Exam-oriented

Listening to the radio, I heard an advertisement for enrichment classes in Singapore. It set me thinking: Are we too exam-oriented in Singapore?

Somehow, our education system revolves around examinations, around doing well for examinations. Everything seems to be about results nowadays. I can understand the use of our streaming system to assess the potential of our students so that we group students of similar potential together, so they can learn together at the same pace. But somehow, getting into a "better" (faster) stream seems to be the goal nowadays. Instead of developing our children at a pace suitable for them, we are now pushing them to develop in certain areas (those we test them in) as fast and as hard as we can.

For some (those who originally can learn at fast pace), this helps them develop in exam areas while still giving them enough capacity to develop other, non-exam areas. For others (those who we push beyond the edge), all their capacity is used in keeping up in the exam-areas; they end up without capacity to develop in non-exam areas. In short, their development becomes lop-sided.

I don't think our education system ever started out aiming for lop-sided development. I think we all want our children to be developed all-round, at a pace suitable for them. But in a society that continues to value "scholarships" given out mainly based on examination results, how do we encourage people to develop non-exam areas? How do we convince parents that all-round development is more important than getting good results?

Or are we just going to burn them out with enrichment classes and exams?

Or are we saying, Singapore only values engineers, doctors, lawyers, etc? If you can draw or write, Singapore is not for you, please go elsewhere. Are we saying it is enough for our children to score well in exams, that all their energy should be spent studying and preparing for exams? At the expense of learning important values like cleanliness (we get domestic helpers to clean up after our children), independence (here's the wonderful domestic helpers again), civic-mindedness (studying is priority, at the expense of everything else, everyone else), even fitness (just study).

Has our scholarship-examination-education system been warped into something that is shaping our society into a mindless rat race? Are we pursuing competitiveness (progress) at the expense of happiness? Because if you ask me, competitiveness (progress) was not the aim; it was the enabler for us to obtain happiness. Even our pledge lists happiness as the first and thus implying it as the most important thing that we want to achieve.

Is it time for some soul searching and reflection? As individuals and as a nation?

Attitude towards learning

Something that I learnt from taiji practices. To learn something, first, you must not be content with what you have. You must always realise that you are not as good yet, that there is still room for improvement. And you must then work towards improving.

Also, to improve, you must be willing to ask questions. You must be willing to accept feedback. Sometimes, feedback may not come from your teacher or senior, it can come from someone more junior too. But feedback is feedback, it helps you improve no matter who it comes from. And when you get feedback, you need to work to improve on those weak areas, and keep the common mistakes always in mind so that you don't make them again.

Welcome Year of the Snake 2013

It's the time of the year again, the lunar new year is here, and it is the Year of the Snake this time round.

This year, I came up with my own couplet:
龙时运转万事好
蛇来势猛成功到

As usual, we kept up the tradition of visiting the flora centre to see the crowd doing last minute shopping for new year plants. This year, it is a bit special since this is the first year in which we are no longer part of the flora centre, after more than 20 years in the business.

Wishing everyone a happy Chinese New Year!