tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12908820.post115983943043570823..comments2024-03-14T22:55:24.426+08:00Comments on Mr Wang Bakes Good Karma: More on EducationGilbert Koh aka Mr Wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01027678080233274309noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12908820.post-1160039458223739972006-10-05T17:10:00.000+08:002006-10-05T17:10:00.000+08:00For example, if you teach a child French and Engli...For example, if you teach a child French and English, they will likely not have grammar and spelling problems, whereas ironically you might be more prone to find a problem with a child speaking only one Indo-European language.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12908820.post-1160039395494694452006-10-05T17:09:00.000+08:002006-10-05T17:09:00.000+08:00Pffft. "Trend setters" is such a hackneyed phrase,...Pffft. "Trend setters" is such a hackneyed phrase, it has a rather ironic use. <BR/><BR/>I also think cramming for the O-levels is a rather bad idea; I can't see how one is losing out when one is actively putting their knowledge to use, rather than poring meaninglessly over a textbook. (Seriously, in order to gain conceptual knowledge of anything, one only really has to read the textbook once, orAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12908820.post-1159979504911118102006-10-05T00:31:00.000+08:002006-10-05T00:31:00.000+08:00I hear the government lament that the Singaporean ...I hear the government lament that the Singaporean system stifles creativity. The nation's leaders worry that the system churns out too many cattle, and not enough leaders.<BR/><BR/>40+ years ago this country was a swamp, surrounded by economically stronger neighbours, and nobody thought it could survive. In the race to today, no doubt everyone had to knuckle down and do as LKY said. Your Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12908820.post-1159977102474380232006-10-04T23:51:00.000+08:002006-10-04T23:51:00.000+08:00Yo Schizo,Singaporean parents are not stupid peopl...Yo Schizo,<BR/><BR/>Singaporean parents are not stupid people. I would'nt accept at face value that they will accept anything just because someone else has it. I would say that they will want something if it gives them a substantial advantage, case in point, in education it would be long term return on human capital. <BR/><BR/>At it stands taking these poly modules does not improve one's chancesAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12908820.post-1159958183939220972006-10-04T18:36:00.000+08:002006-10-04T18:36:00.000+08:00ah. i noticed something else, after i’d posted my ...ah. i noticed something else, after i’d posted my previous comment to this article. apparently, the kiasu-ism mentality has crept in silently somewhere along the line.<BR/><BR/>now, there are bound to be people who will feel that there’s absolutely nothing wrong with allowing kids with the intelligence and ability to store/cram (literally an endless stream) of data into their brains to learn more.https://www.blogger.com/profile/12869388628155538200noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12908820.post-1159952585151591532006-10-04T17:03:00.000+08:002006-10-04T17:03:00.000+08:00Poly first year is already an overlap on Sec 3/4.t...Poly first year is already an overlap on Sec 3/4.<BR/><BR/>the trend seems to be pointing thus:<BR/>infant/toddler: learn things taught in k1-k2 or k3 (if applicable)<BR/>nursery/kindergarten: study lower pri stuff<BR/>lower pri (p1-3): study upper pri stuff<BR/>upper pri (p4-6): study lower sec stuff<BR/>lower sec (sec1-2): study upper sec stuff<BR/>upper sec (sec3-4): study certain poly coursesAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12908820.post-1159936759831391052006-10-04T12:39:00.000+08:002006-10-04T12:39:00.000+08:00i smell somthing weird going on in the development...i smell somthing weird going on in the development of singapore's education system. now that sec. sch students are gonna read certain basic/foundation modules from the polytechnics (which will then allow them advance placement in the respective poly courses in future), will jc students start reading university yr 1 or 2 courses in the coming years (knowing that the local univ. are already .https://www.blogger.com/profile/12869388628155538200noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12908820.post-1159923856831871872006-10-04T09:04:00.000+08:002006-10-04T09:04:00.000+08:00A digression...Sometimes I wonder which is worse.a...A digression...<BR/><BR/>Sometimes I wonder which is worse.<BR/><BR/>a) RI boy comes home tells his folks he is gay.<BR/><BR/>b) RI boy comes home tells his folk he wants to enter a polytechnic.<BR/><BR/>My point is that the argument that people who are hands-on should get into a poly is flawed. Most of my succeessful poly friends get into a polytechnic to avoid focusing on language studies, Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12908820.post-1159923394151475072006-10-04T08:56:00.000+08:002006-10-04T08:56:00.000+08:00Well Stray, we may be pessimistic but I'm sure man...Well Stray, we may be pessimistic but I'm sure many would support these new changes. If anything, Tharman, being as good as he is should know that Singaporeans play a very extreme form of gamesmanship in the field of education, very often to the point where the student loses in the long term.<BR/><BR/>Having electives for Poly entry would be using tax payers money to create a wonderful system Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12908820.post-1159919963045296972006-10-04T07:59:00.000+08:002006-10-04T07:59:00.000+08:00I think that the overall tone of the comments is a...I think that the overall tone of the comments is a bit over-pessimistic. Some thoughts:<BR/><BR/>1. These are elective courses, not compulsory. You don't have to take them if you don't want to.<BR/><BR/>2. This can be a quick, good way to find out more about a particular subject (eg microbiology or financial planning) and see if you would be interested in pursuing it at the poly/uni level, or Gilbert Koh aka Mr Wanghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01027678080233274309noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12908820.post-1159919663834430672006-10-04T07:54:00.000+08:002006-10-04T07:54:00.000+08:00*courses, pardon*courses, pardonAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12908820.post-1159919215297467362006-10-04T07:46:00.000+08:002006-10-04T07:46:00.000+08:00Well, you see, schools will only try sports if the...Well, you see, schools will only try sports if they know their students will excel in it. No point in trying something new that will pull their ranking down, right? Then the MOE will jump on that school for pulling Singapore's international ranking down.<BR/><BR/>That's why other schools besides the current top ten are explicitly prohibited from launching their own IP lorh.<BR/><BR/>Mon bon Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12908820.post-1159910442724038602006-10-04T05:20:00.000+08:002006-10-04T05:20:00.000+08:00If you're sure you'd make it to a JC, then forget ...If you're sure you'd make it to a JC, then forget it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12908820.post-1159893839024506932006-10-04T00:43:00.000+08:002006-10-04T00:43:00.000+08:00I don't see the point of this. The Singaporean sy...I don't see the point of this. The Singaporean system is one of the most intense in the world. Doesn't this increase the pressure on even younger students? What happened to enjoying the outdoors, sports and trying to build up some hobbies?<BR/><BR/>Unless you're going for a professional qualification like med, accountancy or law, most universtity first degrees only hope to teach their studentsAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12908820.post-1159884463672842092006-10-03T22:07:00.000+08:002006-10-03T22:07:00.000+08:00Courses like Language Arts etc are already main cu...Courses like Language Arts etc are already main curriculum at schools like ACS(I). AEMs are a way for schools without the resources to offer such subjects to their students.alchemisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06366500239370433806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12908820.post-1159870066640221612006-10-03T18:07:00.000+08:002006-10-03T18:07:00.000+08:00Not very optimistic.If at least, there could be a ...Not very optimistic.<BR/><BR/>If at least, there could be a range of tertiary courses.<BR/><BR/>Where is linguistics, language arts, various social sciences (some of which are available here), and so forth?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12908820.post-1159866123434349492006-10-03T17:02:00.000+08:002006-10-03T17:02:00.000+08:00This is a very confusing policy.Good students will...This is a very confusing policy.<BR/><BR/>Good students will love to participate in these modules but the advanced standing only applies for polytechnic admission. So if I'm hell bent on going for my A levels and subsequently to University, I will give these electives a miss to focus on my O levels. <BR/><BR/>So very likely these modules will be heavily subscribed by second tier students who wantAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12908820.post-1159856977707440532006-10-03T14:29:00.000+08:002006-10-03T14:29:00.000+08:00i don't think its a good idea at all. The fact tha...i don't think its a good idea at all. The fact that students are doing elective modules at secondary school for poly-level modules might just give students the impression that it would be just "fine to get into the polytechnic"<BR/><BR/>in my humble opinion, its better for the secondary schools to ensure that their students do their best in their olevel and then consider the options there after.<Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12908820.post-1159855164481168782006-10-03T13:59:00.000+08:002006-10-03T13:59:00.000+08:00I am not too sure, but the idea of being able to d...I am not too sure, but the idea of being able to develop problem solving skills and inventing solutions sounds like quite a stretch for a module that, more likely than not, is only at a foundational level.Xhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08745674616876680390noreply@blogger.com