Blog prompt 4

http://www.temasekreview.com/2011/07/12/an-open-letter-to-the-education-minister-from-a-secondary-4-student/

This is an open letter to the education minister written by a secondary four student who will be taking her sec 4 'O' Level examination this year

You probably have already heard that a Secondary Four student recently wrote a letter to the Education Minister, Mr Heng Swee Keat, which generated much heated debate again about Singapore's much-discussed education system.

1. To what extent do you agree with the issues that the student has raised here? Point out some issues of agreement and possible contention.
   I agree that the education in Singapore is stifling the talent of the students. The students are forced to set other, more important things aside just to see the A1 written in black and white on that report card. They are setting aside the good character instilled in them from young, preferring to isolate themselves in their room, cramming information into their minds, just to see that A1 printed on that report card. Where did this mentality come from? The teachers and parents. Diplomas and degrees are growing increasingly more influential over the years, and many parents and teachers crave success for their children and students. They are, perhaps unwittingly, imposing this thinking that nothing is more important than a good grade and achievements, or certificates. Although they state that nothing is more important than a good character, they fail to rein themselves in as they begin to flare up, rebuking students and children for bad grades. To quote Janelle, who am I to make a generalisation, and to state all teachers and parents are like that? I cannot. However, this mentality is only rampant among students through certain teachers and parents.
   

2. Examine her tone and attitude in this letter. Do you think it’s a well-crafted letter with the appropriate tone?
   
   Her tone suggest that she is reining her anger and frustration in. However, it is a well-crafted letter, with an appropriate tone of respect to the Minister, and also of modesty so as to not impress on to the Minister that she is proud, humbling herself in some places, such as, "Granted, who am I to make a generalisation and say that all teenagers are this way? I know that there are teenagers and youths out there who are truly compassionate, who would truly go out of their way to help, but I have no arguments in my bag of tricks to argue for the stand that this behaviour is taught by Civics and Moral Education lessons in schools."

3. If you should write a letter to Minister of Education, what are some issues you would raise? Remember- your intention is to make the system better for society’s betterment via CONSTRUCTIVE ideas.
   
   I will raise the same issues as Janelle, but I will also raise the issue of the existence of single gender schools. I feel there should not be single gender schools, as single gender schools only serve to distance boys from girls and vice versa. This will seriously impair the ability of these students to communicate in the future, when both genders have to work together. Even now, merely one or two years into the system, the repercussions are already felt. If students from Hwa Chong Institution and Nanyang Girls High, for example, are travelling together on a private bus, a bystander will not help but notice that  the males will gravitate to one half of the bus, while the females to the other. The same applies for group work. In primary school, boys and girls are less afraid to work together, while in single gender secondary schools, when doing group work, members of different genders tend to prefer to interact online instead of face-to-face.