pathetic kids

I think kids these days are pitiful. It's just an observation i've made and of course after reading an article from Straits Time's forum. Take my cousins for example. They are starting to learn things like cell structure which i believe i had only learnt when i was in secondary school. As the society becomes increasingly competitive, the education system has to be constantly 'updated' in the sense they pushed some things we'd learnt in sec school to primary sch and similary JC syllabus to sec school's curriculum. In the sense, the education system becomes more difficult then it used to.

According to the article in forum, basically, the gist was this woman who wrote in said that she has a daughter in a all girls' primary school who had done badly or failed in her maths paper. She strongly believed that her daughter had studied extremely diligently for her papers. Hence, it was no doubt a setback for her. Anyway, the mother also brought up last year's PSLE maths paper whereby a lot of kids were under tremendous stress due to the brain cudgelling questions. Some kids even broke down halfway during the exams. Ok. Initially, i admit i was very bad and actually felt that kids these days can't take pressure and stress very well and things like that... Come to think of it, i mean they're like 12. They still have a long road to go. Can't possibly expect them to take things in their stride, take deep breaths, grit their teeth and continue with the exams with the words that their mums enforced in them flashing across their brains. Things like "you have to do well. If you do badly, go bad schools, no future" , "fail means die", "do badly means you're stupid", "cannot get good results, no school will want you". Images of their mums holding rattan canes or facing a bleak future haunting them, it's no surprise that the kids will break down.

My cousins had failed some subjects when one was in primary school and one still in primary school. I'm positive that i didn't fail any subject when i was in primary school. Because i'm smarter? That's very difficult to determine because the education standards have changed drammatically. I mean it's sad that teachers are failing their students at such a young age. Try to envision their feelings when they grow up. Instead of remembering those sweet bubble gummy days in their childhood, all they can think of is failing their exams badly and having the rattan cane leave its marks on their bodies. Failing them in primary school is like dropping them a subtle message that 'you are doom to fail for the rest of your life'. Kids need encouragement and support. They need to have confidence so that they can have high self esteem. Failure in exams is like a blockage in the development of their self confidence. I mean 50 plus marks in many parents' eyes is already considered an atrocious marks. Failing is like forcing the parents to hit the roofs or something.

I admire my aunty for not feeling the slightest shame in announcing her children's marks. You know some parents like to boast when their children score high marks and then go all the way out to conceal when their children score badly. Whenever people ask, she'll just tell the truth. She doesn't whack her children or scold degrading things or paint a dark sombre bleak picture. She just take it in her stride and tell her children to work harder. I admire because i'm not sure whether i'll be able to show such restraint like her. Scold my children until their heads are dripping with my saliva? i don't know...

If not, we have those over zealous parents who like to compare. My aunt fetches her son from school everyday. She's used to overhearing other parents boasting/comparing their children's grades at the carpark. I think it's more exciting than stocks exchange. My aunt doesn't hide her children's grades. She thinks there's no shame in telling people her child has failed a subject and stuff. I'd seen people expressing sympathy and tried to look oh-nicey and stuff. I think they were some who were genuinely concerned. Sometimes, my intuition told me they are hypocrites. Trying to act sympathetic but actually gloating inside. welcome to the harsh society!

So, if i were to write to the MP for education,it'll go like this...

Dear Sir,

I know you're very busy trying to revamp the education system so that we can keep on par with other countries, so,i'm not going to beat about the bush like trying to show my appreciation for the things that you do or had been done. Appreciation is not like a badge of honour meant to show off. I'm going to keep is short and sweet. I think teachers should try not to fail primary school students. Why? Of course, you can continue to tell teachers to fail their students since it's not going to do much damage in the short run. Who cares about the little kids crying to mummies about their results anyway? The kids are just kids. Plus, you can try telling the haggard-looking mummies to get more tuition teachers for their kids. Society is like this, period. Oh ya! And more cares about deflating the kids' ego. I mean since their ego can be deflated, i assume it can be easily inflated like balloons. Self confidence is like so rubbish. Like failing will affect their self confidence. Self confidence is built on many aspects not jus results. at the same time, tell the parents to stop adopting a microscopic view on their children;s grades.Analysing and comparing their children's grades are just freaky. It's like telling me only grades matter.

I'm trying to provide you with multiple views which i had learnt in GP in JC. My teacher had told me many times not to just consider one view. Must consider all the views possible.

I have another suggestion. Teachers can consider failing them but at the same time, teach them the correct attitude to take. this quote is very suitable "success isn't forever and failure isn;t fatal". isn't it so apt?

Thank you Mr Minister for taking the time off to read about my views.