Originally posted by ejl:
I teach at the university level and taught in both
Australia and Spore. My students in Aust r diverse - Europeans,
Australians, Asians. My students in Spore r mainly Sporeans, mainly
Chinese.
I'm sorry to have to say this, but I really dislike teaching
Sporean students (even though I was born Sporean and Chinese). The
Sporean students that I meet - either in Spore or in Aust - are
simply NOT independent in learning and do NOT seem interested in
learning. They come to class for the sake of attendance marking,
REFUSE to participate in tutorials and ONLY want model answers.
What's even more irritating is that students like to come up to me
only after tutorial and lecture times to ask questions [b]in order
to ensure other students don't learn the extra bits.
Yes, I was educated overseas before I entered university. Although
education systems are different across nations, I'm not sure why
the Spore system is so unique. I'm appalled at the prolific number
of selfish rote-learners in such a small society.
Education is about the dissemination of knowledge. Knowledge should
be shared for the good of society. Why and HOW has it been degraded
into a rat race of systematic memorizing?[/b]
Why do you only blame the students.... if most/all the students
"study" the same way.... there could be a deeper cause.
In Singapore, we've been spoon-fed, and taught there's only ONE
solution to a problem, like for maths... however, to their credit,
the government IS opening up and trying to "encourage creative
thinking"... but thats a bit... 
students come up after lecture times to ask, mainly because, they
are either too shy , do not want to disrupt the class, or wish to
maintain a i'm-smart reputation. those that ask questions are
either labelled as bookworms or disruptive elements.
sorry, that's just the culture here. it's very hard to change!
=(
