Imagine a school where kids are free to decide for themselves how to spend their days. All kinds of learning, all types of intelligence are valued in this school.
Students grow up in a working democracy, entrusted with the responsibility for their own education.
They become highly motivated, resilient, trustworthy adults.
Well take a look at the clip at a new concept in learning. I believe such schools are great for kids, I wish I was in one, it could save alot of my education years rather than drudging through the current rigid education system for which I can’t fit in and trying hard to cope with.
The education system here is well equipped in preparing us to become a 9-to-5 worker, to be part of a collective workforce and never someone with independent thinking.
I think to follow suit with such entrepreneurial nation such as Taiwan and USA, a change in how our education system is in dire need.
Of course a drastic change overnight would be disastrous, maybe a gradual in-phase changes might be best. Is this notion far fetch? …
this has always been one of the greatest topics (and one of the most pressing issues) brought up in my educational psychology classes.
i guess all educators agree that differentiated learning (one that recognizes students’ varying intelligence and work towards developing it) is one of the best approaches in teaching. and believe it our not, the ministry in singapore is trying to let this approach seep through our education system (albeit slowly, very slowly..and this approach is definitely not going to take over the system 100%…). ok lah, give them credit for trying lah hor.
amongst some of the thingies i know that’s being implemented in schools today in view of this ‘need’ is alternative assesment (students are graded according to their preferences and capabilities in doing their work, not graded entirely based on exam papers..tapi tu pun a small percentage je), and project work has also been introduced at the primary level… again, tu pun accounts for a small percentage je.
i guess its difficult. because sg punya education system’s foundation was laid down many many years ago that we’ve become terribly programmed; students, parents and even the teachers!
parents are constantly worried as to whether their kids are academically prepared to be the best, get the prettiest certs and what have yous… and classroom sizes in sg are wayy to big, making it unfeasible (for the teacher) to maximise whatever time she has to do differentiated teaching/learning.
hmmm…frankly, i dont think our system is ever going to be like america’s. but it would be nice though…because i have to admit, that our education system is not exactly advantageous for some students…and in fact, some teachers!
i just started work for a week and the ADMIN work is horrendous. tell me how to devote all of your time to your students when teachers are swarmed with too many admin work.
ni lah singapura. semua nak number 1.
the sad thing is, i don’t think such above initiative will ever be implemented in singapore, unless its private education for some rich elite dude
yes i do hope the class size will reduce as during my time, i felt as though my presence in class is non-existant. the teacher really stretched to the max
i do pity you, yes i’ve heard such stories the admin work is indeed horrible but as you say, we’re singaporean. we can handle it, we’re number #1
MOE should really look right back down to basic. unlearning the learned
at least the education is ‘free’ in our country, whereas some others places, kesian
I am the filmmaker and also a full-time university professor (and father of two.) Thanks for your thoughtful consideration of this topic. I would be happy to send a complimentary DVD of the full 80-minute documentary.
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