[h=2]PM, will topping PISA help our kids get jobs?[/h]
April 2nd, 2014 |
Author: Editorial
PM Lee
Yesterday (1 Apr), it was announced that Singaporean students have topped the 2012 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) problem-solving test (‘Singapore students top PISA problem-solving test‘):
PISA, organised by the OECD, examines and compares education systems around the world. The PISA is conducted every 3 years with the most recent assessment in 2012. This is the 2nd time that Singapore participated.
Both PM Lee and Education Minister Heng Swee Keat were ecstatic and immediately posted congratulatory messages on their respective Facebook page yesterday.
PM Lee said [Link]:
However, in a media report today (2 Apr), Dr Bussemaker, Dutch Minister of Education, Culture and Science, told the media that according to views and information she received, Singaporean students tend to learn by repeating information taught by teachers. She felt that they could learn from Dutch students who are more inquisitive and are good at team work.
“Asking questions is necessary to stimulate curiosity and also to find new results,” she said. She also said that she doesn’t want her Dutch students to focus on just getting As or university degrees. Rather, she wants them to acquire knowledge at a university, pick up skills from activities outside school and use their talents to fulfil their ambitions. Dr Bussemaker was on a one-day study trip to look at Singapore’s education system, during which she also met Minister Heng.
Does topping PISA mean more jobs for S’porean students in future?
Despite Mr Heng’s assurance that Singapore’s education system can continue to bring out the best in our students to “create a better future together” and MOE’s conclusion that Singapore has one of the “deepest and widest pools of talented students”, many netizens are not convinced that topping PISA will mean more jobs for Singaporean students in future.
Prominent blogger Uncle Chua aka Redbean sarcastically wrote on his blog [Link]:
Readers on TRE also shared the same views:
Yesterday (1 Apr), it was announced that Singaporean students have topped the 2012 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) problem-solving test (‘Singapore students top PISA problem-solving test‘):
- Singapore – 562
- South Korea – 561
- Japan – 552
- Macau – 540
- Hong Kong – 540
- Shanghai – 536
- Taipei – 534
- Canada – 526
- Australia – 523
- Finland – 523
- United Kingdom – 517
- United States – 508
PISA, organised by the OECD, examines and compares education systems around the world. The PISA is conducted every 3 years with the most recent assessment in 2012. This is the 2nd time that Singapore participated.
Both PM Lee and Education Minister Heng Swee Keat were ecstatic and immediately posted congratulatory messages on their respective Facebook page yesterday.
PM Lee said [Link]:
Who says Singaporean students are rote learners? The OECD’s PISA study ranked us tops in problem solving, meaning our students can handle complex challenges creatively and well.
Congratulations to our students, as well as to the teachers and principals who are educating them! It shows that we are on the right track, but I don’t think we can afford to relax.
Students need to make the most of what schools offer, to gain not just deep skills, but also the tools to think flexibly. These will help you to tackle many uncertainties and unexpected problems in life.
Minister Heng said [Link]:Congratulations to our students, as well as to the teachers and principals who are educating them! It shows that we are on the right track, but I don’t think we can afford to relax.
Students need to make the most of what schools offer, to gain not just deep skills, but also the tools to think flexibly. These will help you to tackle many uncertainties and unexpected problems in life.
Real life is complex, unpredictable, full of surprises – we have all experienced this. Would you say you’re good at solving life’s complex problems? And do you think Singapore’s teenage students can do this well? I’d like to share with you what an international study found out….
The results came out worldwide today. I hope you will join me to celebrate our students’ good work, because PISA has found that Singapore’s 15-year-olds do best (tied with Korea) out of 44 education systems that took part. Our students are good at solving complex and unfamiliar problems flexibly and creatively. They are good with interactive problems, where they need to uncover new information as they go about getting to the solution.
The study shows that they are thinking, open, daring, have initiative. These are important skills and traits for today’s world. It is very encouraging that the skills are shown across our entire student body of 15-year-olds, regardless of the schools they go to.
I wish to congratulate our students and the teachers and parents who helped develop such valuable skills and traits in them. You can’t learn this by rote study. Instead, you need a total learning environment – be it in classes, CCAs or other activities – where you can question assumptions, solve things for yourself, try different approaches. Our students’ achievements are the result of the good work of our students and schools, support from parents, and innovative ways of teaching by our teachers and specialists… Let us celebrate our children and our teachers when they do well, and let us build on what works well for our students. This is how we can continue to bring out the best in every child, in every domain, in every school, at every stage of their learning journey, whatever their starting point in life, to create a better future together.
MOE in turn, said that the latest results, taken with the results of Math, Science and Reading released in December, showed that Singapore has one of the “deepest and widest pools of talented students”.The results came out worldwide today. I hope you will join me to celebrate our students’ good work, because PISA has found that Singapore’s 15-year-olds do best (tied with Korea) out of 44 education systems that took part. Our students are good at solving complex and unfamiliar problems flexibly and creatively. They are good with interactive problems, where they need to uncover new information as they go about getting to the solution.
The study shows that they are thinking, open, daring, have initiative. These are important skills and traits for today’s world. It is very encouraging that the skills are shown across our entire student body of 15-year-olds, regardless of the schools they go to.
I wish to congratulate our students and the teachers and parents who helped develop such valuable skills and traits in them. You can’t learn this by rote study. Instead, you need a total learning environment – be it in classes, CCAs or other activities – where you can question assumptions, solve things for yourself, try different approaches. Our students’ achievements are the result of the good work of our students and schools, support from parents, and innovative ways of teaching by our teachers and specialists… Let us celebrate our children and our teachers when they do well, and let us build on what works well for our students. This is how we can continue to bring out the best in every child, in every domain, in every school, at every stage of their learning journey, whatever their starting point in life, to create a better future together.
However, in a media report today (2 Apr), Dr Bussemaker, Dutch Minister of Education, Culture and Science, told the media that according to views and information she received, Singaporean students tend to learn by repeating information taught by teachers. She felt that they could learn from Dutch students who are more inquisitive and are good at team work.
“Asking questions is necessary to stimulate curiosity and also to find new results,” she said. She also said that she doesn’t want her Dutch students to focus on just getting As or university degrees. Rather, she wants them to acquire knowledge at a university, pick up skills from activities outside school and use their talents to fulfil their ambitions. Dr Bussemaker was on a one-day study trip to look at Singapore’s education system, during which she also met Minister Heng.
Does topping PISA mean more jobs for S’porean students in future?
Despite Mr Heng’s assurance that Singapore’s education system can continue to bring out the best in our students to “create a better future together” and MOE’s conclusion that Singapore has one of the “deepest and widest pools of talented students”, many netizens are not convinced that topping PISA will mean more jobs for Singaporean students in future.
Prominent blogger Uncle Chua aka Redbean sarcastically wrote on his blog [Link]:
After a decade of wearing the no talent tag, when they are deemed to be more stupid and useless than fake talents from the 3rd World, our students are world beaters. And those 3rd World countries where we drew our talents from were not even mentioned or appeared in the top rankings…
But they will not be good enough to be at top management level. They will mostly be replaced by the fake talents from the 3rd World that they beat with hands down. Then they will add to the statistics of the unemployed or underemployed PMEs. And many will end up as their own bosses, driving taxis to pick up the foreign fake talents and hoping for some tips if they are lucky. If they are unlucky they will end up as punching bags to these foreign talents for their amusements.
Some of these who refused to accept their fate will try desperately to submit their resumes to the employment agencies operated by foreigners but would be told that they lacked the skill sets and experience needed for their clients. These foreign employment agencies would prefer to recruit their talents or fake talents from the 3rd World to fill up positions in this world class city.
Uncle Chua further warned,But they will not be good enough to be at top management level. They will mostly be replaced by the fake talents from the 3rd World that they beat with hands down. Then they will add to the statistics of the unemployed or underemployed PMEs. And many will end up as their own bosses, driving taxis to pick up the foreign fake talents and hoping for some tips if they are lucky. If they are unlucky they will end up as punching bags to these foreign talents for their amusements.
Some of these who refused to accept their fate will try desperately to submit their resumes to the employment agencies operated by foreigners but would be told that they lacked the skill sets and experience needed for their clients. These foreign employment agencies would prefer to recruit their talents or fake talents from the 3rd World to fill up positions in this world class city.
When all the free trade agreements are signed and foreigners flooded this city looking for jobs and our world beaters would count themselves lucky if they could even find employment in the first place.
He wondered, “Can these bright Singapore students look forward to a great career in the future?”
Readers on TRE also shared the same views:
Nothing To Be Proud Of: Singapore students top in PISA problem solving test. What’s the big deal? To quote from several of of ministers, even if you get a degree you can’t eat it! Foreigners do not need to have to be top in PISA problem solving test but they are here by the loads stealing our jobs and eating our lunches. Let’s not be too proud of this. It’s all but a political stagecraft.
TKM: The big question is then why do we not have our own home grown so called TALENT to grow our economy and create jobs for other Singaporean instead of depending fore so much on foreigners. What is the use topping this and that when we cannot have our own people to teach in universities, push our research and development. manage our banks and etc. Where is all our own home grown TALENTS and what the hell are they doing in their own country.
simon: We brought up, teach & train Brilliant young mind and…. yet, we import CheapMinds from overseas considered as FTs.
klesk: what is the point when a third world degree or fake ones can land a good job in singkee land.
Topthis Topthat, Whats the Pt?:Yes Singapore students are well known of topping in this and topping in that BUT when it comes to jobseeking they lose heavily to the 3rd world students who are much cheaper to employ. Employers are not even interested in all these gimmicky claims of excellence. At the end of the day, they are much into their profit margins and cost cutting measures, largely on labour.
Leaning Tower PISA: Heng must be ‘heng’ enough to see more and more Singapore students remain jobless for years after graduating from universities and polytechnics. Some have even committed suicide but not reported in MSM for reasons known too well.
Sinkies are talents: This shows that sinkies are comparatively brilliant. Yup, we do have our own native talents, so the miw should ONLY nurture and protect our own and not foreign citizens.
MIW liars: If Singapore educatioan is so good and top notch even, why is this vicious and devious MIW thug govt letting in half baked and lesser quality degree holders from third world countries by the truckload to replace Singaporean workers who graduated from local universities… Is it that the vicious MIW thugs want to replace most educated Singaporeans in time to come, so that few Singaporeans can oppose them in politics and so hence they continue to hold political power in Singapore in the medium term and then the long term?
And finally, So What? Can Get Job Meh? said:TKM: The big question is then why do we not have our own home grown so called TALENT to grow our economy and create jobs for other Singaporean instead of depending fore so much on foreigners. What is the use topping this and that when we cannot have our own people to teach in universities, push our research and development. manage our banks and etc. Where is all our own home grown TALENTS and what the hell are they doing in their own country.
simon: We brought up, teach & train Brilliant young mind and…. yet, we import CheapMinds from overseas considered as FTs.
klesk: what is the point when a third world degree or fake ones can land a good job in singkee land.
Topthis Topthat, Whats the Pt?:Yes Singapore students are well known of topping in this and topping in that BUT when it comes to jobseeking they lose heavily to the 3rd world students who are much cheaper to employ. Employers are not even interested in all these gimmicky claims of excellence. At the end of the day, they are much into their profit margins and cost cutting measures, largely on labour.
Leaning Tower PISA: Heng must be ‘heng’ enough to see more and more Singapore students remain jobless for years after graduating from universities and polytechnics. Some have even committed suicide but not reported in MSM for reasons known too well.
Sinkies are talents: This shows that sinkies are comparatively brilliant. Yup, we do have our own native talents, so the miw should ONLY nurture and protect our own and not foreign citizens.
MIW liars: If Singapore educatioan is so good and top notch even, why is this vicious and devious MIW thug govt letting in half baked and lesser quality degree holders from third world countries by the truckload to replace Singaporean workers who graduated from local universities… Is it that the vicious MIW thugs want to replace most educated Singaporeans in time to come, so that few Singaporeans can oppose them in politics and so hence they continue to hold political power in Singapore in the medium term and then the long term?
Ah Heng,
Why make Singaporean children study so hard?
Why bluff them; if they study hard, the can get good jobs?
Why not you tell them the truth.
Your PAP policies will make it very difficult for Singaporean children to find and keep good jobs. The best way to find and keep a good job is to vote out the PAP government first.
Why make Singaporean children study so hard?
Why bluff them; if they study hard, the can get good jobs?
Why not you tell them the truth.
Your PAP policies will make it very difficult for Singaporean children to find and keep good jobs. The best way to find and keep a good job is to vote out the PAP government first.
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