The student also points out that moral values are not taught in school. I agree with her point, many students and teachers and even parents are too eager to "force" the students to get an A1. They value the certificate too much, many teachers and parents always tell the students that certificate is the most important thing they must have to be success in life. The students can succeed in life later, but what about their attitudes, their conducts, their behaviors? Even though they are success, but no one will bother, some people may even mock at them. This is why philosophers think that EQ is far more important than IQ in our life.
Some of her points, however, are rather exaggerated. If a student cannot ask "WHY" in school, they can carry out research, they can consult other students, it is not necessarily that a teacher must teach everything in the lesson. We have to be independent, whatever things we do not understand, surf the web, the fastest, most convenient, most enriched platform for the students to carry out their learning.
From her use of tones in the letter, I know that she is agitated. She seems fed up with current education system, but I do not think it is appropriate. We should not blame the education system completely, we are responsible for our own learning journey. We should find our ways to seek for solutions of the difficulties. The student also has a very fierce tone in the letter, she keeps condemning the education minister for not doing the job well. Actually, if a well education system is to be created, it requires the cooperation of the students and the ministers. The students should follow the orders given by the teachers, whilst the ministers should give the suitable orders to the students. By doing this the education system can be improved, so I do not think that she should use such serious tone, but to use more general tone to respect the ministers.
The letter is taken from:
http://www.temasekreview.com/2011/07/12/an-open-letter-to-the-education-minister-from-a-secondary-4-student/
Dear Wei Hng,
ReplyDeleteI am Jia Neng. I disagree with you that she is using a fierce tone. Below is some excerpts from her letter.
->>> I write this letter to you in the hope that some of these problems with our system will indeed be changed, or if not, at least reviewed.
->>Call me naive, because I am still young
->>Perhaps it is just used in my school, or maybe even a method most autonomous or government schools apply
That shows that she always acknowledge that she is young and perhaps whatever in the letter only apply to her school. And she doesn't use strong words to force the minister to listen to her views and act accordingly. She is just using a suggestive tone.
Thank you,
Ng Jia Neng :):):):):):):)
http://literatureviewed.blogspot.com
Dear Wei Hng,
ReplyDeleteI agree with everything you have said. But I partially disagree with you that asking questions in school is bad. The teachers sometimes can be even more informative than those in the web, and can explain cearly to the students and clear their doubts. But I also do not think that the girl has adopted a harsh tone. Like what Jia Neng has said, the girl attempts to clarify doubts about her points by saying that she is still young and cannot make good judgement perhaps. She only wants the Education Minister to take into account what she thinks of the education system.
Overall a good blog prompt but perhaps can have a little more understanding of the letter.
Please comment on my blog too!:) (http://the-world-of-volkswagen.blogspot.com/)
Thanks.
Regards,
Jerome
Hi,
ReplyDeleteI am Colin and i agree with what you said about the fact that all these memorizing for the sake of A1 is meaningless. We go school not to get an good report card nor get an good scholarship. Instead, we are actually going school to get information. This should be the spirit of the learning and thus, i find that i agree with you that there is not even a point in the current school's education system and that it is misleading.
However, i must disagree with you saying that moral values is not taught in school. I feel that the schools have already tried their best in teaching since it is not in your everyday life where you get an old lady falling down near you and needs your help.