Opening the Closed Circles

Now that I have 2 young ones to educate, I keep a close watch on any shift in Singapore education policies.  PM Lee’s National Day Rally on 18 August promised 40 places in EVERY primary school will be set aside for children without any affiliation.  To recap, primary school registration is in 3 phases with the number of (fixed) places filled first by Phase 1, then Phase 2, and finally Phase 3.

Phase 1 is for children who have a sibling currently studying in the school of choice.  Most parents have no quibble with this phase.  After all, it makes sense logistically for parents to ferry 2 or 3 children to one school rather than run around Singapore to fetch them to different places.

Phase 2 is where the situation starts getting more interesting.  Phase 2A1is for children whose parents are former students of the school, and the parent has joined the alumni association, or the parent is a member of the school advisory committee.  Phase 2A2 is for children whose parents or sibling had studied in the school of choice, or whose parent is a staff member of the school.  The link back to one’s alma mater is supposed to build the alumni community (fuzzy concept!).  A free pass for selected people… if you the parent do not belong in this category by birth or career choice, aha, there is Phase 2B where the angst starts….

Phase 2B is for children whose parent (1) volunteers who have provided at least 40 hours of service to the school, or (2) is a member endorsed by a clan/church directly connected with the primary school, or (3) is an endorsed community leader.  (1) advantages the stay at home parent with time to carry out the community service…. (2) brings up questions of race/ethnicity/heritage and religion into a secular, supposedly race-blind process and (3)…. Well, anedocatal evidence points to category (3) parents who volunteer with Singapore’s ruling party…. Only these people are endorsed.  

Then comes that distance factor.  Phase 2C is for all Singaporean and PR children who are not yet registered in a primary school, according to the Ministry of Education website.  However, schools divide this phase into 2.  2C1 is for children whose registered address is within a 1km radius of the school; 2C2 is for children whose registered address is within a 2km radius of the school.  After all distance makes sense correct?  Which parent wants a sleepy 7 year old to have a 1 and a half hour commute to school?

Over time, applicants to the ‘good’ schools increasingly become more homogeneous in their family profiles.  More than the national average living in private property (proxy for wealth), more than the national average with graduate parents.  

Now, if you ask any parent, they will tell you they want the best for their children.  Best education, which in the Singapore context, is narrowly defined as the best grades.  I disagree with this definition, and hence I am heartened by PM Lee’s policy tweak.  My country, my society will be more cohesive because of equal access to education opportunities.

Labels

The best advice I ever received as a 20something establishing a foothold in my career is from my 4th aunt.  I had received a not-stellar performance appraisal in my first year... and was moping about it.  4th aunt told me that labels are like Post-Its, if you like them, keep them around longer to remind you... and if you do not like them, why, just throw them away!
I learnt this lesson only as an adult.

I am thinking about this lesson in the context of the Singapore education system.
9 year olds take a national exam to determine if they are "Gifted", and hence to be put into special classes where they spend LESS time on the curriculum (the assumption is that these very smart children already have it down pat) and more time exploring outside the curriculum.

"Gifted" and Not-"Gifted" is a label bestowed onto the child at NINE years old.  Resources are then allocated disproportionately more to the Gifted.  Teachers with advanced degrees and diplomas.  Smaller class sizes.  More spruced up school facilities....

Nine years old.  I only have 4 more years to protect Medium Boy's childhood.  Sigh.

The Best of East and West

I count myself very fortunate to live in Singapore as people from both East and West work, live and play here.  Before Sir Raffles Stamford landed on our shores in 1819, Singapore was a trade centre in the Malay archipelago by virtue of our geographical position and our natural deep harbour.

When I look back at my growing up years, the education I have received is a blend of both East and West.  With only myself as the sample, here is what I observe to be good and bad about both East and West in the area of education.

What is good about the West: The scientific method of inquiry and conclusions. 

What is good about the East, specifically Chinese: Concise articulation of values.  My secondary school’s motto is 诚信勇忠which approximately translates to honesty / integrity, trustworthiness, courage and loyalty.  The Chinese characters have only 4 sounds to capture all that.  Pretty amazing stuff.

What is bad about the West:  Wide boundaries.  This complements the scientific mind but somehow does not fit my Asian / Chinese / Singaporean mind.

What is bad about the East: Rote learning without knowing the context.

What shall I teach Medium Boy and Small Boy?  How shall I even live my own life for that matter, keeping what is best from each system and de-emphasizing the rest…

Education Arms Race - not for my boys!

This is what a typical Primary 1 student knows in Singapore at 6 years old before she enters the formal education system.  I gleaned this list from talking to parents with kids 2-3 years older than Medium Boy.

- Recognises, spells and reads phonetically English words.  Be able to finish a storybook by himself.
- Recognises, writes and reads at least 20 Chinese characters.... and I am being charitable when I say 20.  My alma mater would probably require the child to know 200 Chinese characters.
- Addition and subtraction up to 20 is passe.  Multiplication up to the 10 times tables is good.

How to preserve Medium Boy's self esteem in this competitive arena?  First I refuse to be drawn into the P1 arms race to the bottom by choosing the correct school for him.  Next I will further his strong moments in science and spatial intelligence.  He listens well (his auditory sense is like mine!  Mr Bach will appeal to his sense of order... Small Boy hmmm... more of a Beethoven at the moment) and needs a tangible result at the end of his learning process.  Use his strengths in concentrating at his passion..... I still have the video of him at 7 months turning an orchid flower in his tiny hand for 20 minutes.... He is more than capable of focus when he loves the subject matter.  Educate him on cars, wind and the weather.   Those are HIS strong moments.

As a parent, it is heartbreaking for me that the education arms race starts before the time a 6 year old enters formal education.  Singapore is such a competitive society that our preschoolers have become trophies and bragging rights.  Childhood cannot and should not be a race.  I would like for the boys to learn their passions, and retain their love of learning, all through to adulthood.

I take a deep breath..... and I remind myself of the wisdom here.  Hey Medium Boy sat through a (very) short burst of Chinese reading today!  Victory :)