My 8 year old, Sara, has started back at Mayflower Primary. 45 kids in the class. The teachers demand unthinking obedience, total silence in class, and are not to be questioned. They typically yell and "teach" the students by humiliating and insulting them when they give a wrong answer. Sometimes they resport to physical violence. Like her classmates, Sara carries a schoolbag that weighs enough to give her curvature of the spine. An hour a day (at least) of school homework, plus extra tuition for 2 or 3 hours, 3 times a week. This is necessary if the kids are to pass the exams that get them into a decent academic stream at the next age level.
What a contrast with Ms Zeek's class at Village East Elementary in Cherry Creek School District, Denver! www.vil.ccsd.k12.co.us/
That was such a great school. Sara loved - and learned - every minute. Today, the joy has left her. For a short while, she got her childhood back, now it has been stolen from her again. The US and other countries that are considering copying the Singapore system and curriculum should seriously think again. I'm not saying the US or UK systems are perfect, but the way to fix whatever is wrong is most definitely NOT to follow Singapore. Unless of course you want an adult workforce of left-brained, inarticulate, immature robots who know everything, understand nothing, and cannot figure out the solution to a problem if it isn't already in a text book.
Ms Zeek, we miss you!
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