This is ridiculous. What is the point of fervently revising the syllabi, adopting new teaching techniques and encouraging parents and children to use Mother Tongues at home only to come up with the conclusion that the weightage of MT in PSLE scores should be reduced? Isn't it plain obvious that the main reason for the disregard many Chinese students have towards their MT lies in the fact that the MT grades are of relatively little importance to their enrollment in the higher institutes of learning, namely the Junior Colleges and local universities?
The consequence of this act is grave and you do not need years to see it. The current situation of having low regard (or the lack of it) for Chinese language will be aggravated, it will be here to stay and all the ostensibly effective new syllabi, teaching techniques and all efforts to improve the status of the language will come to naught.
I know there are primary school students out there who are finding it hard to cope with the Chinese subject and there have been cases whereby students lose the opportunity to enter their desired secondary schools because of a lousy grade in Chinese language, despite having excelled in the other three subjects. The crux of these problems, however, lies not in the difficulty level and the examinable nature of the subject but rather, the students' attitudes towards their MT. It is the language attitudes of these students we have to examine and work on. Moreover, cutting down on the weightage of MT in PSLE scores will bring about negative consequences in the attitudes of the students. There is bound to be more "bo-chapness" and a stronger "heck care" disposition. On the other hand, if the decision makers start adopting a top-down approach, a real, proactive approach to influence the language attitudes of the young and at the same time, their parents, the MT problem could probably be rendered non-existent in the future. That is, if the decision makers are firm and tough enough to take the heat of the complaints from their extremely pragmatic yet somewhat narrow-minded people.
I can sympathise with the decison makers' predicament but who is there to sympathise with the educators'? They are followers of the decision makers and leaders of the students. Don't they have a say in this issue? I'm sure they do though it is not everytime that they are heard. To leave education matters in the hands of professional educators is impossible, after all education is all but a tool wielded by the leaders of all leaders.
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8 comments:
i agree lots. i can almost hear kids saying: "but chinese is not impt what". sad singaporeans.
Aye,it's saddening. It feels like we should do sth to salvage the situation and yet it feels like it is beyond our means. We can only watch and grumble while the MT situation heads south.
But I'm not totally hopeless, maybe this suggestion won't pass through?
aye aye aye to the maximum!!! sometimes really hate the fact that i'm teaching MT in Spore instead of somewhere else where it might be more appreciated or emphasized.
hate the way they do not see it as a culture of our citizens but merely as a subject, a tool, a function for economic purposes. DAMN.
Wen Lao Shi I so agree with you. Its probably another one of those decisions that would lead to another generation of lost Chinese. Its a pity.
It's good to know that there are like-minded ppl around me, makes fighting the losing battle more worthwhile and bearable.
This may not sound totally convincing, but let's not lose heart k.....能教会一个是一个.
I see this more of a classic Marxist kind of struggle between the powerful and the powerless.
I believe when our government make statements or come out with policies, they do not it without thinking, unlike some neighbouring countries =p
However, the main point of the issue is, who are the ones who have substantial access and hence influence on government leaders, and hence more likely to get what they want in policies?
In economic policies, it's always business first. Likewise for education policies, I suspect that the leaders' social circles consist of mainly people from the elite, and sadly, the typical Singapore 'elite' often comes from a English speaking family and whose kids don't really bother about their MT.
The only way to try to change this mindset is get your voices heard, and change their perspective on what is the 'reality' on the ground, not just the voices of the 'elite'.
Hey BD! Good to see your comment here, adds another dimension to what we have said.
The leaders do hear the protesting voices, don't they? But they usually choose to ignore them, thinking that it is a necessary action to fulfil greater causes. Getting them to change their perspectives requires practical incentives, the voices alone are too idealistic for their liking.
Like in my case, so far it's just empty talk. Most of the ppl are just talking. The efforts out there are scattered, under-supported and unappreciated. If only there's a way to unite the people, consolidate the efforts and basically, walk the talk, then maybe there will be a worthy opponent to the 'elite'.
Right now, I'm feeling pretty 爱莫能助...
As per every other policy that gets implemented in Singapore, the effects on economic growth basically outweighs every other aspect.
Who asks that we are living in a society that emphasizes on being democratic and pragmatism (in terms of the economy) is the rule of thumb.
Whatever we can do is either find a way to change the big picture, or just bear with it and live on with a smile still. LOL
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