Originally posted by pikamaster:
Snow Leopard,
1) My focus is on primary schools, Secondary schools and JCs, and
especially on the latter two. I don't really care much about
kindergartens; in fact, I believe that overly-academic
kindergartens are harmful to any society. having our kids "pressed
so hard" is not really healthy for tehir emotional and physical
development, I should think.
i was using kindergartens to show how ridiculously early our rat
races begin these days. and yes i too feel that having such
shortened childhood is indeed not right. but i meant it to refer to
our basic education too, particularly primary and secondary
schools. we have done better but it comes at a price - we have to
work harder too. no such thing as a free meal. but at the end of
the day, it is not basic but rather higher education that
determines our progress that should be the focus of our attention.
beyond that, it is even more important to have talent hungry
industries that provide avenues for the fruits of our higher
learning to be translated into economic success.
2) But that's too far an extreme. Your statement merely evades the
issue. (No offence to you, of course)
nothing extreme about it, just simple Ah Q spirit. what you can't
help about, you make the best of and think on the bright side. not
evading any issues either. i went through the same basic education
and on the whole i'd say it's fine so i've nothing to take issue
to.
5) Ya, tt's true; but the importance is that he didn't suffer the
cram-school system. Early post-war Japan during its Reconstruction
was much different from Later Post-War Japan.
ok, but the engineers who created the japanese boom of the 80s must
have been in their twenties then? which means they should've gone
through university say in the late 70s? late enough? even as of
now, japan is still a technology powerhouse that few can
match.
and what about the koreans? their recent ascent is a result of
their recent de-cramming?
7) haha
Well, In USA, the society is
quite different and so is the education system that produces the
mindset. UK and S'pore (we're not tt original) follow a
rigidly-structured curriculum; even SMU is pretty rigid if you look
at their course offerings online. USA follows the liberal arts
paradigm, most clearly seen in unis in community colleges, but also
in elementary and high school. The liberal arts paradigm is more
than just dumping students with choice the way MOE does; it also
involves cultivating the mindset that everything, even government
policy, can be challenged. Of course, it includes permitting
student protests as well....
i understand what you're saying. but if you really love a subject,
if you're really passionate about something, what is stopping you
from picking it up on your own and pursuing it beyond your
curriculum?
yes it's a culture thing, good ideas have often been squashed by
the authority, not just in the schools. but would bill gates have
said "because my professor didn't think my windows idea will work
so i've decided to give it up"?
