definitely not let their kids falter and hope to emulate Bill Gates or Steve Jobs. That is too great a risk to take.

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  4. Put a link of this article article in my blog.

    Cheers,
    Kaffein

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  5. Bill Gates & Steve Jobs are considered to be a Nerd.

    Nerds have different interests. Some in inventions, some in Sciences, in Philosophy.

    But most of them in Singapore are interested in academics

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