Singapore's Failed Education System

[TracyTan866]

The PAP and MOE have tried to praise Singapore's Education System by selectively highlighting its achievements. But discerning Singaporeans know that the Singapore system has failed to deliver quality education to Singaporeans.

1. Students

Singapore students are stressed. At primary level, students are expected to perform in Maths, Science, English and Mother Tongue. But the system cant cope and most students have to take tuition to supplement what they receive from their school. Is this what we expect from a good system? Many students chose Poly and refuse the A level route despite scoring 6 points for six best subjects. Has MOE wondered why this trend? Instead of getting to the root cause of this preference, MOE came out with Integrated Programme to lock the students in from Sec 1...But this seemed to have failed. CME is not value and character education but is a means of indoctrinating young minds and glorifying the pap. No wonder many students are turned off CME

2. Teachers

MOE is able to recruit many teachers but cant retain them.. Many quit after serving their PDGE bond and prefer to work as Adjunct or Flexi teachers. Has MOE found out why this trend? Teachers are stressed by non teaching duties,...eg Admin, WITs, SEM, Climate Survey, CCAs, job enlargement duties, etc. Many teachers are demoralised. Is this healthy?

3. School Leadership

Principals are afraid of parents, MOE and media. They sought to appease these stake holders rather than do what is right for the students. They also prefer programmes that bring immediate glory to the school...as that look good for their SARs rather than invest in truly important programmes that bring in long term good that benefit the students and Singapore. What has LEP taught these school leaders?

4. MOE

Has MOE failed to direct the schools to the right focus? Otherwise, why is the SG Education System in such a mess?

5. Consequences

a. High student suicide rate
b. Students suffer unnecessary stress
c. Poor teacher retention rate causing loss of experience and expertise
d. Many students are left behind because their parents cant afford tuition to bridge the gap created by the schools.
e. Singaporeans are not equipped for the real world

I hope that Opposition MPs will ask abt the high suicide rate of Singapore students during parliament and compel HSK to speak the truth and reveal the reasons for high suicide rate. Maybe then will MOE and the Schools help lessen this problem

 

[Asian]

Too many heavy topics in too little time for the young ones to understand.
Ended up most memorized instead of understanding.
Most of them may be able to get good grade in school, but will not be able to apply it in real life.

 

[Ash007]

You seem to be missing the points about schools. They are there to maintain the status quo. The PAP is doing exactly what they have been doing for a long time. It is only a mess if you take the view point of someone that has no vested interest in the long term survival of the party. If you want a better education system, note that I use the word education system but not schools, you should deschool the whole society. Ivan Illich's Deschooling society is a good starting point. Most of what he wrote is already happening or can happen now. Mind you, he wrote it in the 70s and most of his predictions are coming true.

[video=youtube;ZUoYAj7Nosg]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUoYAj7Nosg[/video]

 

[TracyTan866]

Too many heavy topics in too little time for the young ones to understand.
Ended up most memorized instead of understanding.
Most of them may be able to get good grade in school, but will not be able to apply it in real life.

True..To me, that's not education.

Teaching a child to just read, write and comprehend is not education

 

[Leongsam]

Singapore students are stressed. At primary level, students are expected to perform in Maths, Science, English and Mother Tongue. But the system cant cope

There's nothing wrong with the education system. Most students can cope while some can't.

The pass rate at primary level last year was 97.4% and the top students did not have private tutors. That shows that a vast majority make the grade.

The weaker ones may need extra coaching but that's not the fault of the system. It's the nature of the human race. Not everyone is born equal.

 

[Ash007]

Indeed, TS seems to think that schools needs to cater to everyone and that "No child should be left behind". Genetics and parental guidance plays a bigger role in a child's education.

There's nothing wrong with the education system. Most students can cope while some can't.

The pass rate at primary level last year was 97.4% and the top students did not have private tutors. That shows that a vast majority make the grade.

The weaker ones may need extra coaching but that's not the fault of the system. It's the nature of the human race. Not everyone is born equal.

 

[TracyTan866]

Schools are to educate students and prepare them for their future roles

 

[TracyTan866]

Indeed, TS seems to think that schools needs to cater to everyone and that "No child should be left behind". Genetics and parental guidance plays a bigger role in a child's education.

Shd schools cater to the masses or shd schools cater to the elites? that's the question.

 

[Ash007]

Schools are to educate students and prepare them for their future roles

Shd schools cater to the masses or shd schools cater to the elites? that's the question.

And which future roles are we talking about. How do you determine which child gets to do what in the future? Read my comments above. Comments #3, I'll repeat here again, schools are there to maintain the status quo. Get over it, it doesn't prepare the child for anything. Don't be daft and think like most chinks that schools should be the be all and end all solution for raising your own kid.

 

[TracyTan866]

You seem to be missing the points about schools.

How long have you been away from the SG Education System?

Are you familiar with the IP ? do you know of Climate surveys? Do you know abt IBs?
Do you know abt SEM?

 

[TracyTan866]

And which future roles are we talking about. How do you determine which child gets to do what in the future? Read my comments above. Comments #3, I'll repeat here again, schools are there to maintain the status quo. Get over it, it doesn't prepare the child for anything. Don't be daft and think like most chinks that schools should be the be all and end all solution for raising your own kid.

What future roles do you think a student will fill ?

Read again my comment in post #1

 

[TracyTan866]

schools are there to maintain the status quo. Get over it, it doesn't prepare the child for anything. .

Is this your view? or is its MOE's view?

 

[Conqueror]

Is this your view? or is its MOE's view?

I thought we have covered this sometime ago. Recycling is great way to past time.

 

[TracyTan866]

I thought we have covered this sometime ago. Recycling is great way to past time.

I didnt know...I didnt come in for a long time...i might have missed it. when were students, schools, principals, MOE, suicide rate discussed here?

 

[TracyTan866]

I thought we have covered this sometime ago. Recycling is great way to past time.

Even if it was discussed before, new people, new initiatives, fresh ideas provide different perspectives now. so no harm taking a fresh look of the education system. What were discussed before?

 

[Ash007]

How long have you been away from the SG Education System?

Are you familiar with the IP ? do you know of Climate surveys? Do you know abt IBs?
Do you know abt SEM?

It still doesn't mean you can't educate your kid in a different way. You seem to have a gripe about all this because you can't be bothered trying to educating your kid and would prefer the SG education to do it for you.

What future roles do you think a student will fill ?

Read again my comment in post #1

There was nothing about future roles in your post. Preparing Singaporean for the real world is a pretty generic statement to make. Like I said earlier, maintaining the status quo for Singaporean to prepare to just stay in Singapore perhaps.

Is this your view? or is its MOE's view?

Its my view that parental guidance is more important then just the school system. I'm not sure about MOE's view, perhaps you can write them a letter about it.

I thought we have covered this sometime ago. Recycling is great way to past time.

Indeed, I'm feeling bored at home. Just finished learning how to play the chinese national anthem on the piano. Think I'll try the Indian national anthem next if this thread doesn't get anything else to it other then same old re-hashed, "Its all the the fault of the PAP for not making the SG education system better for my kid" diatribe.

 

[TracyTan866]

It still doesn't mean you can't educate your kid in a different way. You seem to have a gripe about all this because you can't be bothered trying to educating your kid and would prefer the SG education to do it for you.

Obviously you are wrong. I dont have any kid. I hope that SG education can be improved to benefit Singaporeans. Is that wrong?

 

[Simbian]

A person with any iota of awareness of how the current schooling system came into being [it is essentially, a 19th century design] will know it desperately needs changes to make it more efficient and to equip students with the understanding and also the ability to do something with that knowledge. The Americans, the Brits, etc all know this. Even the Chinese and South Koreans know this.

In Singapore, most people involved in education are aware of it, many well educated people are aware of it but the PAP has no concrete reform plan. The Education ministry portfolio has become one which is merely a stepping stone for other ministers to sit in before being rotated to another office. We are usually compared with the Finns, who do as well as Singapore in international benchmarks. But the difference is that the kids in their system don't kill themselves to get those good grades. In fact, the Finns have done what no other country has done - equip its students with the motivation and ability to learn. Yep, Singaporeans just pay lip service to it - the Finns have actually done it.

The best description I think I have read of Singapore's education system - "We start early, but finish last".

 

[TracyTan866]

You said that SG education system is to maintain status quo. I am asking whether this is ur view?

 

[TracyTan866]

It still doesn't mean you can't educate your kid in a different way. You seem to have a gripe about all this because you can't be bothered trying to educating your kid and would prefer the SG education to do it for you.



There was nothing about future roles in your post. Preparing Singaporean for the real world is a pretty generic statement to make. Like I said earlier, maintaining the status quo for Singaporean to prepare to just stay in Singapore perhaps.



Its my view that parental guidance is more important then just the school system. I'm not sure about MOE's view, perhaps you can write them a letter about it.



Indeed, I'm feeling bored at home. Just finished learning how to play the chinese national anthem on the piano. Think I'll try the Indian national anthem next if this thread doesn't get anything else to it other then same old re-hashed, "Its all the the fault of the PAP for not making the SG education system better for my kid" diatribe.

How long have you been away from SG education system? what do you know specifically abt the system? what details of the system have been good? is SEM good?