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Recovering from my vituperatove spurt yesterday, i cannot help but feel often in shock that Singaporeans have so much to complain about.
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Is it because we demand too much as citizens? Are we really being sidelined by the Govt? Are we being treated as second class citizens? Are we really being maltreated by a government who has provided so much for us? I seriously do not think so.
We as a nation, are just spoilt by all that stability and afluence we have. We take everythign for granted and forget the virtues of hardwork, hierarchy and tenacity.
Lets take a look at what Singaporeans often complain about.
Education
Singapore is too Competitive, very stressful for the child!!
Is it really? Yes i do agree that Singapore's education is years ahead of our neighbouring countries, but really, it is for the good of the child. So what if your Pri 5 kid is learning Sec 2 science? In the long run, it will put him years ahead of other children. Stress? What is an education without stress? Stress is a baptism of fire for the young children to get used to adult life later. If a child is not exposed to controlled and reasonable amounts of stress, then what happens when he reaches adulthood? Break down and cry everytime he feels that the boss is giving too much work for him to do? Is that what you ant your child to be?
Singapore education is too rigid/stressful, my child has no room for a proper childhood
PLEASE. This is what we do best, complain about the government when in actual fact it is our own actions that causes this perceived lack of childhood. Depending on what is a PROPER childhood, many people have many different ideas of how a Childhood should be.
To me, a proper childhood involves spending quality time with the children, bringing them - not to shopping centers where they can indulge in toys (which i will come to later) but to actually go for family orientated activities like a walk at the park, going to the theme park, lots of laughter and family bonding. If your idea that a proper childhood is for the child to have time to play his GBA or PSP. Then i feel sorry for you.
Don't you see? Toys brings the child away from the parents, they pull them away. There is no real family touch in a child playing toys all the time. You claim the education system strips your child away of this priviledge, but in effect, are you really just griping that your child is severely lacking a childhood or are you just being a hypocrite by giving him more tuition and assessments and such? Are there any conscientious effort on your part to ensure that your child gets a balanced childhood? That he grows up being upright and matured and not spoilt by all the toys you give him and all the complains you throw to help "cushion" and "protect" him?
Why are they complaining about stress when a majority of them give their own kid extra tuition all the time? Isn't that stress and ripping away their "Childhood"?
Hypocrites.
Maybe we should all stay in Africa one day and see how school is like there. Under a tree with just a tiny blackboard. Then we will fully realise how lucky we are to have proper school uniforms, school buildings and proper school buses to bring the kids to school.
My precious kid cannot wake up so early, he needs his sleep
WHAT? Part of the growing up process in a kid is to wake up early and go to school. It trains their body clock to engage itself in productive activities! I for one woke up at 0500 almost everyday when i was in Primary school since my bus uncle will come pick us up at 0530. And considering that my school is in Telok Blangah while i stayed in Jurong East, it was an arduous 1.5 hr ride everyday to school. EVERY SINGLE DAY for almost 5 years. Just because your child has to wake up at 0630, you gripe and gripe and gripe as if an hour lost makes your child intellectually less abled to cope with the rigors of school. Kids do not start studying or attending lessons on the bus, they get to sleep.
I wonder if all this "protection" is actually doing any of the youths good. We are stripping them of discipline and such. I used to get caned ins chool and even slapped in Primary school. Which brings me to my next point.
My child's teacher touched my child! OMG! I want to complain!!!
Gone are the days whereby the Discipline Master will walk around the school with a rattan cane in hand, tied with a rubber band at the end to make the whole harrowing experience of caning a much more memorable one. Gone are the days when the DM will line up the students in front of the school and publicly cane each one for their wrongdoings.
Now even when a teacher touches a child, the parents go into prehistoric protection mode and instead of scolding the child (like my parents did) for not doing their homework or throwing paper balls at their classmates. They scold the teacher and complain about them for touching thier precious kid. I mean. HOW RIDICULOUS is that?
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I remembered in Pri 1, i was slapped so hard across the face by my form teacher (Mrs. Bridget Lim =) ) that i cried the whole day. When i went home with her hand mark still freshly imprinted on my face, my dad, instead of consoling me. Chided me for making her angry. It was a learning process for me. From then on, i dared not do what i did again. I had learnt my lesson from the get-go.
You see, in the past, teachers were viewed to be authoritarians in education. They always had the final say. Child never do homework? Fine. Hold him back till 5pm let him cry and complete his work. I was always metted out such punishments last time and my parents were supportive of my teacher's methods. They never once complained. To them they entirely trusted the teachers to do their job - disciplining their children academically and morally. If they did complain, i would have felt very bad that they are standing up for my wrong doing. It is that integrity you had in school that the teachers words are the final say. Parents respected that and parents do not argue.
Right now its a whole different ball game. Teachers are expected to concede to the parents demands. I've seen unruly parents in my primary school too. Those who gripe and complain about everything as if the school is not doing their child a favour by reprimanding them. Yes, parents do need to protect their children, but come on, the school is a place for LEARNING and growth. It is not as if the school goes around caning children. They do it within an established framework of rules and regulations. You flout it when it is made so clear to you, you pay the consequences. By standing up for their wrongdoing. What kind of message are we really putting across to the child? That is is ok for someone else to take the blame for your mistake? That someone will always be there to bail you out for your wrongdong?
The old school way of punishments instills the notion of "cause and effect", and paying the consequences into our everyday lives. It teaches us to be upright and not go against any rules that are meant to keep us in place and for the school to function properly.
Detractors may think that it brainwashes a child. But even they want some control over their own lives. So don't be a hypocrite and say that this is brainwashing.
It isn't. and YOU KNOW IT. It is a necessity. a REQUIREMENT.
My child needs more time for himself. He has not enough time to play his toys and have dinner with us
The answer to this? Simple. Stop giving him so much tuition. It is so rare nowadays to see a child without tuition. Yes i had tuition when i was in primary school and it was REALLY taking up alot of my "childhood" time. Not only did i have to prepare for my normal lessons, i had to prepare my tuition HW too. I had to fret over and cancel my wholesome school activities because i had tuition for only 1.5 hours. I missed out on the joy of baing able to run free on a field kicking a plastic bottle around because i had to go home and attend a tuition class. I hated it as i felt constrcited and i hated it because it kept me away from more normal activities a child should indulge in.
Tuition is good yes. but too much is bad. It places too much pressure on a growing child. Yes you may think i contradict myself from my above posts. But What i mean here is that with excessive tuition, it places amounts of pressure far too great for a child to handle at such a age. I've seen Pri 1 kids (my cousin) having tuition almost everyday, with mock test papers stacked up high in the living room and have overheard parents complaining that their child isn't doing well in school despite all the tuition, so as a way to ameliorate, they increase the freq of tuitioning. It is no wonder such kids cannot do well, they are under too muh restictionsand are not focussing because they are not happy! These are the parents that complain that their child isn't having a proper childhood. you get the picture now?? Stress is good in a controlled amount, but too much can be detrimental too.
In secondary school, i did not have tuition and i prided myself in that fact that even without tuition i was able to perform well. Scoring good grades in all in my tests and exams as opposed to my classmates who had tuition. Even in JC. I did not receive any tuition. It was all hardwork on my part.
So my tip is, give tuition. But don't over do it. It will backfire. Being a kid myself once, i hated tuition. I would run away from it as far as i could. I was happy just being attentive in class and doing my homework and hading it up on time. Money spent by my parents can be spent elsewhere better.
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I've said much today, these are just some thoughts i have whenever i read the forums or the papers that Singaporeans gripe about a certain issue. It is definitely not worth griping about if you think about it. They are just making a mountain out of a mole hill to try an illicit a response fromt he govenrment so that they can feel good about themselves and their own personal causes to be antithetical in their way of thinking. To which i say, good job people continue and gripe. For the only thing you gain is the irritation of people who see the value in the government and those who see the nonsense you are spouting.
I will add mroe to my series soo. I stillg ot lots to rite on about.
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Have a great day Singaporeans. =)
Labels: General
Alan gagged and reeled at
12:10 PM
7 people shizzled my nizzle
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