The education system in Singapore is often lamented by parents for its rigidity. Students have tests, practices, exams, tons of homework, and hardly any field trips at all. However boring the system sounds, many foreigners are dying to integrate into Singapore's system as it has been praised for its efficiency and discipline. For the Commonwealth Essay Competition, the top students were from Singapore.
Education is essential and even compulsory in Singapore and parents will be jailed or fined heftily if their children does not enroll in a primary school. In future, at least employers are given a guarantee of the level of skills and knowledge required in the company. Primary education is a common set of knowledge as well as a platform for the future. For example, those who excel in Maths may be an accountant. People who excel in Science may be a doctor, or those who excel in the Arts may be an artiste. In society, getting a job is not as simple as you think. Firms do not judge one by their academic achievements only. It all boils down to the education system. With co-curricular activities, the top scorers may not be as actively participating as another who is actively participating in other activities. Other activities like sports are an ideal dimension of imparting knowledge and skills. Sports like basketball or soccer requires teamwork and cooperation to determine success. Schools also teaches us history and social studies to help us understand our, to prepare for the future.
Some students in their primary schools are already exposed to the use of technology. For example, students have an E-Learning week, where they have lessons using the computer. In the future, one will need technology to communicate, like the phone and web-cam. Co-Curricular Activities also provide essential skills. For example, the Uniformed Groups trains one's discipline, clubs and societies train one's wits, the performing builds up one's musical talents. The vast array of activities will definitely help to hone their skills and develop them more holistically as individuals.
Being a multi-racial country, Singapore is home to people from all places like Taiwan, India, China, Japan, Korea and many more. Students have integrated into our society and we can have better interaction with our counterparts. If we deal with colleagues from other races, we need to first understand their culture, likes and dislikes in order to prevent us from offending others. So, we get to know them since young and we learn from there right from the start. This is a life skill which is also known as communication.
Despite the 'perfect education system, Singapore still have some flaws. Children from Singapore, when deciding to go overseas, will have a reluctance to go abroad as they are too protected from young and parents are too afraid that something may happen to their children.
So, the education system is still revamping and improvising. They want to make lessons more creative and entrepreneurial. Project-based works are given to students to see how they adapt to them. To cultivate a more well-rounded individual, camps are organised for the Secondary Ones in order to prepare them. All these changes and more will help children to adapt to the needs of a global economy. If we are willing to adapt and be receptive to this revamp, we will work in tandem with the education system and improve our lives forever.
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Saturday, March 6, 2010
"Children always suffer when both parents work" Discuss.
In modern-day society, both genders are equally of the same standard. For most families in Singapore, both partners work so as to have a higher income to provide for their children. Women are no longer regarded as less important than Man; actually, they are on par with Man. However, when both parents work, their children often get neglected at home.
Most children have adapted to the sub-culture of being called 'latch-key children' as when they reach home, no one is at home. The children mostly spend their time alone doing work or revision at home. Or their parents would put them in a daycare centre. For more affluent families, they employ maids or babysitters to keep an eye on their children while they are away. This 'tradition' is a common sight in Singapore and the action stops when the child is independent enough to take care of himself.
There are actually a few good points about being 'latch-key kids' too. Drug-abuse is more common in the past as compared to present-day society. Children who are 'latch-key kids' have a lower rate of drug-abuse than children with the parents staying at home. Although it happens occasionally, it is much lesser than in the past. Maybe 'latch-key kids' grow up quicker in their mindset and can differentiate between what is right and wrong.
Many people have the mindset that 'latch-key kids' are more prone to ending up in juvenile homes as they are school dropouts. However, the stereotype is wrong. It is only children from less educated families or large families who are more common to crimes. One of the reasons is that the children are neglected due to the family size, although a parent may be staying st home. It does not matter if a parent may be staying at home or not, it is about the amount and quality of care given. If a child at home is not really cared for by his parent, he will still astray eventually.
However, kids fail to realise that their parents are working for their own good. They both work to provide extra income for the family to lead a better life, or to go on a vacation to enjoy themselves once a year. With more income, teenage theft would drop.
Some parents may not think that babysitters are good part-time partners, so they enrol their children into boarding schools. Schools like NUS High and NJC (National Junior College) will make it compulsory for students to live in the school hostel for as long as half a year, depending on the school. Parents have not been disappointed with the results of boarding school as they are no records of crimes. Winston Churchill is one of the greatest who lived and studied in a boarding school.
In conclusion, parents should at least try and be more enthusiastic to their children by expressing more love more often. Then, children will not feel that neglected anymore and will not suffer that much. However, it is ultimately up to the child to choose what he wants to do, be it good or bad.
Most children have adapted to the sub-culture of being called 'latch-key children' as when they reach home, no one is at home. The children mostly spend their time alone doing work or revision at home. Or their parents would put them in a daycare centre. For more affluent families, they employ maids or babysitters to keep an eye on their children while they are away. This 'tradition' is a common sight in Singapore and the action stops when the child is independent enough to take care of himself.
There are actually a few good points about being 'latch-key kids' too. Drug-abuse is more common in the past as compared to present-day society. Children who are 'latch-key kids' have a lower rate of drug-abuse than children with the parents staying at home. Although it happens occasionally, it is much lesser than in the past. Maybe 'latch-key kids' grow up quicker in their mindset and can differentiate between what is right and wrong.
Many people have the mindset that 'latch-key kids' are more prone to ending up in juvenile homes as they are school dropouts. However, the stereotype is wrong. It is only children from less educated families or large families who are more common to crimes. One of the reasons is that the children are neglected due to the family size, although a parent may be staying st home. It does not matter if a parent may be staying at home or not, it is about the amount and quality of care given. If a child at home is not really cared for by his parent, he will still astray eventually.
However, kids fail to realise that their parents are working for their own good. They both work to provide extra income for the family to lead a better life, or to go on a vacation to enjoy themselves once a year. With more income, teenage theft would drop.
Some parents may not think that babysitters are good part-time partners, so they enrol their children into boarding schools. Schools like NUS High and NJC (National Junior College) will make it compulsory for students to live in the school hostel for as long as half a year, depending on the school. Parents have not been disappointed with the results of boarding school as they are no records of crimes. Winston Churchill is one of the greatest who lived and studied in a boarding school.
In conclusion, parents should at least try and be more enthusiastic to their children by expressing more love more often. Then, children will not feel that neglected anymore and will not suffer that much. However, it is ultimately up to the child to choose what he wants to do, be it good or bad.
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