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Singaporeans are obsessed with grades. But after countless narratives about moving away from an over-emphasis on academic performance, we’re still stuck at square one with no results.
We haven’t figured out how to disrupt the rat race that causes our kids unnecessary stress. The inequality gap continues to widen between the haves who succeed with the wide resources available to them, and the have-nots who continue to lag behind their peers.
So when a few parents banded together to start a new initiative aimed at changing parental expectations with regards to grades, it should have been well received by the public.
Give children more time to play. Cut down on tuition. Show them that grades don’t define who they are. This is the noble message that Life Beyond Grades champions.
Unfortunately, the initiative appears just as myopic in its strive to correct a narrow-minded societal attitude.
To be fair, Life Beyond Grades doesn’t claim that “studying is unnecessary, or that any kind of enrichment is wrong”. Its goal is simply to broaden society’s definition of success and nurture children’s love for continued learning by embracing the multiple pathways that children can take. And that’s critically important.
To walk the talk, the founders, who run their own media companies, are upfront about their ‘less than stellar’ PSLE scores. By making the distinction between the past and present, they hope to show other parents that their children don’t need good grades to succeed in life.
In reality, our family backgrounds significantly inform how we navigate the education system. We can preach that money doesn’t lead to success, but this isn’t a concept that low-SES families are familiar with. Their poor circumstances do have a substantial impact on their children’s aspirations and future.
Meritocracy, especially in Singapore, isn’t forgiving like that.
More at https://www.domainofexperts.com/2018/09/for-low-ses-students-not-focusing-on.html
We haven’t figured out how to disrupt the rat race that causes our kids unnecessary stress. The inequality gap continues to widen between the haves who succeed with the wide resources available to them, and the have-nots who continue to lag behind their peers.
So when a few parents banded together to start a new initiative aimed at changing parental expectations with regards to grades, it should have been well received by the public.
Give children more time to play. Cut down on tuition. Show them that grades don’t define who they are. This is the noble message that Life Beyond Grades champions.
Unfortunately, the initiative appears just as myopic in its strive to correct a narrow-minded societal attitude.
To be fair, Life Beyond Grades doesn’t claim that “studying is unnecessary, or that any kind of enrichment is wrong”. Its goal is simply to broaden society’s definition of success and nurture children’s love for continued learning by embracing the multiple pathways that children can take. And that’s critically important.
To walk the talk, the founders, who run their own media companies, are upfront about their ‘less than stellar’ PSLE scores. By making the distinction between the past and present, they hope to show other parents that their children don’t need good grades to succeed in life.
In reality, our family backgrounds significantly inform how we navigate the education system. We can preach that money doesn’t lead to success, but this isn’t a concept that low-SES families are familiar with. Their poor circumstances do have a substantial impact on their children’s aspirations and future.
Meritocracy, especially in Singapore, isn’t forgiving like that.
More at https://www.domainofexperts.com/2018/09/for-low-ses-students-not-focusing-on.html
