Values Based Education

[jw5]

One of the rare good ideas to come out from a pap ministar for a very long time.
For much too long, we have been relying on inept parents, grandparents and maids with warped value systems to inculcate children with proper values.
Not really surprising either that this idea came from Heng and not from general keechiu or colonel zorro.

The only question is this.
Now that they plan to introduce this in schools, can they considering introducing this at cabinet level and downwards to the civil service and stat boards as well.

 

[Confuseous]

This is a MONKEY SEE, MONKEY DO world.

Values are what the youngsters observe around them, and think this is the 'standard' which they must copy, in order to be successful.
Difficult for values to be taught in an environment where everytime an issue is raised, it is all about $$$$, like

- who is going to pay for this
- no high salary, no high quality ministers
- not enough HDB parking spaces, raise car park charges; never mind thed number of lots and the number of cars are fixed. Just raise the fooking rates, and the problem is solved.

When the president says, I don't need the money, take my salary -THAT is teaching values. Not for the president to tell the people, more can be done to help your fellow citizens.

Rotten fish starts at the head.

 

[Leongsam]

Define "proper".

 

[zhihau]

Not really surprising either that this idea came from Heng

bro,

i thought Heng is just a mouthpiece, the idea of values education is purely a moot point.

if i'm not mistaken, Lim Siong Guan was with Ho Peng at the recent Teachers' Seminar to champion this notion. proper values have to be taught and this has to be done by the parents, not by teachers. if they are thinking about moulding the future generation into conformists, they would have failed rather pathetically.

look at the number of years where 好公民 has been force fed to the kids and the type of products obtained. Epic failure. if anyone would hazard a wild guess, it would be safe to say that nationalistic behaviors would no longer the order of the day where international borders are slowly eroded in the Internet era.

if Heng truly wants to moot a rare good idea, he would sound better off by allowing teachers to teach the kids to learn how to learn, unlearn & relearn. cut out all the nonsensical awards that binds the school community into some mindless pursuit into those nonsensical awards. let the teachers do what they do best, teach.

 

[Ramseth]

look at the number of years where 好公民 has been force fed to the kids and the type of products obtained. Epic failure. if anyone would hazard a wild guess, it would be safe to say that nationalistic behaviors would no longer the order of the day where international borders are slowly eroded in the Internet era.

if Heng truly wants to moot a rare good idea, he would sound better off by allowing teachers to teach the kids to learn how to learn, unlearn & relearn. cut out all the nonsensical awards that binds the school community into some mindless pursuit into those nonsensical awards. let the teachers do what they do best, teach.

It was epic failure because it taught nothing except a set of rules of how to behave. The natural and subconcious psyschological reaction, especially in formative years, is that when one outgrows it and can get away with it, then to hell with it. In the meantime, just bear with it. It's even worse in an exams and grades centred education system. Since there's no exam, just take it as the teacher is talking cock and singing song and again, to hell with it.

 

[Cruxx]

GDP growth for 2010 was 14.5% Let's hope moral education can increase this year's growth to 17%

 

[kingrant]

Depends on what type of values he is suggesting.

Confucian values?

where:
Rule #1:to be prostrate and compliant before authorities is considered good?
#2:to not question yr elders and accept the dictat of the rulers?
#3:to think of the country's interests before self (but follow rule 2 when leaders have wives and children who are foreign citizens, who expect to be remunerated obscenely before they rule, when they make mistakes...etc)

Or will it teach the young how to return to the society from which they have benefited by serving their country without asking for humongous salaries?

Will it teach the elites to be humble and to empathise with those less fortunate, less privileged and less educated than themselves?

In other words, will it teach the young to be less PAP?

Who will be our heroes? Can we find them in our leaders of today?

One of the rare good ideas to come out from a pap ministar for a very long time.
For much too long, we have been relying on inept parents, grandparents and maids with warped value systems to inculcate children with proper values.
Not really surprising either that this idea came from Heng and not from general keechiu or colonel zorro.

The only question is this.
Now that they plan to introduce this in schools, can they considering introducing this at cabinet level and downwards to the civil service and stat boards as well.

 

[zhihau]

Since there's no exam, just take it as the teacher is talking cock and singing song and again, to hell with it.

forty years of nation building and the social fabric is in pretty bad shape. kids growing up as selfish brats & parents haven't got the faintest clue on parenting because it wasn't tested in the exams. simply a joke upon itself.

 

[bullfrog]

Children learn by example and precept; not by lecturing. It's what they called guide-by-side not sage-on-stage.

 

[jw5]

Children learn by example and precept; not by lecturing. It's what they called guide-by-side not sage-on-stage.

The examples that the children these days are getting from are crap, ranging from parents to government officials.
I don't expect that this will be done by lecturing, taking notes, taking exams and having right or wrong answers.
Frankly, the typical teacher is probably no better but hopefully with some thought put into the curriculum and into the people who are going to advise, run and teach this programme, there will be positive benefits.

 

[jw5]

#3:to think of the country's interests before self (but follow rule 2 when leaders have wives and children who are foreign citizens, who expect to be remunerated obscenely before they rule, when they make mistakes...etc)

Or will it teach the young how to return to the society from which they have benefited by serving their country without asking for humongous salaries?

Will it teach the elites to be humble and to empathise with those less fortunate, less privileged and less educated than themselves?

Those items u stated above are actually good starting points. Of course, they won't directly talk about humongous salaries or telling the elites to be humble, but being patriotic, returning to society, being humble, having empathy are all good shared values for a country's people to have.
For that matter, so is working hard to fulfill your ambitions, being self reliant, doing what you love well, etc.
What we seem to do now is to make everyone go through the ratrace from school to work and if someone falls out due to misfortune or laziness, then remind him that SG got no welfare and he jolly well rely on himself.
Rather than being a consequence, why not let this be a value?

Another good point u made is that we have no heroes these days, oh except for certain sycophants of course, whose hero is an old goat.
What do we look for in a hero and what values do we expect such a person to have?
I already have an idea for the first 2 weeks of the curriculum for sec or pre-u students. Read the whole of "To Kill A Mockingbird" by Harper Lee and discuss it in class.

 

[jw5]

bro,

i thought Heng is just a mouthpiece, the idea of values education is purely a moot point.

if i'm not mistaken, Lim Siong Guan was with Ho Peng at the recent Teachers' Seminar to champion this notion. proper values have to be taught and this has to be done by the parents, not by teachers. if they are thinking about moulding the future generation into conformists, they would have failed rather pathetically.

Bro
Relying on the parents, grandparents and maids is what has been happening and look what we have today.
The typical teacher is probably no better, but hopefully, a lot of thought would be put into who advises, sets out, runs and teaches the curriculum.

U made a good point about not just going the exam system and not making the structure so rigid as part of the education process. If I'm not mistaken Heng has also brought up this point. That's more about the structure of the current education process and although there is some link with values based education, they can be considered 2 different aspects.

Btw, some of the pappies have got to be less disgusting than others. They can't all be equally disgusting right?

 

[Cruxx]

Btw, some of the pappies have got to be less disgusting than others. They can't all be equally disgusting right?

Hitler loved animals and he sincerely cared for his people when he commissioned the construction of a "people's car" or "Volkswagen" that would be efficient and affordable for everyone. Kuan Yew cried when Sinkieland was kicked out of Malaysia. Even individuals can't be disgusting in every facet. The banality of evil is such that most evil doers commit their evil acts out of sincerity rather than malice.

 

[jw5]

Hitler loved animals and he sincerely cared for his people when he commissioned the construction of a "people's car" or "Volkswagen" that would be efficient and affordable for everyone. Kuan Yew cried when Sinkieland was kicked out of Malaysia. Even individuals can't be disgusting in every facet. The banality of evil is such that most evil doers commit their evil acts out of sincerity rather than malice.

A country whose people have a set of strong proper value systems would call out and weed out evil doers in the blink of an eye.
In any case, having proper values is not just about good and evil, because u will inevitably get people who are told to work hard from young, but they become more and more greedy to the extent of possibly being evil.
Neither is it about merely being kind and helpful, as good values can include being self reliant, hardworking, ambitious as well.
What is proper is up to the community to decide. Obviously, u won't get a drug addicted robber to head the curriculum committee.

It's more like having a set of moral and guiding tools for the young as they develop as students, working adults, parents, grandparents, etc.
One thing that needs to be reduced is the large number of POOR spoilt kids in this country.
Rich spoilt kids have existed since the beginning of time, but the number of poor spoilt kids is now astronomical and they can be seen everywhere.
Another shocking phenomenon is the number of elderly we have who behave like barbarians in public. You would think that they become wiser as they grow older, but no............................
Aiyoh, ah pek/ah um uh ah pek/um :o

 

[scroobal]

When I saw this thread sometime ago, I was not very comfortable with the idea of Education playing a major role in inculcating values. I am more with Zihau on this.

Politicians like to use the concept of values, philosophy to drive a number of agendas.

Education to me is knowledge, application of knowledge and teachers playing an extremely key role in motivating kids to acquire and apply knowledge with great gusto and for the sake of humanity. I have come across excellent teachers who are able to motivate kids to appreciate literature, the sciences etc. Students get infected when teachers themselves show passion for their subjects.

The govt however has politicised the teaching profession and immediate results and "structured" results are now the driving "values". The MGS Principal who tried to persuade 2 Sec 3 girls to switch schools so that she can aim for 100% pass for the following year's O levels is an example.

Maybe teaching values to teachers and done by teachers with a programme planned by teachers would be better. Most parents have done a reasonable job with values within the homes. The remainder cann be savedot by the teaching profession. At least let them concentrate on teaching the willing rather than waste their time basic values to a minority of losers.

Bro
Relying on the parents, grandparents and maids is what has been happening and look what we have today.
The typical teacher is probably no better, but hopefully, a lot of thought would be put into who advises, sets out, runs and teaches the curriculum.

U made a good point about not just going the exam system and not making the structure so rigid as part of the education process. If I'm not mistaken Heng has also brought up this point. That's more about the structure of the current education process and although there is some link with values based education, they can be considered 2 different aspects.

Btw, some of the pappies have got to be less disgusting than others. They can't all be equally disgusting right?

 

[jw5]

Maybe teaching values to teachers and done by teachers with a programme planned by teachers would be better. Most parents have done a reasonable job with values within the homes. The remainders can be saved by the teaching profession. At least let them concentrate on teaching the willing rather than waste their time basic values to a minority of losers.

My fundamental belief is also that teachers should concentrate on imparting knowledge and may they impart knowledge on subjects that they themselves have passion in. And never politicise education or make the education process a race or contest or for self advancement.

But the problem with value systems in our society is really worrying, which makes me think that via education is now the only route. The number of poor spoilt kids is the most obvious. I like the idea of teaching values to teachers and having teachers plan the programme, but disagree that most parents have done a reasonable job with values. Most of them don't even know what values are.

 

[Ramseth]

My childhood education was the best. There's no need for teachers to for you to get educated. Teachers can only get you learned enough to pass your exams.

Let's say, a kid going out shopping with dad and mom in emporium, happily running around jumping up and down and fell down. How would parents react today?

Today's parent : Aiyoh, sayang, pain or not? Call the manager, how come floor so slippery?

My dad: Why you so careless fall down? [PIAK!] (Lesson learned, never dare to fall down again.)

Let's say coming home from school beaten up with some bruises...

Today's parent: What happened? Who beat you up? Must complain teacher, principal and parents!

My dad: What the fuck? [PIAK!] Can't even fight properly and still got face to come home? (Lesson learned, never dare to lose a fight from then on.)

But my dad's fair too, after I've learned my lesson and started beating up other guys, principal phoned him.

Today's parent: You don't anyhow accuse my son. He's such a good kid. It must be the other side on the wrong first.

My dad: What the fuck's wrong with you? What the fuck's wrong with beating guys up? You want my son to be beaten is it?

 

[scroobal]

I too worry about the values and this comes across clearly in places like stomp and the internet. I am still struggling how to address this. The fact that the NS idiot had no shame and no qualms about having his maid carry his bag when the maid was much smaller and a female is quite iconic where we are heading. I am sure the media has failed in this. On a steady diet of Sumiko, single for so long, constantly justifying her lifestyle thought trivial is quite indicative. The manners at food court, shops, etc are indeed worrying.

I just feel that Education is not the place. I prefer the Education service focus on building quality and passion amongst themselves first. The curriculum is something to focus on.

If we are focusing on values, then my preference is to sack or remove kids who are nuisance to teachers and to their classmates. After you"shoot" a few, the rest will wake up. I remember once conversing with a Catholic School educationist and he told me that they do that by having many classes. The good ones are in the top few classes while the weaker ones are in the bottom set of classes and can work at their own pace. He also said that is why you see outstanding students coming out from Catholic mission schools and you also have losers coming out from the same schools. The teachers who are passionate get the top classes and the less capable for the bottom classes. I thought they were indeed smart. I asked how many classes and he said up to 12 classes each year. Local Govt schools thus have to tweak the system.

My fundamental belief is also that teachers should concentrate on imparting knowledge and may they impart knowledge on subjects that they themselves have passion in. And never politicise education or make the education process a race or contest or for self advancement.

But the problem with value systems in our society is really worrying, which makes me think that via education is now the only route. The number of poor spoilt kids is the most obvious. I like the idea of teaching values to teachers and having teachers plan the programme, but disagree that most parents have done a reasonable job with values. Most of them don't even know what values are.

 

[scroobal]

Your dad and my dad can drink beer together.

All those kids whose parents complained to school never made it in life. Most never even finish sec school with decent results. What I did notice was that those who complained actually can speak English and appear to be middle class but not well educated. Had one father who was fireman, another where the mother was cabin crew etc. Both their kids never made it.

My childhood education was the best. There's no need for teachers to for you to get educated. Teachers can only get you learned enough to pass your exams.

 

[vamjok]

reminds me of my brother's classmate. Got into a fight and principal demands to see his dad. That fellow told his principal don't bother to waste her effort as his dad cannot be bothered about such stuff. After a while that fellow gave in and gave his dad contact and made arrangement for his dad to come to the school.

The first thing the dad did was to scold the principal and teachers for wasting his precious time.

"WHO NEVER FIGHT IN SCHOOL AS A BOY? PLEASE LA!"

My brother told me everyone had a good laugh when they looked at their teachers' faces upon hearing this remark.