Competing to enter "good" schools

Hi Mr Tan,

Recently, there was an article about MM Lee acknowledging that admission to primary school is "unfair"
http://edvantage.com.sg/edvantage/news/news/493926/MM_Lee_admits_admission_to_primary_school_is_unfair.html

I have a toddler myself and I am aware of the "pressures" that many parents face when thinking about their child's education.  Many parents start signing up for parent volunteer work, planning for move, when the child is like 2-3 years old (maybe even younger) and there's alot of emphasis on which schools to go to, based on the "perception" that some schools are better than others. For the teachers, I am sure those who are from the "elite" or more popular schools will face added pressure of keeping up their "reputation", will it inevitably focus more on academic results than the development of the child per se?

I am overseas, and until the day i return to Singapore, I guess I am "fortunate" not to be overly stressed by this issue. But I am just wondering aloud here, is it unthinkable that the education ministry scrap all these "crap" about alumnus, parent volunteer etc, and let the MAIN critieria for admission be proximity to the school and siblings being in the same school. Wouldn't that level the playing field, instead of the current vicious cycle?

Do you have any views? Whether what I suggest is a viable option to consider by our government?

MY REPLY

Parents have the choice to ignore these competitive requirements and send their child to a nearby school, i.e.instead of competing for the "good" schools. 

I was educated in a primary school near my home, and it was not a "good" school. I was able to top the school without too much hard work and continue my secondary school in Raffles Institutition (which I entered on merit). I did receive an education that was suitable for my working life.

 

Tan Kin Lian

Manila, Philippines

 

Rich people should pay more taxes

Here is the view of Warren Buffett:
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-11-21/warren-buffett-tells-abc-rich-people-should-pay-more-in-taxes.html

Know what is happening in Singapore

There are many things happening in Singapore that citizens should be aware of. Some of these happenings are negative, and are not covered in the local media, as they only present the positive sides. They are covered by bloggers and are usually well written. You can get updated on these happenings by visiting the General Election portal (SGEP).

For example, there is the case of a young man, borne in Japan with a Singaporean mother, who lived in Singapore since 10 years old and served National Service. He overlooked to make his oath of negligence (as he was not aware about it) and his citizenship is taken away. No one in the civil service is willing to take the responsibility to bend the law and allowed him to retain his citizenship. This is quite typical of behavior in Singapore - no one wants to take the responsibility - not even the Minister!

Be aware of the issues. Read SGEP. At the next general election, ask yourself .... do you wish to see changes for the better?