[Vision2020] Myth of smaller class sizes
Sunil Ramalingam
sunilramalingam@hotmail.com
Tue, 03 Jun 2003 16:05:09 -0700
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<P>I really try not to participate in this particular discussion except to say "public schools" when Dale uses the term "government school," but I wanted to add one little piece of information.</P>
<P>Dale talks about how schools in Singapore produce excellent results in science education in large classes. Since I lived in Malaysia for many years, I actually know something about the school systems there; I will wager that the same holds true for Hong Kong, and possibly Japan and Korea, but I don't want to risk the formula money on those two.</P>
<P>Malaysia and Singapore both use the English model, with students taking an exam at the end of Form 3, or Ninth Grade. [there may be some other streaming earlier, but I'm not sure.] Those who do well in math and the science subjects go into the Science Stream and the others go into the Arts stream. The Science stream students typically will take Math, calculus, Chemistry, Physics, Biology, English and a second language. In the Arts stream students will take English, maybe English Lit, a comprehensive science course (Chemistry, Physics, Biology, but a lower level than the students in the science stream), history, and geography. At the end of Form 5 (11th grade) they all take a major exam, the results of which will determine if they get to go for two years of Form 6 and yet another exam, but with fewer subjects this time.</P>
<P>Most middle class families also send their kids to private tuition courses, after school. Do they do this because the schools are deficient, or because they want to make sure their kids have the best chance to go on? Some of each, I'm sure, probably more of the latter factor. There are lots of these private places, and they are packed. I know, I've been to them: I was the kid in the back with glasses staring at the blackboard and thinking, "I still don't get it."</P>
<P>I don't think we can simply say that schools in that part of the world do fine with large classes without considering the extra work students there are doing. There's a lot of emphasis on the sciences in the science stream, and there's also one extra year of education before university. I'll bet most of the Asian students here were in the science stream.</P>
<P>Having been through that system, having gone to public and private schools, I still think we're better off here. Doors don't get shut on kids here the way they are in places where kids are streamed too early.</P>
<P>Just my two cents,</P>
<P>Sunil </P>
<P>p.s. "Public schools"</P>
<P> </P>
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