Who is the culprit?

So much have been said about our education system giving so much stress to our children but I think it is the parents giving the stress because of the FEAR factor. Where does the FEAR factor come from? Yes, teachers and parents.

I attended a ‘teacher meet parents’ session last week. Not one of the teachers present said anything about helping children to enjoy school, to have fun at learning. They talked about helping the children to get to the top class when they move on to the next standard. Parents were asking about the Gifted programme, the Math Olympiad, doing the Higher Mother Tongue…I wonder do they even consult their children for their views after all, the kids are the ones who will be studying and not the parents.

Ann was placed in the highest level of her Chinese class. The spouse and I wanted to give her lesser stress. We  spoke to the Chinese teacher that we would prefer Ann to start at a more manageable level. Her response was, would Ann feel inferior going to a “lower” class. Wrong, so very wrong. Children should never be made to feel this way and teachers must show an example.
We have put across to the teachers a very strong and clear message…that we are not their typical parents who are result-oriented. That’s why I said right from the beginning, I will do my darnest to keep my children away from the pressure cooker.

You know who are the happiest group of people? Yes, tutors and all tuition centers.

The meeting with the teachers was held at a P6 classroom and on my table, these words were scribbled…”Life is tough”. Very sad, this coming from just a 12 year old. Parents and teachers, I hope you hear their cries!

When friends gather...

Nothing is more fun than celebrating an old friend’s birthday…all of us have known each other for more than 3 decades. It is hard to find a friend, even harder to find one and still remain as friends 30 years later.