Comments on: A parent asks whose fault is it? The system, SEAB, parents, teachers or students? http://blogs.blogtv.sg/starbloggers/2009/10/21/a-parent-asks-whose-fault-is-it-the-system-the-setters-in-seab-parents-teachers-or-students/ Tue, 01 Mar 2011 11:20:05 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.2 By: Catherine http://blogs.blogtv.sg/starbloggers/2009/10/21/a-parent-asks-whose-fault-is-it-the-system-the-setters-in-seab-parents-teachers-or-students/comment-page-1/#comment-146 Catherine Sat, 24 Oct 2009 17:18:28 +0000 http://blogs.blogtv.sg/starbloggers/?p=244#comment-146 PSLE questions are not consistent with primary school syllabus. Just compare the text book vs the exam questions, you will find the mismatch. Furthermore, such questions will not help in the daily maths that are required for daily survival,meaning if the primary kid can do such math, he or she may not be able to do the daily arithmetic required for daily survival. Those were only whiz kids good in theory! Is this what the primary math should cover? Don't think this is face issue. Imagine a 12 year old kid of the level of maturity to resolve whiz math which cannot apply in real life (not all of these kids what to be professor in mathemetics in their future). No wonder teachers and parents resolve to putting presure to work on passed years series rather than school/MOE syllabus. A good arithmetic with 100% accurate in +,-./x cannot pass PSLE math. What a pity! PSLE questions are not consistent with primary school syllabus. Just compare the text book vs the exam questions, you will find the mismatch. Furthermore, such questions will not help in the daily maths that are required for daily survival,meaning if the primary kid can do such math, he or she may not be able to do the daily arithmetic required for daily survival. Those were only whiz kids good in theory! Is this what the primary math should cover? Don’t think this is face issue. Imagine a 12 year old kid of the level of maturity to resolve whiz math which cannot apply in real life (not all of these kids what to be professor in mathemetics in their future). No wonder teachers and parents resolve to putting presure to work on passed years series rather than school/MOE syllabus. A good arithmetic with 100% accurate in +,-./x cannot pass PSLE math. What a pity!

]]> By: TEO Pharoah http://blogs.blogtv.sg/starbloggers/2009/10/21/a-parent-asks-whose-fault-is-it-the-system-the-setters-in-seab-parents-teachers-or-students/comment-page-1/#comment-145 TEO Pharoah Sat, 24 Oct 2009 07:50:00 +0000 http://blogs.blogtv.sg/starbloggers/?p=244#comment-145 First of all, who confirms that the Cream of the Crop could answer those questions correctly. In fact, for real challenge, all Maths Head from each should sit for the Maths paper to prove that all of them can answer those questions as well. This is fair to show that those challenging questions are NOT OUT of the PSLE World. Why challenge within the PSLE exam? There should be National Maths teacher and Maths student Challenge Competition annually to prove that the teachers taught well and the students learnt well. Why put the challenge only to the students and not to the teachers? Incidentally, why does the MOE feedback from parents not carried out as an independent questionnaire for all parents? Only one parent from each level picked by the school is interviewed by the MOE survey officer while the rest of the parents are left out in the cold. Such survey is absurdly unrepresentative of all the parents. There should be a 100% feedback from all parents if we are sincere about improving our education system. Also, why are text books required to be purchased by students but are not taught at all? Many parents have many questions and feedback for the MOE. MOE should be interested and make an official effort to collect all the feedback and answer all the questions for all the parents. There should be an Annoymous Improvement Feedback Hotline available to all parents as well as students if we really all the facts and happenings. First of all, who confirms that the Cream of the Crop could answer those questions correctly.
In fact, for real challenge, all Maths Head from each should sit for the Maths paper to prove that all of them can answer those questions as well. This is fair to show that those challenging questions are NOT OUT of the PSLE World.
Why challenge within the PSLE exam?
There should be National Maths teacher and Maths student Challenge Competition annually to prove that the teachers taught well and the students learnt well.
Why put the challenge only to the students and not to the teachers?
Incidentally, why does the MOE feedback from parents not carried out as an independent questionnaire for all parents? Only one parent from each level picked by the school is interviewed by the MOE survey officer while the rest of the parents are left out in the cold. Such survey is absurdly unrepresentative of all the parents. There should be a 100% feedback from all parents if we are sincere about improving our education system. Also, why are text books required to be purchased by students but are not taught at all? Many parents have many questions and feedback for the MOE. MOE should be interested and make an official effort to collect all the feedback and answer all the questions for all the parents.
There should be an Annoymous Improvement Feedback Hotline available to all parents as well as students if we really all the facts and happenings.

]]> By: Sunny Tan http://blogs.blogtv.sg/starbloggers/2009/10/21/a-parent-asks-whose-fault-is-it-the-system-the-setters-in-seab-parents-teachers-or-students/comment-page-1/#comment-141 Sunny Tan Thu, 22 Oct 2009 17:49:05 +0000 http://blogs.blogtv.sg/starbloggers/?p=244#comment-141 We have to undersand the direction of the MOE as stated.... "The primary aim of mathematics curriculum is to enable pupils to develop their ability in Mathematical Problem Solving and deal with problems that cover a wide range of situations from routine mathematical problems to problems in unfamiliar contexts and open-ended investigations that make use of the relevant mathematical thinking processes” Overall, the education system and the mathematics curriculum aim to help pupils develop competencies that are useful in a global, technological knowledge-based economy. The world economy is getting more and more complex each day. We faces many uncertainties like SARS, flu virus...All these are complex and unfamiliar cases that the world had not face before. Therefore our kids needed to be trained to face all these unfamiliar problems... I remember a lecture I had attended by Dr Yeap who quote "If we teach our kids only basic computations..these computation can be easily performed by a simple calculator worth $2, then our kids is only valued $2. But if we train our kids how to solve problems when facing unfamiliar scernario, they be be valued by the industry and able to compete in the market..." Actually parents should not be duly worried and have trust in our Singapore education system. We have to undersand the direction of the MOE as stated…. “The primary aim of mathematics curriculum is to enable pupils to develop their ability in Mathematical Problem Solving and deal with problems that cover a wide range of situations from routine mathematical problems to problems in unfamiliar contexts and open-ended investigations that make use of the relevant mathematical thinking processes”

Overall, the education system and the mathematics curriculum aim to help pupils develop competencies that are useful in a global, technological knowledge-based economy. The world economy is getting more and more complex each day. We faces many uncertainties like SARS, flu virus…All these are complex and unfamiliar cases that the world had not face before. Therefore our kids needed to be trained to face all these unfamiliar problems…

I remember a lecture I had attended by Dr Yeap who quote “If we teach our kids only basic computations..these computation can be easily performed by a simple calculator worth $2, then our kids is only valued $2. But if we train our kids how to solve problems when facing unfamiliar scernario, they be be valued by the industry and able to compete in the market…”

Actually parents should not be duly worried and have trust in our Singapore education system.

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