Singapore's study abroad education: an abusive placement system
Singapore's government primary schools have implemented placement system since the third grade. Classes are divided completely according to children's grades, and are usually divided into three categories: good, medium and poor. These classes are arranged completely according to scores, and parents in Singapore hope that their children can get into good classes among good classes. That's not all. When I enter the fourth grade of primary school, there will be a unified national selection examination for high-talented classes in August every year. The proportion of students entering high-talented classes is basically maintained at 1% every year. The number of high-talented classes in prestigious schools is usually controlled at around 1, divided into four classes, and these students are focused on training until they graduate from primary school. In addition to advanced classes, 2% to 5% of students in the country can enter mata classes, and there are usually at most two or three mata classes in prestigious schools. If you think that the placement system is popular only in prestigious schools, you are wrong. All schools in Singapore have this tradition. ? There is a big difference between good and bad classes, so the competition between children is fierce. ?
? We didn't know that we were divided into classes according to grades until we went to a parent-teacher meeting after my boss was in junior three. On the same day, after the teacher in charge of the parent-teacher meeting finished speaking, he informed the parents of any class where to gather for a small meeting. Those named parents were arrogant and made everyone very uncomfortable. ? My friend moved from Australia to Singapore ten years ago and didn't know the placement system of the school at that time.
I just heard from my child that the third grade will be divided into classes. He said that the teacher has been emphasizing recently that exam results are very important, and if you do well in the exam, you will get good grades. Singapore schools define this grading system as conducive to teaching students in accordance with their aptitude. From the third grade of primary school, children aged eight or nine are always under great psychological pressure from the beginning to the university entrance examination. What is this? Teaching students in accordance with their aptitude? Is it human nature?
Study abroad education in Singapore: Exam comes first
Exams are the characteristics of studying in Singapore, and students and parents are almost busy with various exams rhythmically. For example, in my son's school, dictation of English new words is almost a weekly exam; Followed by unit tests every few weeks, English listening tests and second mother tongue listening tests; Finally, I am busy with the final exam at the end of each semester. First, I will take the exam of reading and writing pictures in my second mother tongue and English. After that, the second mother tongue, English speaking test; Finally, the science year-end exams. These school year exams are held about half a month, so the exams usually last from August to the end of October. During this period, some schools will also conduct an international English proficiency test for students above grade two. All kinds of exams are not linked to the promotion and placement, and the teacher will make it clear how much the score is. Almost every child's exam involves future placement, so Singaporeans can even stop all social activities while they are busy with their children's exams, and all family activities give way to their children's exams.
And parents are always thinking about how to make their children get the best grades. Once, my child was ill, but he went to school that day. As a result, there was a very important unit test that day. The child insisted on the end of the exam before the school informed us that we had a high fever. When my mother picked up the child, the teacher said that the child was ill, and it doesn't matter if he didn't come to the exam today. If he insisted on not doing well in the exam, he would suffer. Later, after listening to the mother of a child's friend tell me the secret, I understood the teacher's meaning: there are about ten unit tests like this every semester, and the average score at the end of the period is converted into the upgrade test score, and if the students are absent, they will follow it? Divide the total score by the number of times you actually took the exam? To calculate the average score, so sometimes absent from the exam can take advantage.
Study abroad education in Singapore: Extracurricular tutoring begins at K2
The preschool class in Singapore kindergarten is called K2. Many parents have signed up for various subject cram schools since K2 in order to make their children get good grades in grades one and two. Although bilingual education is implemented in Singapore government schools, there are not a few children attending English remedial classes, among which the English training class of the British Council is the most popular. My son writes Chinese calligraphy with his grandfather. His calligraphy teacher hopes that he can take part in the school calligraphy class in the third grade. It is said that he is the only boy selected in the class. The other three girls have been attending calligraphy training classes since kindergarten. In addition to calligraphy classes, there are not a few kindergarten children who take Chinese lessons after school, learn to write, look at pictures, speak and write compositions. Those who study musical instruments are even more exaggerated. In the children's art training school of Nanyang Art Institute, you can always see children around the age of four coming to learn violin. Usually, he is accompanied by his parents in class. It is said that because the children turn down, he may not fully understand what the teacher says. Parents said that the cost of learning piano and violin here is much more expensive than that of ordinary institutions. What is more troublesome is that the training is on weekends and holidays. The more holidays, the busier it is. Usually, children are afraid to go anywhere except for training classes.