Studies

So I was reading the Straits Times this morning when I came across two interesting articles mainly focusing on aspects of studying.

Studying Humanities Will Make The World A Better Place

This is WHY the education system should not scrap humanities. Go read the article, if you can find it, and you'll see what I mean. Humanities are more focused on relationships. Relationships between man and man, man and the environment, man and the world, man and his past. How can you forgo these relations just because science and technology seems more important in today's context?

Furthermore, to elaborate on what this guy (Jim Leach) said, humanities make it easier for people to form national identities and relate to their own cultures. Isn't this what Singapore needs so desperately amidst all the talk about what is a Singaporean identity?

Humanities is so closely interlinked with us. It is the study of OURSELVES. Don't we need humanities to reflect upon ourselves, see our mistakes and improve on it? If no one studied WW1 or WW2, would the world still be as (relatively) peaceful as it is now? We would never understand the gravity of some mistakes our predecessors made.

Besides, aren't students supposed to have a choice of what they want to do? By closing the doors to humanities (or leaving only one door by combining history and geography), are we leaving the students with a choice to do what they want? 

A subject that is deemed unimportant is not necessarily truly unimportant.

How ironic since I am supposed to be studying literature instead of typing this blog post. The point is, don't let temporary perceptions of society affect policy making. THE HUMANITIES WAS INVENTED/STUDIED FOR A GOOD REASON. If we scrap it now, are you saying that all those 50 years of education was crap/useless? Then that must mean we should stop studying the Maria Hertogh riots and why it means so much to maintain the fragile multi-racial social fabric of Singapore as well, no?

Basically, stop diminishing the importance of Humanities.

A Place For Exams As Social Leveller

Scrapping the PSLE is a BAD IDEA as well. (The whole education topic is revolving around scrapping things these days eh?)

Read this article and understand why. Granted, PSLE gives parents and students a lot of stress. However, aren't the parents over-exaggerating things? Aren't they over-thinking the importance of PSLE? I don't even remember being so stressed over PSLE when I was taking it.

Yes, I was nervous, scared, a little stressed out. But definitely not pull-out-my-hair, burn-midnight-oil kind of stress. The whole issue parents need to look at is why do we even have PSLE in the first place?

A very basic reason: it provides a fair platform for every student to score.

Every students, no matter what background/race/intelligence, takes the EXACT SAME PAPER, on the SAME DAY, SAME TIME. The grading process is the same as well - this goes very well with the meritocratic values of Singapore.

During the exam, it will be just the students against the paper. Nothing else.

If we replace the exams with projects and interviews, it might result in an unfair platform (just as the writer of the article says). Students with wealthier backgrounds inevitably have better advantage over the other students where projects are concerned. They have better access to facilities (which will no doubt be provided by parents who are already oh so concerned and worried over PSLE). Besides, won't projects result in more stress on the kids? I mean, for goodness sake, they are PRIMARY SCHOOL STUDENTS. I have never even worked on a proper project until I was in secondary school. Do parents actually think primary school kids have the mental capacity to even plan and execute a proper project???

Furthermore, interviews??? Seriously? What are you going to ask a primary school kid? What is your favourite colour? I would have answered purple. What are you going to be when you grow up? Everyone at at that age would have answered teacher. Also, don't oral examinations already fulfil this aspect?

Parents are placing PSLE at the same level as A-levels, which is a totally wrong way of looking at it. If we scrap the PSLE, what comes next? Scrapping the O-levels, then A-levels? Wow. Singapore would be exam-free!!! Even though I might actually be happy when that day comes, but is the reason of stress really worth the action of scrapping examinations?

True, I am currently having exams and am feeling stressed out (read my previous blog post), but I don't advocate the action of removing PSLE/any other major exams.
In fact, call me sadistic, but I think exams are a great way to build up a student's mental strength. I actually feel excited before every exam. The thrill of getting the paper, the thrill of reading the questions set by teachers all get to me. There will be tests in our lives everyday. Why not prepare the students for it, rather than letting them fail when they come face to face to a truly important test in their lives later on?

There are some parents (in the article below on the same page of straits times pg 41), who ACTUALLY WANT TO REDUCE THE WEIGHTAGE OF THE SECOND LANGUAGE PAPER, claiming that it will give the students less stress. That is the WORST IDEA EVER. To that parent, have you been reading the newspapers lately? Singapore is facing a crisis where our mother tongue language is taking a back seat to English. No true-blue Singaporean (of my age) can speak Chinese properly and fluently anymore! Which explains why I am typing this blog in English, speaking English 90% of the time and scoring a B for my Chinese language. -.- And the absurd idea of reducing the weightage of mother language paper in PSLE can actually be suggested? *Speechless*

PSLE should not be scrapped. If parents want other areas of talents to be recognised as well, simple. Allow a wider range of talents to be considered for Direct School Admission. It allows for other talents to be taken into account as well, while not overly-diminishing the importance of studies.

To the parents, stop complaining about stress. YOU, by pressurizing your children to study more and sending your kids to tuition, are the actual cause of stress for your kids.