5/11/2014

Singapore’s education conundrum




The SDP has launched a paper titled ‘Educating for Creativity and Equality: An Agenda for Transformation’ on 17 May 2014. They have also invited the Education Minister Heng Swee Kiat to join in the discussion. It is unlikely that Heng Swee Kiat will attend as it is always seen as ‘us against them’ kind of relationship and at worst, the opposition parties are enemies. So the SDP is likely to have their own conversation while PAP would have their own conversation without inviting the other camp. The twains shall never meet.

Our education system and policies are kind of a mystery. On paper it is the best in the world or nearly there with praises from all over the world, and with some countries copying some of our teaching methodology. But we also have been scouring around the world to want to find the best, believing that we are not really that good. This is good as we are not resting on our laurels. The bad thing is to look at the wrong place or the worst place that produced shit and for us to think they are gold.

How good is our education system must be in the eating of the pudding. All the strings of straight As would have meant nothing if the graduates ended up unusable in the industry. The graduates will be nothing but paper collectors, exam smart kids but are unable to perform in the real world. Apparently this is true. The top scholars are only good to stay in the govt service, GLCs or as politicians. Outside these sectors, hardly anyone is seen to be performing. The private sectors are even resorting to employ funny talents from funny universities from funny parts of the 3rd World to replace the graduates of our education system. And it is real, all the funny talents from the funny universities and funny places are outshining our local talents from our top notch universities because they looked and spoke like Hollywood actors ala George Bush Junior and Obama.

They have started to replace the scholars in GLCs with these Hollywood actors and will soon also replace the scholars in govt service once these ministries are open to them. They could easily replace the politicians as well. We can have Richard Gere and George Clooney or Hilary Clinton too.

The proof is in the pudding and the proof is saying our education system stinks. Not only that they are not producing good quality graduates but they are causing undue strains to our children with many having mental and psychiatric problems going through the process. Our children are growing up very unhealthy and later, uncompetitive in the adult world. If this is not the result of our education system then what is the cause?

Over the years we have several top notched talents helming the Education Ministry. Among the top names were Tony Tan, Lee Yock Suan, Tharman, Ng Eng Hen, Teo Chee Hean and Heng Swee Kiat. Every one of them is a top scholar or top talent in their fields. We have 3 finance honchos and two engineers by training, and three top scholars. The only thing absent in them is the background on education and pedagogy. None is trained professionally in education. But they became experts in education overnight and found themselves competent enough over a short span in the ministry to introduce wide ranging changes to the policies and teaching methodology during their watches. Let me try to recall the famous mantras of the day, teach less, learn more, less hard sciences, more humanities, holistic teaching, teach characters, all round training, including sports and arts, appreciation of arts and music, wholesome education, critical thinking, innovative hinking until none can think or is innovative. Teaching students life skills like doing small business and investment, etc etc. Did they know that to do all this you not only need the students to be genius, exceptionally talented and also have all the time in the world to learn them?

We should be having the best education system and the best education products. The whole world should be descending on us to learn from us. Our graduates should be the best in the world and be in high demand everywhere. Unfortunately they are not even in demand in their home country here except to drive taxis. And their next best aspiration is to become hawkers.

Need I have to say anything more?

Kopi Level - Green

15 comments:

  1. Don't need to write all sorts of fancy papers or engage in discussions with "the enemy".

    You want to see what a good school looks like, and observe REAL EVIDENCE of the results? "Results" meaning turning out superbly educated, communicative, wonderfully creative and emotionally balanced kids.

    Go and have a look at what they are doing at the Tanglin Trust School in Portsdown Road, off the AYE, and then compare what they do there with how Singapore public schools are run.

    Singapore public edu is good, make no mistake. However schools like Tanglin Trust take it to a completely different level.

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  2. "Unfortunately they are not even in demand in their home country here except to drive taxis."
    RB

    So they must be very frustrated and will not vote PAP, tio bo?

    But then also not enough of them being frustrated, maybe at most 40%.

    That's why PAP could still get 60% votes from those happy and satisfied Sinkies lah, tio bo?

    Cannot make 100% happy and satisfied what, can or not, u tell me lah?

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  3. "Not only that they are not producing good quality graduates but they are causing undue strains to our children with many having mental and psychiatric problems going through the process."
    RB

    There are reasons why this is done lah.

    Because must have a lot of KPIs for the top civil servants and educators in order to justify their high pay what.

    Also those outsourced enrichment or what not courses will enable others (smart Sinkies and foreigners) to make money what. This will stimulate the economy for GDP growth, tio bo?

    If everything is simple and relaxed, where got KPI and business for them to do, u tell me lah?

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  4. PAP can do what they like to stimulate GDP growth lah, as long as unhappy and frustrated Sinkies remain a minority, say 40% or less.

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  5. Go back to basics. Do like the Indians and Pinoys. Nothing fanciful. Cheap and good. No need to waste time and money.

    No need supertalents and their superflous ideas.

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  6. Matilar, I will believe u on your comments on education if you can write your books especially book 4

    /// MATI-LAH, even the SKUNK is ashamed of YEWR SHITTY SMELL! said...
    RB Post 27 Aril 2014:

    "The books that I would want to write"
    14 Comments


    // Anonymous Anonymous said...
    Matilar, u can also write the following books

    1) how to boast about sexual power when both tiny are missing
    2) the art of incest
    3) the guide on how to bull shits
    4) how to irritate people and waste their time daily
    5) learning to be thick skin and flameproof
    6) how to tahan when your ass kena fucked
    7) how to act as patriot when you are a traitor
    8) how to act and look normal when you are actually insane
    9) learning to speak when a cock is stuck in your mouth
    10) how to con your sisters and daughters to continue having sex with you without reporting to the police.

    I am quite sure others can contribute other ideas for matilar so that he can become very rich like he always dream of. Knn motherfucker that waste the earth resources.

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  7. @109:

    Oh my my. I must say you're one persistent motherfucker. Good for you. Pity you can't apply the same zeal on some other aspect of your pathetic and insignificant life in the hope of "improving yourself" and hopefully extricate yourself from Loser-dom. ;-)

    Got "winning attitude"?

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  8. Since ancient time, all rulers want the pheasants to be stupid so that they can be easily control and manipulated to their wishes including fighting and dying in a war so that the rulers can protect their wealth and/or become more wealthy. All rulers are evil since day one. The conflict has always been between the rulers and the pheasants. Nationalities, religions, races are all created to confuse and make the pheasants fight among themselves so that the rulers are always in an advantage position.

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  9. Now, as the pheasants are becoming more and more intelligent each day, the rulers bring in stupid foreign aliens to confuse the people and create a situation that the fault lies with the pheasants; make the pheasants dislike those aliens; so that they can thrive while playing the pheasants against the aliens.

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  10. Education in Singapore is the envy of the whole world, an this is all thanks to the PAP system. I come to Singapore with my children and we have benefitted from this marvellous system. My children will use the Singapore system to enhance their chances in life. When they are older and ready to enter the job market ( not having to do NS is obviously and added attraction ) they will return home and become top of the food chain. When my children are all grown I will return to our homeland and enjoy life. Singapore is a good stepping stone for better things in life. No one in his right mind would make their permanent home in Singapore. We use Singapore as a step up the ladder towards better things in life. We come to Singapore so I can get a good job with a very high salary, my children gets educated under the good Singapore system and we also get to send money home to invest in our home country. After the children's education we will all go to Changi Airport with a one-way ticket and say good-bye to Singapore forever. Singaporean male after 2 years of NS will be 2 years behind our children in the job market.

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  11. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  12. @553:

    You might be a Singaporean trying to be witty and sarcastic, or you could be a bone fide "new talent". I shall assume the latter.

    You are absolutely correct to take advantage of every "free kick" life awards to you. If you don't look out and look after yourself and your family, who else is going to?

    It is a moral imperative that you ALWAYS act in your own best self-interest -- don't believe the bullshit from the politicians or the priests. All they want to do is to make you act in their self interests by sacrificing your own...and then some.

    Well done. I hope that there will be more "honest opinion" from Singapore's new citizens and PR's.

    BTW, you are correct not to feel guilty. In Singapore, nothing is free. If you live there, you will have to pay your way -- somehow, somewhere, some time, the wide grabby tentacles of IRAS, COE, CPF, GST will get you. And the higher your salary, the more tax you will pay -- not just on income, but also in indirect taxation like GST, COE, ERP because the more you earn, the more you will spend.

    Thank you for your contribution. I hope you and your family enjoy your stay in the wonderful Hotel City.

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  13. Can the Ministers educate themselves before trying to educate others.
    As it is, the Rulers are suspects for greed and incompetency. On top of them many feel that many of them are like 'kway nees'(local mango specie), beautiful on the outside, rotten with worms in the core).

    patriot

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  14. Thanks Matilah for your comment. I am a PR. I work hard for my family and not for the GDP of Singapore. You are right I do pay all the taxws required for living in Singapore, but at the end of the day we are still comfortable and can enjoy all the trappings of Singapore.

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  15. @216:

    You're welcome. I hope you find the courage to stand up for your honest opinion, and yes, I know it is not easy; or in some circumstances appropriate, given the level of hostility from some less-enlightened locals.

    Suffice it to say, there are many Singaporeans like myself who have absolutely no problem with foreigners -- and we require no "specific character and personality traits" for you being here, (i.e. we like people who "be themselves") because it is up to the state, as a matter of LAW that you've been granted residency/ citizenship / permission to conduct whatever individual enterprise you choose to your own BENEFIT -- and really is none of our business.

    Good luck, and best wishes. Live long...and PROSPER!

    ReplyDelete