Excerpt of MP Hri Kumar's blog :
http://hri-kumar.blogspot.sg/2012/09/primary-colours-dispelling-myths-about.html#comment-form
Teachers encourage parents to send kids who are behind
for tuition.
Again, one hears of this happening. It would be particularly
egregious if the child is considered “behind” simply because his
classmates are ahead of the curriculum and the teacher is therefore
not prepared to teach it.
MOE replies :
http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC120907-0000071/MOE-clarifies-stance-on-private-tuition
"Teachers should not recommend
tuition to students or parents as a form of learning support," an
MOE spokesperson said in response to TODAY's queries on the points
raised by Mr Hri Kumar.
According to the spokesperson,
when teachers "come across students who are under-performing in
their studies, they would look for ways of giving such students
additional learning support".
"They may provide these students with more attention in class
through differentiated teaching and small group teaching, or offer
them remedial or supplementary lessons after school.
Where helpful and necessary, teachers may also provide individual
coaching to such students outside lessons," she added.
A visitor on MP Hri Kumar's blog posted (on behalf of a primary
school teacher) :
Generally the better teachers are assigned to the better classes
as it is believed that these teachers are able to 'push' the
students further to achieve more As and A*s. I actually thought
that the more advanced teachers would be assigned to the weaker
classes as you need a lot more skill to motivate and help them (I
teach both an advanced and a weak class so I know the difference).
Not quite the case.
This is then reflected in the school's PSLE pass and distinction
percentages. All this is then reflected in the school leaders'
performance reviews.
As well as the number and types of enrichment programmes
conducted.
As well as the number of awards won in
inter-school/national/international competitions.
As well as the number of programmes/initiatives which have
contributed to the school zone/cluster.
As well as the number of programmes/initiatives enacted within the
school itself.
As well as the number of school level awards for achieving certain
standards in the arts, national education, technology integration
in class learning etc.
As well as the number of CIP hours for both students AND
staff.
As well as the extent of parent-school collaboration and public
performances done in partnership with external organisations.
How can we (ie. students, teachers, the education system, afford
to) not have tuition?
Incidentally, if you want real, genuine feedback from the men and
women who are on the ground and in the classrooms every single day
you might want to guarantee that no 'bad' feedback that we give
will blow back on us. If we get marked down on our performance
review we lose both our performance bonus and our salary increment
for the next year. That's roughly a $6000 loss of potential income
(including CPF) if you're a brand new graduate teacher, more if
you're an experienced one. Very painful.
There are 33,000 teachers. Ask us. We know what's going on. There
are things you can't fit on a spreadsheet.
While I'm at it I might as well mention that if it were up to me
I'd get rid of the performance review entirely. We're not bankers
trying to squeeze out extra profits and outperform our rivals.
We're trying to help children. Pitting us against each other (if
not our colleagues within the school then our colleagues in the
OTHER schools) in a madcap dash for KPIs and stats does nothing for
the kids. We end up only helping them as a means to an end when
they should be the end itself. With regards to money, just give us
a standard increment that halves the performance bonus and the
increment a teacher would have received if he/she was just above
expectations (a 'C' grade for those familiar with the system).
True, I'd earn less but I'd get to really teach without having to
bother with 10,001 non-teaching things for the sake of my
performance review.
I didn't sign up to implement MOE's systems. I signed up to teach.
There is a difference.
While the teacher (who wrote the above) is a primary school
teacher, her criticisms of the education system, apply just as
much, if not even moreso, for secondary school and Junior College
teachers.