
What other countries can learn from Singapore’s schools - prostoalex
https://amp.economist.com/leaders/2018/08/30/what-other-countries-can-learn-from-singapores-schools
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anoncoward111
The language in this article glosses over serious faults in Singaporean
society, which I have had plenty of exposure to.

Firstly, as the article says, SG divides "high achievers" from "low achievers"
at a pretty early age and enforces a social stereotype that the low achieveres
who attend polytechnic schools are somehow dumb. This is needless segregation.
Just offer everyone the same tests and let them choose their specializations.

Secondly, and this is anecdotal, SG produces workerbees who are content to
follow orders and processes rather than make their own. The government gives
them free money (called a "bond") to go study abroad and then come back and
perform 6 years of government labor as a middle-manager. Singaporean students
typically study hard, but in their new social surroundings, quickly binge on
drugs and alcohol and etc, even more so than Americans binge.

Thirdly, Singaporeans treat ethnic Malays as non-citizens. The Han Chinese of
SG are thoroughly content to see Malaysians attending "religious school" as if
this were some great freedom. In reality, they are happy to prevent the Malays
from becoming as successful as the 70% Chinese population.

~~~
gotrecruit
As a native Singaporean, I do believe my "exposure" to Singapore society and
culture is far deeper than yours so I can counter your points with a certain
degree of confidence. I also want to disclaim upfront that I left Singapore a
few years ago because I do not like it there, but just because I do not like
it does not mean I disagree with the policies that led to our first-world
economy.

"Needless segregation" \- like another poster replied... "needless"? Can you
explain what you mean by needless? Have you ever compared our academic
achievements with the same aged counterparts from other highly developed
countries including US? If it's "needless", how come we are academically so
far superior? What is needless about it?

"Singaporeans..... quickly binge on drugs and alcohol" LOL. as opposed to....
what? Americans who reads books in the dorm rooms? Europeans who sip tea and
chat about politics? I've attended 3 different schools in Canada and US, and
rarely have I ever seen Singaporeans outdrink and outparty the really wild and
affluent Eastern Europeans (Russians, Bulgarians, etc) and even the Americans
themselves. Are there SOME singaporeans who party hard? Of course, but your
comment is just ridiculous sensationalism.

"They are happy to prevent the Malays from becoming successful" This is the
most laughable of your statements. Trust me when I tell you, we did nothing to
oppress them. We gave them free education up to university, which is not
offered to the Chinese citizens, and yet they remain in the lower rungs of
society. Go read Lee Kuan Yew's statements on Malays and you'll read about it
from someone far more articulate than me. Wanna know an interesting fact? Even
in their native country Malaysia, the rich and powerful are still the Chinese.
Can you explain that?

~~~
CyberDildonics
> my "exposure" to Singapore society and culture is far deeper than yours

Your exposure to life long propaganda is far greater.

> Trust me when I tell you, we did nothing to oppress them. We gave them free
> education

If there was integration of Malays as equals you wouldn't be saying 'we did
nothing to oppress them' or 'we gave them' because you would think of Malays
as 'us' and not 'them'

~~~
mc32
>If there was integration of Malays as equals...

They were responding to a commenter who introduced that dichotomy into the
convo, fair or not.

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qiqing
> Where other countries often enact piecemeal and uncoordinated reforms,
> Singapore tries to look at the system as a whole. It invests heavily in
> education research. All reforms are tested, with the outcomes diligently
> monitored, before being rolled out.

Not being in the education field myself, what do other countries currently do,
that isn't an evidence-based test-and-then-roll-out approach?

Growing up in the U.S., my parents were told by teachers that 6th and 7th
grade was too early to teach a child algebra, because <various studies> showed
that children can't handle the abstraction. But my parents, being first
generation immigrants, insisted that the counter example of all my cousins in
China is clearly evidence to the contrary. But surely my teachers in the U.S.
had to have gotten their information from somewhere...

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CyberDildonics
Another puff piece of Singaporean propaganda. I wonder how many people who
have worked with average Singaporeans who have never studied overseas would
say there is a lot to learn from Singaporean schools.

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toasterlovin
Nothing, probably, unless the other country is also a city state in the top 10
of GDP per capita.

~~~
brownbat
Listen up, Brunei.

