A Norwegian friend reading for her doctorate in Singapore had sent her two daughters to a neighborhood school and made the observation that all the material in the syllabus is not covered in school; teachers expect tutors to make up the shortfall. Back in Norway, her kids never had homework, everything is taught in class.
Then there are the teachers who come up with "tricky" questions that "would set the A* students apart from the A students." You can argue till the cow comes home about what happens when electric current passes through the tungsten element of a light bulb:
- Only light energy is produced;
- Light and heat energy is produced;
- Magnetic fields are induced by flowing electrons;
- Global warming results from the depletion of the ozone layer.
- Melting glaciers will sink the bloody island
It is now common for a straight A student in, say Chemistry, to still engage the services of a private tutor for Chemistry. Apparently in the premier schools that have garnered 85% of the scholarships, four distinctions is now blasé. The race is for the prestige of the scholarship award. Heck, they are even tutored to apply for the scholarships.
What about the key to the parents' mindset and belief that, according to Indranee Rajah, "having tuition will give their children that additional edge"? The situation is beyond remedial coaching for the academically weak, trying to master the three Rs, reading, writing and arithmetic. It's all about the mad, mad race for the scholarship nomination, and the escalator ride thence prepared by the PSc, the stairway to heaven that could even end up in a ministership.
Since the Ministry of Education will be the last to admit a major revamp of the system is in order, the people will have to come up with the proposals. For starters, why not make it a rule that scholarship aspirants will be disqualified if they have engaged services of a private tutor? That should send a the message to the kiasu parents, not to pile on unnecessary tuition onto their wards.
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| setting A* students apart from the A students. |
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Since people like Tony Tan and LSL can well afford to send their kids to prestigious universities, why not bar the kids of rich parents from government scholarships? They can easily break bonds and still pay back the government. No point wasting state resources on them.
ReplyDeleteonce upon a time, scholarships were given to poor students who were bright and did well at their lessons, because they did not have the money to do higher studies.
Deletenow unfortunately, scholarships go to children whose families can well afford to pay for their poly and uni fees. it's just one more way the taxpayer's money is wasted.
The most corrupt political party across the Causeway is infamous for sending their elite offspring on all-expenses paid scholarships to overseas universities, courtesy of their protective racist Govt.
DeleteSimilarly in the name of meritocracy, our Govt sees there is nothing wrong to offer scholarships to those "Get off my uncaring face" offspring of our Ministers, MPs & elite households.
In fact one of them admitted it would be stupid of his descendants not to accept a Govt scholarship even though their parents are paid million dollar salaries. It seems they have earned their entitlement just like how our PAP Ministers are entitled to million dollar salaries, never mind that it deprives some other candidates with less financial clout their rightful place.
Can someone redefine corruption ?
I thought this kind of thing only happen in Australian maths or SAT where maths questions are phrased ambiguously not to test your maths but your English.
ReplyDeleteI like that suggestion to bar any student from scholarship if they had private tuition.
ReplyDeleteSure there will be an outcry. Like but my mother is a tutor and she.....
Indranee Rajah says tuition is not needed in Singapore's education system?
ReplyDeleteWhat planet is the sow living on?
I have been to all the PTA meetings.
The teachers expect us to hire private tutors for our kids.
It's time Heng Swee Keat sends the tutor memo to Indranee Rajah.
Farking out of touch sow.
What you know may not always be superior to who you know. No amount of tuition is really necessary for some.
DeleteWhen you can score 100 for History means that there is something wrong with the system. Memorising dates etc is fine but if one only remembers the region isn't history and not the actual one then what is the point.....
ReplyDeleteSorry should be reason and not region.....
DeleteThe home tuition scam must be really lucrative. This the the third unsolicited sms I received this week:
ReplyDelete"This is Ms Tham, a NIE trained school teacher id 38015. For home tuition, call my consultant 6384560X or visit www.starzesttuition.com.sg"
You should reply by asking Ms Tham if she provides home tuition on enhancing sex performance, classifying it as sex education.
DeleteI received it too!
DeleteTuition is definitely a very lucrative biz. A colleague in his 40s left to join NIE with the intention to quit and start his tuition centre as soon as he can. An ex sch teacher can command high tuition fees.
Sick!
ReplyDeleteTuition is organized scam yet legitimized.
It's high time they realize this and overhaul the education system and ........please, not brain dead solutions like the little tweak to the COE scam, touted as a panacea for its woeful rip off on the average Joe whose only wish in life is to own a set of humble wheels for utilitarian purposes.
It's tragic that students compete for the "coveted" scholarships from the civil service. Yet, paradoxically, these students are not really interested in the civil service. What is the point then to get bonded for 4/6 years at a place which he/she doesn't enjoy?
ReplyDeleteYes, the syllabus is too wide, yes the education system is not even achieving basic education outcomes of providing broad based learning of basic read-write-count skills. Yes, choosing your future leeders when they are 18 years old thru 2 interviews is just ridiculous, some have not even grown a beard or pubic hair at that age.
ReplyDeleteSo why are folks like Indranee appearing to act blur? Simple: these basic education outcomes, like all the rest important to the sheeple like cheap housing, cheap transport, cheap healthcare, they do not fit in with the PAP/civil service's desire to self-preserve. Just like soviet communism, and wall-street capitalism, status quo is not a sufficient condition for them: cancers need to grow, suck in more participants. The way they see it, the scholarship system is a way to enlarge and constantly bind the elites and their children into a strong political base; same for the HDB subcontractors network who supply the BTO projects (and provide donations and free abalone porridge - hence they won't ever touch the BTO scheme), the property developers, the stat boards, the TLH-linked companies like certis cisco, all these are there to provide an entire patronage system to enlarge the PAP/service service network.
The mad rush for private tuition by majority of parents is a clear indicator of failure of our school system and society attitude. PSLE Maths and Science are torturing to normal kids. The questions are more like jaw saw puzzle of the English language.
ReplyDeleteThe School system is not about education i.e the acquisition of knowledge and thinking skills in preparation for life. It is more like an Olympiad where the ultimate objective is to decide who wins gold, silver or bronze. It is really a sport. Any knowledge gained is incidental.
ReplyDeleteAll scholarships should be given to those students whose families really cannot afford to send them for further studies, not those who can afford to be well-tuition and parents with deep pockets and/or with good connections.
ReplyDeleteIt has gone on for far too long. The MOE teachers have not been doing their due diligence in coaching students to perform well in the exams.
ReplyDeleteThey have been dumped with admin work which the administrators should be doing.
Minister Heng should wake up from his slumber and stop smiling like a Chesire cat.
ReplyDeleteHis teachers and staff have too much time playing Facebook, Twitter, IM chat and surfing for porn and affair partners that they have neglected their primary duties of educating students.
Heng should stick his head out of school domestic issues like wigs and bald heads and face the real problems by the root.
This poll at www.domainofexperts.com asking abt what you think of Indranee Rajah's claims damn funny.
ReplyDeleteI voted for who is indranee rajah? is she a TV star? LMFAO.