What is the education ministry trying to do?

NEWater SG

Yes... we all know about how crazy the system is, cramming kids with knowledge and expecting them to remember everything.... but this recent worksheet that my Primary 5 sister just approached me for help really crosses the line.

It's about Total Defence.

The worksheet is a crossword puzzle.

Question 1: Our soldiers in the ____ are well trained.

Question 3: Our ____ protects our seas.

Question 4: The _________ are our elite soldiers.

Question 6: The ________ units build bridges for our army.

Question 8: The swift tanks belong to our ______ units.

Question 9: We have doctors and ________ to help the sick and injured.

Question 10: Our _________ units have effective howitzers.

Here are the answers.

1. army
3. navy
4. commandos
6. engineer
8. armour
9. medics
10. artillery

How stupid can the government get?

How do they expect normal kids from ages 7-12 to even know what a freaking howitzer, or what a medic is?

For question 9, a typical child's answer will be nurses, because they will think of the hospital whenever a sentence goes "doctors and......", so what the hell are our schools trying to teach? How would a normal 11 year-old girl know what an engineer unit is, or what an engineer unit does? It just does not make sense. Is this some sort of notion that Singapore is going to recruit child soldiers?

Whatever it is, we really need someone to kick the education ministry in the ass, before all this goes out of hand.

MooKu SG

err.

Gedanken SG

Hey, I knew what a howitzer was in primary school!

Okay, maybe I wasn't normal then. Embarassed

That list looks to me like the beginnings of a "brainwash 'em while they're young" campaign.

Ole SG

They probably just have a lesson about Total defense so if they are listening they should be able to do lor. but it is stupid. If it is me doing haha, i would think more on lines of doctors and nurses instead of medics.

Ole SG

And what total defense is that, all the worksheet is about is miltary defense, what about economy defense, civil defense, psychological defense kind of thing i remember there are a few of such things leh.

Viper52 SG

Gedanken, heck I think I could have answered all the questions when I was in primary school.

But like you, I don't think I was very 'normal' either, in the Singaporean context anyway. Razz

What? You mean that the program is only beginning? I thought it had been on all the while! Twisted Evil

SingaporeTyrannosaur SG

I was calculating M1A1 Abrams frontal RHA values in p5, it isn’t so uncommon I guess.

sgboy2004 SG

nowadays primary school students know how to use internet to search for answers liao...

They can go internet to find answer too...

the Bear SG

military indoctrination?

or just plain clueless Administrative Officers in the senior management screwing up as usual?

(edited to clear up typo)

The Void Deck SG

Tautalogy is total defence Shocked

oldbreadstinks SG

wtf..... whether you can answer or not , that isn't something a primary school kid should be answering at all! Mad

wuming78 SG

Laughing think its meant to humour the setters and the markers.

Gedanken SG

Bad phrasing on my part, Viper - my apologies! I shall rephrase that: "That list looks to me like the the opening move in a "brainwash 'em while they're young" campaign". Mr. Green

ditzy SG

BRAINWASHBRAINWASHBRAINWASHNOTHINGBUTBRAINWASH

Ole SG

ah yah, anyway tell tell, later the people get older will rebel even more against the conditioning, like in secondary, national education things u think got people attend meh, all forced and even then people will be talking about other things just ignoring the thing

ontrack SG

Don't underestimate the young kids these days.

They know a whole lot more than what we used to know when we were younger.

sgboy2004 SG

at times, the organisers are able to create that nationalitic feelings...but sad to say, that feeling just last only for that event, after that, most are not concerned abt Nationalistic feelings and go back to their normal life...and true, many are forced to attend such events.

_______________
Baby sgboy2004

[email protected]_arms SG

Its no big deal seriously.