YThursday, November 30, 2006

Singapore's Education System

I have just come upon a chilling realization. As of this moment, my greatest academic achievement was graduating from the PAP kindergarten at Shunfu Road. I don't even have PSLE. (It's a long and completely uninteresting story.) Isn't that incredibly sad? Let me create a hypothetical situation. I fail my O Levels after a freak accident at the marking centre in England. Upon receiving my results, I being to suffer from depression, I spiral downward into the deep dark abyss of drugs, alcohol and violence. As a result, I do not further my studies. When I final shake of the depression, I'm already 25.

Out of necessity, I go looking for a job. Now, wouldn't that be a most interesting situation? A 25 year old man, who greatest recorded academic accomplishment was to beat 5 year old children. I think it would make a hilarious comedy.

Value. Added. To me, this phrase makes very little sense. Whenever I pass by a school, with banners hung on their walls or fences, proudly proclaiming "We are Value-Added... Again!!!", I can't help but laugh, roll my eyes, or pass remarks with disdain. Human beings are not numbers. People develop at different levels, some earlier, others later. You can't predict a person's ultimate level of intelligence from results obtained in primary school. I have some friends, who are were in the "Gifted" program, who are now, not doing as well as me, an "Express" student. I have other friends, whose results weren't as good as mine in secondary one, but now, unfortunately for me, have surpassed me. Singaporeans may not have much creativity, but we are not quite as predictable as some may make us out to be.

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Blogged @ 12:00 AM