The Education System

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/04/25/nmaths25.xml

Now would you just fancy that. I'm quite sure some of us could've answered the British question 3 years ago, and a good number of us can answer the Chinese question in one year (Barring any seniors reading this). I don't really know 3D Trigo myself, so.

Some complain that certain education systems are far too stressful. They rob the life out of students and leave them as a mindless soul only capable of reciting answers to the relevant Ten-Year Series. They make school life very much like work life in terms of hours spent, and so on.

Perhaps it is a necessity to do as such when one realizes that they don't actually have a comparison point - who actually complains about Singapore's education system in comparison to something else? They usually just complain about the education system. Admittedly this is legitimate and perfectly valid, given videos about Singaporean mindsets, but there are many countries out there just as rigorous, and just as many out there far less so.

And perhaps it really shows. There's a quote I somewhat recall, but I can't put my finger on it, once again. Think of your average man with average intelligence. Half of the world is dumber than that.

Of course, there are also those who instead of arguing that Singapore's education system is too painful, instead lament at the progress of the world, saying that the pace of everchanging life is far too fast for those in the education system to catch up. Or perhaps we really just can't compare to the folk of the past.

I've a friend from Thailand currently studying in China as part of an exchange programme (A nine-month one at that), and he's talked to me about how lucky I am to live in a country whose main languages are English and Chinese. Not to live in a country whose main language isn't very well established in the global society. He speaks 3 languages, just like me, except instead of Eng, Chi and Jap in order of profeciency, it's Thai, Eng and Chi. He works hard to learn the two languages. And I consider him rather well off to be able to be exposed to such programmes, being able to go to China to study and being able to go to Japan on an international meet with lucky folk such as I.

There are those of us who are rather lucky in this global world. There are those who aren't as lucky in this global world. And there are those of us who work really hard to compare with those who just got lucky in this global world.

I know a friend is trying not to migrate to Australia because the education system there is too easy to him compared to the Singaporean education system. Given him, I'd say that was the expected choice. Perhaps in the long run, it might be the better choice.

先苦后甜.