Nope, not the Dentist! It’s Assessment Books.
You can find all kinds of assessment books in Singapore. They are practice books with mini tests geared towards kids getting 100% in the official school tests and exams.
If I were in charge of education, I would say let the kids breathe a little, especially the littler ones. Let them play more. And by play I don’t mean computer games. Instead of making them do English mock exams, let them read books they enjoy.
Their creativity is stifled when all they do is swot over mock exam papers, especially when they are only 8 years old. I am so glad I was born in an earlier era. It was pretty bad then, but I think it’s getting worse now. I recall that in primary one (age 6-7) we were taught our letters and numbers. These days that won’t cut it. My friend’s kid had to do a presentation in primary 2 (age 7-8) and he’s graded on it. That sounds a tad stressful.
photo by bookjunkie
photo by bookjunkie
photo by bookjunkie
photo by bookjunkie
This store called ‘Popular Store’ (I don’t think it’s very popular with the kiddos) produces tons of assessment books and blank exam papers to torture your kids with. But I guess the parents feel they have no other way, when the education system is so hard to navigate, being rigid and centered around grades.
There’s actually a forum for kiasu (Singlish for afraid to loose) parents where these parents discuss buying assessment books for their kids.
I don’t think I would want to ever go through our education system again a 2nd time. I didn’t realise it at that time, but now when I look back, I feel like my childhood was just one long suffering of tests, exams and lessons of knowledge I have never used and in fact, forgotten in the 1st year I started work.
Thanks for writing this post! Now I know what to rant on for my next post…hehehhe…
me neither… the whole system was exhausting. I was actually happiest in my twenties away from the school system. The only great thing about school were the friends you saw every day and of course there were some fabulous teachers who broke all the rules and actually taught us something and inspired. Can’t wait to read your next post.