Commentary: Parents want the best for their child, but P1 registration cannot be only about 'me first'
Before considering bolder changes, we need to decide how to balance individual competitiveness and our collective values, say SMU’s Jacqueline Ho, NIE’s Jason Tan and NUS’ Vincent Chua.SINGAPORE: In a high-stakes, credential-conscious environment, parents understandably want to deploy every available resource to secure their child’s educational future.
Recognising these pressures, the Ministry of Education recently announced adjustments to the Primary 1 registration framework. There will be more reserved places in Phase 2C for children with no prior connection to the school, up from 40 to 60 spots. Additionally, twelve schools in neighbourhoods with more private housing will offer a two-track Phase 2C to include those living beyond the usual 2km radius. CNA
Can anyone fault the parents for wanting the best for their children, especially in education? The Singapore govt understands this very well and is trying to do everything it could to satisfy their aspirations, love and devotion for their children and their future. This move will be music to the parents in Singapore.
Anyone thinks more should be done for the parents and their charge? Parental or motherly love must not be seen as a crime, or a serious crime that warrants jail sentences. Would the wise and clever men and women understand this?
Yet while these policy objectives sound reasonable in theory, the registration rules meant to achieve them have become gameable levers of advantage in practice." CNA
A crime is a crime. But is gaming for a place in a good school for a child be seen in the same light as a violent crime or gaming in a casino or in the stock market? If so, then parents should not be allowed to do volunteer works for schools to gain points for admission as well. It is also a form of gaming. No?
What do you think?
4 comments:
Singapore is experimenting with strata society. We are almost there. In ancient Rome they have the Patricians or High Class Society and the Plebians or Low Class Society, in India they have the Bramins, the Shastriyas and the Dravidians or dalits, in England or Europe they have the Nobles, the lords and the Commoners while in the United States they have the Elites or Oligarchies and the prolitariats or Working Class. We are more or less sleep walking into the Hindu Caste society. I think we have to put a stop to that or else Singaporeans will be divided and destroyed.
Sam Gupta
Well, when Rodrigo Duterte attempted to destroy the drug lords in the Philippines, that was considered a crime. When the USA went to war against Iraq, based on fabricated evidence, and killing hundreds of thousands, even touting that killing five hundred thousand Iraqi children was worth it, that was not considered a crime.
Can someone tell me who defines a crime as not a crime and not a crime ass a crime?
When you follow India, with its caste system, what else to expect?
Approximately about one third of all primary schools still offer parents volunteers program for P1 registration. Probably over time, less and less will take up the program. But red dot parents r mostly very persistent as they will go all out just to place their kids in 'good' schools due to kiasuism or loss out mentality, as parents it's understandable but sometimes a minority of them overly do it ( eg. cheating the system by changing the address closer to the register schools). Some residents suggested the parent volunteers system be scrapped or replaced with a much fairer system (maybe by contribution points awards systems not based on distance etc..)
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