Education in Singapore

Education in Singapore

I agree to a certain extent about the issues that the student has risen. Firstly, I would like to point out that education is not just about memorizing and not being able to ask why. Perhaps it is the difference in environments that differs our opinions in education. In Hwa Chong, we are expected to clarify our doubts with our teachers, so that we will be able to understand the topic better. However, I believe that in other schools, the situation is the same. Without understanding the topic better, how will the students be able to pass their examinations well? Furthermore, I believe that the student has generalized all the subjects into one whole education. Of course, there are some subjects that we are not supposed to ask why, because those subjects are quite “dead” subjects. Some examples are chinese, history and geography. Nevertheless, there is always a need to memorize the facts and formats for answering questions, to pass the examinations. Speaking of examinations, it is just to test if we really understand the topics tested, or that we are really well-versed in the subjects.

I do agree on the student’s point that moral value classes are useless. This reason why I agreed on the point is because in Hwa Chong, the moral values taught are all learned in our daily lives, and also through the mouths of our parents. Furthermore, I believe that a majority of the students do not remember or apply what they have learnt in the PCME classes.

I feel that the student wrote the letter in an appropriate tone. Her words are somewhat polite and there is no evidence of personal attacks on the education minister in the letter. In the first paragraph, the student states that there is no perfect education in the world and she does not imply that the education system in Singapore is very lousy, and she just states that the education system has some key flaws, so that the education minister could look into the matter and better the education system, so that students of the next generation can have a better learning environment and better education.

Personally, if I were to write a letter to the Minister of Education, I would raise the issue of the fact that there are some subjects that do not have any use in our daily lives. One subject for example, is history. History teachers teach us about the history of Singapore and how to answer questions given in a given format. But ask yourself, are you able to even use these subjects in the future. I believe that one of the flaws in the education system in Singapore is that some of the subjects taught would not really be used in our daily lives. Although Singapore wants to build a knowledge based community, but some subjects taught are not the kind of knowledge that we can use.