Singapore Need A Better Education System

[Fook Seng]

You left out the most quintessential.

Department of English (Head) - Leongsam

Everybody here thinks he is good enough except to differentiate between advice and advise.

 

[Fook Seng]

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?

In fact, you will be surprised that in Britain and the US, there are many who speak perfect English but cannot read and write. So are they proficient in English?

 

[Fook Seng]

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.

I think I have been sleeping all this while and do not know what is happening in the world. Could you highlight to me where can we find a good education system that benefits everyone.

 

[Conqueror]

Brain Washing 'Education'

When the news feature any school student on any subject, I always cringe because those students always say the same thing and sounds the same. Also our students, children are predictable in the things they say.

If you watch the show Junior Masterchef , you'll notice the kids are articulate and say things to put even an adult sinkee to shame.

This is some form of brain washing according to a specially selected curriculum that says "Lee family are good ... The Lees are super smart people ... Before the Lee god appeared, we were living in fishing villages ... We need them ! We are his slaves ..." Keep telling them that and they (stupid students) will believe all those craps that were dished out to them.

Local fascist schools are creating uniform cookies out from the same old cookie cutter for 30 years !

 

[syed putra]

Finland? They have Nokia and mikka hakkinen. Singapore? Only LKY.

 

[Cruxx]

Denmark - Lego, Carlsberg, Bang & Olufsen, Maersk, Novo Nordisk

Sweden - ABBA, IKEA, H&M, Ericsson, Koenigsegg, Volvo

Uruguay - Qualified for World Cup 11 times.

Hong Kong - Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, Chow Yun Fat

Switzerland - Glencore, Nestle, Novartis, Hoffmann-La Roche, Swatch, UBS, Adecco, Patek Philippe, Rolex

Small population size = no talent? Only applies to Lee Kuan Yew's First World utopia.

 

[Cestbon]

Denmark - Lego, Carlsberg, Bang & Olufsen, Maersk, Novo Nordisk

Sweden - ABBA, IKEA, H&M, Ericsson, Koenigsegg, Volvo

Uruguay - Qualified for World Cup 11 times.

Hong Kong - Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, Chow Yun Fat

Switzerland - Glencore, Nestle, Novartis, Hoffmann-La Roche, Swatch, UBS, Adecco, Patek Philippe, Rolex

Small population size = no talent? Only applies to Lee Kuan Yew's First World utopia.

Ericson gone case and HK why actor related?
Like that US more actor?

 

[Windsor]

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

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?

My rant if any would probably against those who cannot see the wood for the trees. As it is your viewpoint appears to lean towards languages which is just one subject. Why? The OP is about education in general and not about any one particular subject.

If you want to know what is my measure it is very simple. An education system that is not your contemporary, institutionalised, factory-type schooling that churns out faithful drones of consumption – but rather more practical-based education that enables individuals to take on the very real social, ecologic, resource challenges we now face. In short, to be able to produce results by having individuals that think forward and lead the human race to greater achievements.

When we have an education system that has high stakes testing of the written kind, Finland has been standing tall against the relentless onslaught of high stakes examinations or testing to produce a first class education system. As long as these examinations play such an important role, no real change will take place with regards to amount of homework or additional tuition classes.

We can only get people who can make informed choices only when we have produced students who can think and reason. It is only when students are seriously taught to be inculcated with good habits of mind that they will become good decision makers. It is when they can display curiosity, and an investigative mind. It is when they can do systems analysis. It is when students can check assumptions, do deductive and inductive reasoning, classify, compare, analyze for errors and analyze for multiple perspectives that they can be making good decisions about their lives, including decisions about politics. These are the skills that will prepare our students after completing his/her education.

 

[Cruxx]

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

We can only get people who can make informed choices only when we have produced students who can think and reason. It is only when students are seriously taught to be inculcated with good habits of mind that they will become good decision makers. It is when they can display curiosity, and an investigative mind. It is when they can do systems analysis. It is when students can check assumptions, do deductive and inductive reasoning, classify, compare, analyze for errors and analyze for multiple perspectives that they can be making good decisions about their lives, including decisions about politics. These are the skills that will prepare our students after completing his/her education.

Sinkie students won't cultivate any of these qualities until they develop a "philo" of "sophia".

 

[Ramseth]

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

The ability to think and reason doesn't depend on the education system. The inability to think and reason, then that's blamed on whatever education system of the day because there's no ability to think and reason, whatever goes wrong, just blame something else. The ancient Chinese civil service exam system was the most rigidly structured known through world history. Yet it produced so many thinkers, reasoners, tacticians and strategists. Its only shortcoming was in science.

 

[Jah_rastafar_I]

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.

I see your limited experience with a few mudland chinese is able to determine the overall language biligual or trilingualism ability of mudland students.

 

[Jah_rastafar_I]

In fact, you will be surprised that in Britain and the US, there are many who speak perfect English but cannot read and write. So are they proficient in English?

Yup many of them have writing skills that leave much to be desired. Yet they don't get shamed compared to a chinese that speaks or writes less than perfect chinese.

 

[Ramseth]

In fact, you will be surprised that in Britain and the US, there are many who speak perfect English but cannot read and write. So are they proficient in English?

I'm not surprised. How could I be? Street bums in US streets speaking perfect American English were asking me to help them read newspapers and advertisments.

 

[zhihau]

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

The ancient Chinese civil service exam system was the most rigidly structured known through world history. Yet it produced so many thinkers, reasoners, tacticians and strategists.

bro,

the flourishing of thinkers was a world wide phenomenon during that era in human civilisation between 770-221BC, where we see the likes of Plato & Aristotle. 春秋战国，百家争鸣。it was in the turbulent times where we see many thinkers, tacticians and philosophers. 科举 was implemented much later, starting from 隋唐 period in 600+AD.
those rigid exams produced great thinkers? care to name some?

 

[zhihau]

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

We can only get people who can make informed choices only when we have produced students who can think and reason.

you should be our education minister

 

[chonburifc]

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

Even if SG have the best scholars with the perfect education system, there is still perverted scholar with child porns, there are still perverted scholar walking around naked in Holland V. There are still perverted LTC sexual harassment case. Too many there is......

It's pointless having the best education in the world when there's no moral education or proper upbringing.

 

[zhihau]

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

It's pointless having the best education in the world when there's no moral education or proper upbringing.

i thought it's nice to look at this video once again, it first surfaced about a year back :p:p:p

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/zDZFcDGpL4U" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

perhaps we could re-look at values to be taught in educational institutions

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/l7AWnfFRc7g" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[Windsor]

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

"i thought it's nice to look at this video once again, it first surfaced about a year back."

Thanks bro zhihau for the video by Sir Ken Robinson. I had seen a few of them but not this one and it is very enlightening. An education by itself really....:p

 

[zhihau]

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

We Singapore kids lack social skills, creativity and logic. Things on textbooks and ten-years-series only allow us to look at things in one perspective and this forced the students to look at problems thinking only that there is only one way to solve them. They lack the 'think-out-of-the-box' element. Time has come for the Singapore education system to revolutionize.

perhaps it's about time to tap into the intuitive mind of ours once again...

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/dFs9WO2B8uI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[Windsor]

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

Even if SG have the best scholars with the perfect education system, there is still perverted scholar with child porns, there are still perverted scholar walking around naked in Holland V. There are still perverted LTC sexual harassment case. Too many there is......

It's pointless having the best education in the world when there's no moral education or proper upbringing.

We are not living in a perfect world.