Singapore Need A Better Education System

[chupacabra]

Re: It's Already The End When I Saw What Was Happening In School !

To me there is no point being multi linguistic if each and every one of the language you know is not up to standard in writing/ reading/ speaking.

There are so many sinkees with bad spoken english and equally bad mother tongue. Hence the creation of singlish.

 

[Ramseth]

Re: It's Already The End When I Saw What Was Happening In School !

To me there is no point being multi linguistic if each and every one of the language you know is not up to standard in writing/ reading/ speaking.

There are so many sinkees with bad spoken english and equally bad mother tongue. Hence the creation of singlish.

I've been at one time or another hired as tutor for American and Chinese kids in USA and PRC, even for manuscript and brush calligraphy. If you're not interested in languages, no system can help you. Just like I'm not so good in science and maths, just a decent passing grade will do. I'm more into languages, history and geography. Everybody has their own interests. So don't blame the system. The system is generalized, not customized.

 

[Fook Seng]

The education system of Singapore is the second best in the world. Where else can one be effectively bilingual by the time of lower secondary? If you can't catch up, it's your problem, not the system. The best education system is in the world is of course Malaysian private Chinese stream through which one can be effectively trilingual by the time of lower secondary.

Malaysian Chinese stream's Chinese is definitely better than Singaporean Chinese but English is not there. Same as old days Singapore Chinese Stream students. But Malaysian Chinese students' standard of Malay is better than the standard of Malay of even our Malay students and of course they can speak their mother tongue dialect very well especially Cantonese in most parts and Hokkien in Penang. Singapore's worst language standard is when they got rid of Chinese stream schools and had yet to introduce bilingualism, i.e. people in their late 40s. There is no good Chinese speakers among this group unless there were some special circumstances.

 

[Forvendet]

Malaysian Chinese stream's Chinese is definitely better than Singaporean Chinese but English is not there. Same as old days Singapore Chinese Stream students. But Malaysian Chinese students' standard of Malay is better than the standard of Malay of even our Malay students and of course they can speak their mother tongue dialect very well especially Cantonese in most parts and Hokkien in Penang. Singapore's worst language standard is when they got rid of Chinese stream schools and had yet to introduce bilingualism, i.e. people in their late 40s. There is no good Chinese speakers among this group unless there were some special circumstances.

There's no point speaking Chinese or Malay in Singapore except for your pasar malam bargaining. This is an English speaking country. Check out the language used in Parliament and Court and on your bills and bank account account statements.

 

[zhihau]

... ah loon oredi said ... teach less, learn mor! ... gao dim! ... :o

bro,
the "teach less, learn more" notion stems from the "thinking schools, learning nation" drive. is initiated by our esteemed ESM Goh
can i work less & get paid more? :p:p:p

 

[Windsor]

Re: It's Already The End When I Saw What Was Happening In School !

The education system of Singapore is the second best in the world. Where else can one be effectively bilingual by the time of lower secondary? If you can't catch up, it's your problem, not the system. The best education system is in the world is of course Malaysian private Chinese stream through which one can be effectively trilingual by the time of lower secondary.

This is hearsay. The number of Malaysian Chinese I know cannot speak good Malay nor can they speak proper English. I recently met a newly married couple who are unable to converse in English nor Malay. They cannot speak good Mandarin too. I had a Malaysian Chinese accounts girl who can speak only Hokkien and Mandarin. Her Malay is worse than mine, and I have many Malaysian workers from Sabah and Sarawak who can speak Mandarin but their English is very bad. So you are talking nonsense as far as I can say.

 

[Windsor]

Re: It's Already The End When I Saw What Was Happening In School !

The education system of Singapore is the second best in the world. Where else can one be effectively bilingual by the time of lower secondary? If you can't catch up, it's your problem, not the system. The best education system is in the world is of course Malaysian private Chinese stream through which one can be effectively trilingual by the time of lower secondary.

You need to prove what you wrote, so please just do not make claims.

 

[Checker]

One of the easiest skills to learn is to study for the test. That's what tuition or drilling does. But the objective of education is to generalize or apply these skills to new situations. Also to develop inquiring, curious, open, yet critical mind. And to develop emotionally balanced character, able to work independently, and with others.

Almost borders on incompetence to allow a system to just a focus on the easiest part.

 

[chupacabra]

Re: It's Already The End When I Saw What Was Happening In School !

I've been at one time or another hired as tutor for American and Chinese kids in USA and PRC, even for manuscript and brush calligraphy. If you're not interested in languages, no system can help you. Just like I'm not so good in science and maths, just a decent passing grade will do. I'm more into languages, history and geography. Everybody has their own interests. So don't blame the system. The system is generalized, not customized.

Honestly I scored 7.5 for my IELTS but my england still sucks big time. My mandarin is shit and malay also fucked up. I am trying still to improve on My englund even though Im in my late 30s. My couzin in Holland (the country) can speak at least 5 language due to the fact that he is half indo chinese and live near Germany and Denmark. I think you are right to say that its really up to individuals to learn other languages other than their own. But to force someone to learn a language is counter productive. I rather the schools here in SG give the option to students in learning languages of their choice, could be spanish, latin or any asian language.
If I had a choice when I was young, i would rather learn japanese or portugease.

 

[HedgeTrader]

Re: It's Already The End When I Saw What Was Happening In School !

If I had a choice when I was young, i would rather learn japanese or portugease.

Head Japanese Teacher here is Drifter. Senior Assistant Ramseth LOL. Head Thai Teacher here is Khun Ying Pojaman. Senior Assistant Joetys. But if youre Chinese and reluctant to learn Chinese, chief Discipline Master is Jah Rastafar LOL LOL!

 

[Maximilian Chua-Heng]

Re: It's Already The End When I Saw What Was Happening In School !

Head Japanese Teacher here is Drifter. Senior Assistant Ramseth LOL. Head Thai Teacher here is Khun Ying Pojaman. Senior Assistant Joetys. But if youre Chinese and reluctant to learn Chinese, chief Discipline Master is Jah Rastafar LOL LOL!

You left out the most quintessential.

Department of English (Head) - Leongsam

 

[po2wq]

Re: It's Already The End When I Saw What Was Happening In School !

You left out the most quintessential.

Department of English (Head) - Leongsam

dat burgerz oso principal ... can kick errant students outta his skool anytime! ...

 

[Ramseth]

Re: It's Already The End When I Saw What Was Happening In School !

This is hearsay. The number of Malaysian Chinese I know cannot speak good Malay nor can they speak proper English. I recently met a newly married couple who are unable to converse in English nor Malay. They cannot speak good Mandarin too. I had a Malaysian Chinese accounts girl who can speak only Hokkien and Mandarin. Her Malay is worse than mine, and I have many Malaysian workers from Sabah and Sarawak who can speak Mandarin but their English is very bad. So you are talking nonsense as far as I can say.

That's true too. They didn't make the most of the system that's there for them, who to blame?

 

[Ramseth]

Re: It's Already The End When I Saw What Was Happening In School !

You left out the most quintessential.

Department of English (Head) - Leongsam

Leongsam is only incharge of kindergarten English like A B C D E F G and advice v. advise or lose v. loose.

 

[Windsor]

Re: It's Already The End When I Saw What Was Happening In School !

That's true too. They didn't make the most of the system that's there for them, who to blame?

That is where you are wrong, as it means the system does not work well for all. A good education system is such that everyone benefit in one way or another. One cannot simply say "it can't be help, what to do?" Education is not an end by itself as it prepare the youths to develop life skills and prepare them for the future. Education means different things to an individual, but in the broad sense, the purpose of having an education is as explained below.

"Education could be seen as wings for the progress of the human being. It helps the individual to attain intellectual, physical and spiritual or emotional progress. In some ways, it helps the individual to live a happier life. For people without education, living comfortably turns difficult, especially in the modern world where specific skills are often needed to work. Besides, education is real wealth. Understanding how the world around us functions produces happiness, a kind of happiness that does not disappear. True education dignifies the individual.

Education not only creates a better human being but also contributes to the tranformation of society. We are summoned to take forward our community, village, city, State, world. But to get that we need tools. The tools to improve the world are not fighting ideologies, or weapons –as many have tried thorough history- but knowledge, sciences, arts. Those tools empower the people who sincerely want to see a more just world. Further more, the paradox that we find our selves happy when we forget our own self and focus on the wellbeing of other is true. Working to improve the society through the tools education provides, helps us to develop our own capacities, and brings us peace and tranquility, although that is not the motive.

Having said this, we should be mindful that each of us has a double purpose in life, developing our own potentialities, and bettering the kind of world we live in. And the best weapon to walk firmly in these two paths the answer lies in education."

Read more: http://www.brighthub.com/education/k-12/articles/9566.aspx#ixzz1cKtWhtmW
​

 

[scroobal]

Re: It's Already The End When I Saw What Was Happening In School !

We know that Singapore has a results based education system but the results are the exams results and not what they can do for society and the individual. What is clearly evident in the Singapore system if one accepts that it is world class is that the stress level is much higher than other world class systems. Creativity is an acknowledged shortcoming of the system.

Besides the Education system, the value placed on other earthly endeavours that do not directly yield economic value is a factor that drives what the society can produce. Since invention, creative pursuits in literature and the arts do not yield quick enough results, there is no importance placed on it. Thus you will not get the results despite having a good education system. If this govt says that there will a million dollars payed to the winner of a Booker Prize, I am sure there will be results. Why does it take a $m ? Well because a generation was raised on such values. You can see each Minister of Education is trying to tweak the system and the system is now made up of disjointed pieces.

Might as well do IB, where the curriculums is common the world around, accepted that it is of much higher standard and universally recognised. The fact that the PM's son could not get a perfect scholar says alot.

 

[Ramseth]

Re: It's Already The End When I Saw What Was Happening In School !

That is where you are wrong, as it means the system does not work well for all. A good education system is such that everyone benefit in one way or another. One cannot simply say "it can't be help, what to do?" Education is not an end by itself as it prepare the youths to develop life skills and prepare them for the future. Education means different things to an individual, but in the broad sense, the purpose of having an education is as explained below.

What's your measure? My measure is practically all P65 Singaporeans can speak, read and write Chinese and English (Malay for Malays and Tamil for Indians). Yes, most of them are not as good as British or Americans in English or as good as PRC or Taiwanese in Chinese. But good enough, don't you think? Many other countries envy us, I'm not kidding. If you think that's not good enough, I have only one thing to say, work harder to improve yourself.

You're classic ranting without any idea of what's improvement or solution. Revert to monolingual education system?

 

[Fook Seng]

There's no point speaking Chinese or Malay in Singapore except for your pasar malam bargaining. This is an English speaking country. Check out the language used in Parliament and Court and on your bills and bank account account statements.

I think you have taken a very narrow point of view on language needs. Basically you are using the lowest baseline of the social needs of an individual. If you are a nobody and you don't have to meet customers including overseas customers or supplier partners, you don't need any language other than the common language to communicate with your colleagues, friends and family members. If you do not mind people around you speaking some other tongue that you do not know, I will also agree with you that one language is sufficient. In fact, if you do not work and stay at home all the time, you can be deaf and dumb (which means having no common language), that will also be OK. In other words, it really depends on your situation. Most people will need two languages to live comfortably in Singapore.

 

[erection2015]

Re: It's Already The End When I Saw What Was Happening In School !

class monitor is 666

Head Japanese Teacher here is Drifter. Senior Assistant Ramseth LOL. Head Thai Teacher here is Khun Ying Pojaman. Senior Assistant Joetys. But if youre Chinese and reluctant to learn Chinese, chief Discipline Master is Jah Rastafar LOL LOL!

 

[Fook Seng]

This is hearsay. The number of Malaysian Chinese I know cannot speak good Malay nor can they speak proper English. I recently met a newly married couple who are unable to converse in English nor Malay. They cannot speak good Mandarin too. I had a Malaysian Chinese accounts girl who can speak only Hokkien and Mandarin. Her Malay is worse than mine, and I have many Malaysian workers from Sabah and Sarawak who can speak Mandarin but their English is very bad. So you are talking nonsense as far as I can say.

Are you talking about people who have gone through the mills of a well- grounded education or someone who has only elementary education or no education at all? From what I understand, in Malaysia, if you are a Chinese, you either study in a Chinese medium school or a English school in primary school and in secondary school, everything is done in Melayu. Ram's example of a Chinese stream student studies Chinese as the first language in primary school with English and Malay as the other languages of study. At secondary level, Malay becomes the main language of instruction with the other languages as just language subjects. If you compare it with the Singapore context, you have to take a student in a SAP school, put him also on a Malay third language module. Comparing the two, the Malaysian student will be slightly better in Chinese, much better in Malay but a lot worse than the Singapore student in English. Of course based on the languages mastered, overall the Singapore student is slightly better. But only a small number, comprising the top students can get into this programme. In the case of Malaysia, if you are upper middle class, you can do it as above.