7.8/10
-Cap'n Mook
Monday, May 31, 2010
Men In White
Well, it wasn't really radical, as one might have hoped, but it is to be expected after all. The authors tempered the words of the other participants in the history of PAP's making with comments so as to tweak it back to the middle ground. But still, some views were not tempered with, like the one where the deputy prime minister(I think?) challenged Lee's position in the party and was removed subsequently. Very intriguing I must say, written so as to keep the reader riveted to the book and its 'plot'. If not for the historical narrative, it could have made a very good political novel.
Friday, May 21, 2010
PSLE Weightage.
It was always best to keep silent before your betters.
So I kept my peace during the gatherings upon which we had to complete our long running project, which to this date, and to my strongly held belief that it was never going to finish, but then again, I kept my peace, so no one knew what I thought, and they never did say what they thought, so we continued with the project week after week.
Our group was small, three people in fact, including myself.
The leader was Wei Ti, a boy of lean build and athletically inclined. But despite of the hours spent on the field and open, though he did gain that darker complexion of being out in the sun all day, he did not gain the excessive bodybuilding the others had acquired after shorter times than himself. However, his character was as forceful as the will he displayed on the field, and probably that was why he was the leader.
Li Mei, on the other hand, was the exact opposite of Wei Ti, which was most likely the reason why they both usually worked together, as I suspected, opposites attract. She was fairer, and was blessed with a natural tendency to put people at ease. There was this slow, small smile that she had, and it revealed more than what she said about herself. From what I could glean, she had been and still was, a prolific reader on all manner of subjects, and at any given time, could interject in any conversation with a helpful addition.
Presently, we were at Li Mei's house, and I, quietly tapping away at the computer, nodded from time to time as Wei Ti grumbled about how badly the basketball team played at the recent game last week.
- And no, no pass, just a direct shot, halfway across the court. Halfway across the court! Even an idiot can see that he couldn't have scored. Thank you. Wei Ti finally stopped his ranting when Li Mei came out of the kitchen with two glasses of water, and placed them on the coffee table in the living room which served as our research center on weekends. She sat down on the sofa, opposite to Wei Ti, then shook her head.
Talking about that match again? You've practically been saying the same thing over the whole week. Give it a rest will you?
Yeah yeah. But all I'm saying is that -
As what I said earlier, she said firmly, and Wei Ti finally did shut up, though he still glowered and muttered under his breath. I saw Li Mei shake her head out of the corner of my eye. Boys, she said.
I nodded emphatically, concentrating on the words on the screen.
How is part two coming along?
I shrugged. Which meant that no major troubles had cropped up yet.
Oh yes, speaking of that, did you do the English homework?
Yes. I found it rather interesting.
I heard Wei Ti snort. Then the flipping of pages and then the clink of the cup set onto the glass coffee table.
When have you never did?
A few times, with that -
Okay, that's enough, I don't want to hear any more.
I mean, when have we ever got a chance to write about our education system? I was all against the downgrading of the PSLE mother tongue weightage.
Oh? And I was all for.
You did your work! For once before deadline, she added sarcastically. But still, why?
Well, I always didn't do well for my Chinese subject, and have always struggled. I remember spending an obnoxious quantity of time for that subject which never, and may I emphasize, never, showed any significant improvement despite the effort I put in, and I did everything in my power. I don't see why others have to suffer where I did.
She remained quiet for awhile, seemingly gathering her thoughts, and I realized that for the past four seconds, I had constantly depressed the 'q' button, and now three lines of a string of 'q's had formed. I hastened to delete and continue upon what I had planned to type.
So, this is about you then, struggling? But have you not thought of the other students who struggle in English? Surely they spend the same effort that you have put in and to be discouraged time after time that their results have showed no improvement? Besides, might I add that you are unable to use Mandarin as your first language in the 'O' levels. And correspondingly, English has to be taken into account, no matter F9 or A1. You must concede to my point that those who are strong in their mother tongue, in Mandarin, might already suffer from this handicap and thus, to lower the weightage for mother tongue is to disadvantage these students who are gifted in this aspect, adding too, that we pride ourselves on being a meritocratic society, which means giving everyone an equal opportunity to succeed, and we are only biting the back of our tongue if we chose to give those who incline towards English another unfair advantage.
Unfair? Hardly. English is an essential skill that is needed in this developing world, and it is the medium by which global business is conducted by. Only by placing English as our core priority, will we not lose our competitive edge, and this is reflected in the pragmatic policy of placing English first above all else.
Precisely we are losing our competitive edge as a link between the two great sides of the world, the East - in particular India and China - and the West, must be now enforce mother tongue as our new core priority, as you have termed it.
There was a slight smile on Li Mei's face as she watched Wei Ti struggle with having his own argument twisted and thrown back at him.
You do realise that it is because of this - draconian - policy that have forced families to move away from our country? This is a serious case of loss in talent which we must address and address fast.
Well, encouraging a defeatist mentality is no good way either don't you agree? If these parents wish for their children to have a easier time overseas, it is their choice. Surely you don't think a mere five per cent shift will pull all these families back? No, I believe while this policy plays a part, it is only a small role, as you have neglected to mention. There are other bigger factors at play; better opportunities, preference for another education system other than our country's pressure cooker, incentives and all others. This must be viewed from all sides, and not only from education, for uprooting a whole family to live overseas is no small matter.
You have thought this all out haven't you?
Yes. Thank you.
Another point: I remember my uncle once telling me it was mandatory to pass your mother tongue before you could get admission into a local university and this resulted a quite a large number of local students going overseas for further studies despite their results being quite good for all the other subjects, this matter, I believe, cannot be disputed.
Yes. I agree to a certain extent that it was a little too much to expect of students to be studying at a junior collage level to pass their mother tongue exams. There is up till a certain extent that a language can be taught, and the rest lies in the student and the very basic foundations. That is why it was removed. But for PSLE, it is still at a young age, and teaching can be accomplished, not to say, even at 'O' levels. But will a primary six student slightly weaker in her or his mother tongue go overseas for further studies? Unlikely. The example which you have quote is too far for comparison. Even so, all this noise about talents leaving is rather amusing if you ask me. Talents will excel wherever they are, and if you are really a talent, let us just say that there are ways and means of getting into places.
Wei Ti took in a deep breath and blew it out slowly. I still support lowering the weightage of mother tongue in PSLE, for it will draw away attention and preoccupation with the marks, but rather, inculcate a deeper interest in the mother tongue itself.
Li Mei laughed, and shook her head. Weak argument Wei. Quite the converse, it will act in a vicious cycle, by lowering the bar this one, we will have to lower it again in the future when mother tongue is deemed again, too difficult and troubling for the current generation. What is lost will be the interest in mother tongue as by lowering the weightage, we are indirectly sending a message to the current generation: oh, we know you don't like your mother tongue, it's okay, we'll not make it so important for you to pass the exams. And what will this encourage? Exams bowing to meet the standards of the students rather than students rising to the challenge. Amusingly, it seems as though many things are topsy-turvy these days, with mandarin teachers expected to make lessons interesting rather than focusing on teaching students the language that is the access card to a whole new world to experience on their own.
At this point of time, she drained her cup and stood up, moving towards the kitchen. Wei Ti massaged his temples, eyes closed, and said. I will formulate an argument when you get back.
She threw a smile back, walking towards the kitchen. Be sure that you do.
So I kept my peace during the gatherings upon which we had to complete our long running project, which to this date, and to my strongly held belief that it was never going to finish, but then again, I kept my peace, so no one knew what I thought, and they never did say what they thought, so we continued with the project week after week.
Our group was small, three people in fact, including myself.
The leader was Wei Ti, a boy of lean build and athletically inclined. But despite of the hours spent on the field and open, though he did gain that darker complexion of being out in the sun all day, he did not gain the excessive bodybuilding the others had acquired after shorter times than himself. However, his character was as forceful as the will he displayed on the field, and probably that was why he was the leader.
Li Mei, on the other hand, was the exact opposite of Wei Ti, which was most likely the reason why they both usually worked together, as I suspected, opposites attract. She was fairer, and was blessed with a natural tendency to put people at ease. There was this slow, small smile that she had, and it revealed more than what she said about herself. From what I could glean, she had been and still was, a prolific reader on all manner of subjects, and at any given time, could interject in any conversation with a helpful addition.
Presently, we were at Li Mei's house, and I, quietly tapping away at the computer, nodded from time to time as Wei Ti grumbled about how badly the basketball team played at the recent game last week.
- And no, no pass, just a direct shot, halfway across the court. Halfway across the court! Even an idiot can see that he couldn't have scored. Thank you. Wei Ti finally stopped his ranting when Li Mei came out of the kitchen with two glasses of water, and placed them on the coffee table in the living room which served as our research center on weekends. She sat down on the sofa, opposite to Wei Ti, then shook her head.
Talking about that match again? You've practically been saying the same thing over the whole week. Give it a rest will you?
Yeah yeah. But all I'm saying is that -
As what I said earlier, she said firmly, and Wei Ti finally did shut up, though he still glowered and muttered under his breath. I saw Li Mei shake her head out of the corner of my eye. Boys, she said.
I nodded emphatically, concentrating on the words on the screen.
How is part two coming along?
I shrugged. Which meant that no major troubles had cropped up yet.
Oh yes, speaking of that, did you do the English homework?
Yes. I found it rather interesting.
I heard Wei Ti snort. Then the flipping of pages and then the clink of the cup set onto the glass coffee table.
When have you never did?
A few times, with that -
Okay, that's enough, I don't want to hear any more.
I mean, when have we ever got a chance to write about our education system? I was all against the downgrading of the PSLE mother tongue weightage.
Oh? And I was all for.
You did your work! For once before deadline, she added sarcastically. But still, why?
Well, I always didn't do well for my Chinese subject, and have always struggled. I remember spending an obnoxious quantity of time for that subject which never, and may I emphasize, never, showed any significant improvement despite the effort I put in, and I did everything in my power. I don't see why others have to suffer where I did.
She remained quiet for awhile, seemingly gathering her thoughts, and I realized that for the past four seconds, I had constantly depressed the 'q' button, and now three lines of a string of 'q's had formed. I hastened to delete and continue upon what I had planned to type.
So, this is about you then, struggling? But have you not thought of the other students who struggle in English? Surely they spend the same effort that you have put in and to be discouraged time after time that their results have showed no improvement? Besides, might I add that you are unable to use Mandarin as your first language in the 'O' levels. And correspondingly, English has to be taken into account, no matter F9 or A1. You must concede to my point that those who are strong in their mother tongue, in Mandarin, might already suffer from this handicap and thus, to lower the weightage for mother tongue is to disadvantage these students who are gifted in this aspect, adding too, that we pride ourselves on being a meritocratic society, which means giving everyone an equal opportunity to succeed, and we are only biting the back of our tongue if we chose to give those who incline towards English another unfair advantage.
Unfair? Hardly. English is an essential skill that is needed in this developing world, and it is the medium by which global business is conducted by. Only by placing English as our core priority, will we not lose our competitive edge, and this is reflected in the pragmatic policy of placing English first above all else.
Precisely we are losing our competitive edge as a link between the two great sides of the world, the East - in particular India and China - and the West, must be now enforce mother tongue as our new core priority, as you have termed it.
There was a slight smile on Li Mei's face as she watched Wei Ti struggle with having his own argument twisted and thrown back at him.
You do realise that it is because of this - draconian - policy that have forced families to move away from our country? This is a serious case of loss in talent which we must address and address fast.
Well, encouraging a defeatist mentality is no good way either don't you agree? If these parents wish for their children to have a easier time overseas, it is their choice. Surely you don't think a mere five per cent shift will pull all these families back? No, I believe while this policy plays a part, it is only a small role, as you have neglected to mention. There are other bigger factors at play; better opportunities, preference for another education system other than our country's pressure cooker, incentives and all others. This must be viewed from all sides, and not only from education, for uprooting a whole family to live overseas is no small matter.
You have thought this all out haven't you?
Yes. Thank you.
Another point: I remember my uncle once telling me it was mandatory to pass your mother tongue before you could get admission into a local university and this resulted a quite a large number of local students going overseas for further studies despite their results being quite good for all the other subjects, this matter, I believe, cannot be disputed.
Yes. I agree to a certain extent that it was a little too much to expect of students to be studying at a junior collage level to pass their mother tongue exams. There is up till a certain extent that a language can be taught, and the rest lies in the student and the very basic foundations. That is why it was removed. But for PSLE, it is still at a young age, and teaching can be accomplished, not to say, even at 'O' levels. But will a primary six student slightly weaker in her or his mother tongue go overseas for further studies? Unlikely. The example which you have quote is too far for comparison. Even so, all this noise about talents leaving is rather amusing if you ask me. Talents will excel wherever they are, and if you are really a talent, let us just say that there are ways and means of getting into places.
Wei Ti took in a deep breath and blew it out slowly. I still support lowering the weightage of mother tongue in PSLE, for it will draw away attention and preoccupation with the marks, but rather, inculcate a deeper interest in the mother tongue itself.
Li Mei laughed, and shook her head. Weak argument Wei. Quite the converse, it will act in a vicious cycle, by lowering the bar this one, we will have to lower it again in the future when mother tongue is deemed again, too difficult and troubling for the current generation. What is lost will be the interest in mother tongue as by lowering the weightage, we are indirectly sending a message to the current generation: oh, we know you don't like your mother tongue, it's okay, we'll not make it so important for you to pass the exams. And what will this encourage? Exams bowing to meet the standards of the students rather than students rising to the challenge. Amusingly, it seems as though many things are topsy-turvy these days, with mandarin teachers expected to make lessons interesting rather than focusing on teaching students the language that is the access card to a whole new world to experience on their own.
At this point of time, she drained her cup and stood up, moving towards the kitchen. Wei Ti massaged his temples, eyes closed, and said. I will formulate an argument when you get back.
She threw a smile back, walking towards the kitchen. Be sure that you do.
_
(This article first appeared on Facebook)
©Cap'n Mook
Sunday, May 16, 2010
A People's History of Science
Rather readable interesting book. Talks about how ordinary people furthered science in general and not, unlike the popular opinion, the institutions and various other 'Great Men'(Think Newton). While they did advance the theoretical part of science, the physical experimentation always had to be carried out first - Galileo proved that the maximum range for a fired projectile would be when it was 45 degrees from the normal, but this wasn't anything new to the officers at the Vatican Arsenal.
So yeah.
7.9/10
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