Comments on: What do we do with our “Churchills”? http://blog.limkitsiang.com/2008/10/01/what-do-we-do-with-our-churchills/ for Malaysia Fri, 09 Jan 2009 04:12:41 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 By: justice4allraces http://blog.limkitsiang.com/2008/10/01/what-do-we-do-with-our-churchills/comment-page-1/#comment-139881 justice4allraces Sun, 05 Oct 2008 04:04:53 +0000 http://blog.limkitsiang.com/2008/10/01/what-do-we-do-with-our-churchills/#comment-139881 This article given hope to other "Churchills" in Malaysia and Singapore out there to know that they are not alone just like Lim Wah Guan who has lived to tell the tale and prove how flawed the education system in Malaysia and Singapore. This is a call for us to revamp the education system where we should replace the streaming system with a flexible broad-based one. How many other "Churchills" out there are forgotten and falling through the cracks? It is time we need to make the education system more flexible to recognise our "Churchills" and understand that not everyone can always excel and score with flying colours through the same system which cannot cater to those who do not fit the rote-learning method. We need more people who have the genuine desire to learn and the ability to think outside the box like Lim Wah Guan. Eventhough Lim Wah Guan is considered as an NUS reject from time to time, personally, I believe he is a success and he has done so much for himself to prove that just because he's a reject does not stop him for acheiving in life. Lim Wah Guan is an inspiration for all "Churchills" in Malaysia and Singapore This article given hope to other “Churchills” in Malaysia and Singapore out there to know that they are not alone just like Lim Wah Guan who has lived to tell the tale and prove how flawed the education system in Malaysia and Singapore. This is a call for us to revamp the education system where we should replace the streaming system with a flexible broad-based one. How many other “Churchills” out there are forgotten and falling through the cracks? It is time we need to make the education system more flexible to recognise our “Churchills” and understand that not everyone can always excel and score with flying colours through the same system which cannot cater to those who do not fit the rote-learning method. We need more people who have the genuine desire to learn and the ability to think outside the box like Lim Wah Guan. Eventhough Lim Wah Guan is considered as an NUS reject from time to time, personally, I believe he is a success and he has done so much for himself to prove that just because he’s a reject does not stop him for acheiving in life. Lim Wah Guan is an inspiration for all “Churchills” in Malaysia and Singapore

]]> By: TheWrathOfGrapes http://blog.limkitsiang.com/2008/10/01/what-do-we-do-with-our-churchills/comment-page-1/#comment-139678 TheWrathOfGrapes Fri, 03 Oct 2008 09:13:15 +0000 http://blog.limkitsiang.com/2008/10/01/what-do-we-do-with-our-churchills/#comment-139678 /// Jeffrey Says: Yesterday at 02: 27.37 To be rich financially, one helpful trait is to bodek the right people! No need to be very educated to horne this skill. /// In other words - know who instead of know-how. You need to hone your skill... and not be so horny... ;) /// Jeffrey Says:
Yesterday at 02: 27.37
To be rich financially, one helpful trait is to bodek the right people! No need to be very educated to horne this skill. ///

In other words - know who instead of know-how. You need to hone your skill… and not be so horny…

;)

]]> By: megaman http://blog.limkitsiang.com/2008/10/01/what-do-we-do-with-our-churchills/comment-page-1/#comment-139479 megaman Thu, 02 Oct 2008 02:24:40 +0000 http://blog.limkitsiang.com/2008/10/01/what-do-we-do-with-our-churchills/#comment-139479 No education system is perfect and therefore, there will always be ppl like Lim Wah Guan that falls thru the sieve. In this case, the press picked up the story and sensationalized but it has always been happening all the time and will continue to occur. Citing Lee Kuan Yew when he was asked about the flaws of Singapore education system, his answer was simple: "Efficiency and Effectiveness. The resources available were limited, the number of schools were limited, the number of teachers were limited etc. Therefore, the need to stream and maximize the resources in used." It is unavoidable, but I do agree that due to the competition and partly due to the merit-based system which rewards good academic achievements, parents in Singapore do get overboard and extreme in pushing their children. I personally feel Singapore's education provides good value for the time, effort and money invested but whether our child gets a well-balanced childhood development, that depends on the PARENTS !!! No education system is perfect and therefore, there will always be ppl like Lim Wah Guan that falls thru the sieve.

In this case, the press picked up the story and sensationalized but it has always been happening all the time and will continue to occur.

Citing Lee Kuan Yew when he was asked about the flaws of Singapore education system, his answer was simple: “Efficiency and Effectiveness. The resources available were limited, the number of schools were limited, the number of teachers were limited etc. Therefore, the need to stream and maximize the resources in used.”

It is unavoidable, but I do agree that due to the competition and partly due to the merit-based system which rewards good academic achievements, parents in Singapore do get overboard and extreme in pushing their children.

I personally feel Singapore’s education provides good value for the time, effort and money invested but whether our child gets a well-balanced childhood development, that depends on the PARENTS !!!

]]> By: Kingkong http://blog.limkitsiang.com/2008/10/01/what-do-we-do-with-our-churchills/comment-page-1/#comment-139478 Kingkong Thu, 02 Oct 2008 02:18:28 +0000 http://blog.limkitsiang.com/2008/10/01/what-do-we-do-with-our-churchills/#comment-139478 Realistically, in this commercialized society education is a means to improve one’s value and hence financial well being, not necessarily filthy rich. Meritocracy system exists so that irrespective rich or poor, one has an equal opportunity to enter the highest educational institution so that one has a better position in the society, hence financial well being. More often than not it is also a tool for a poor family to get out of poverty through education. In any country, it is always the best students are admitted into local universities, and citizens usually are very proud that their children could be admitted to their national university, NUS is one of the examples. Competition is always very keen. Because of racial discrimination, only Malaysia is exceptional though once upon a time University of Malaya also enjoyed that kind of prestige. However, when a rich kid fails to get into the competitive system, the paper chase game plan continues. By- pass the system, and overseas education is one of the solutions. After all, most of the overseas higher educational institutions are commercialized too, fund is always wanted everywhere. If for the purpose of doing Chinese Studies, one would think of Beijing University or Taiwan National University, why study Chinese in Australia? It is like if you want to learn Chinese cooking the best place perhaps is Guangzhou, Guangdong, China. Learning Chinese cooking in Australia perhaps results in getting the cooking methodology but never the taste. Even the financial guru, Jim Rodger migrated to Singapore so that his kids could learn better Chinese as he perceives Chinese is going to be an important language. The answer is that the paper from the West is always more valuable, especially names like Oxford and Princeton sound very impressive. We Asians are still under the domination of the system of the West. As far as Chinese study is concerned, the best could still lie in the East unfortunately our Eastern professors are not so prestigious and hence less financial value. Unless a country is rich enough where bread and butter is no longer a major issue for a majority of population, education is still a tool for earning a better living, be it technocrat, production people, wealth creator, manager or medical personnel. Realistically, in this commercialized society education is a means to improve one’s value and hence financial well being, not necessarily filthy rich. Meritocracy system exists so that irrespective rich or poor, one has an equal opportunity to enter the highest educational institution so that one has a better position in the society, hence financial well being. More often than not it is also a tool for a poor family to get out of poverty through education. In any country, it is always the best students are admitted into local universities, and citizens usually are very proud that their children could be admitted to their national university, NUS is one of the examples. Competition is always very keen. Because of racial discrimination, only Malaysia is exceptional though once upon a time University of Malaya also enjoyed that kind of prestige.

However, when a rich kid fails to get into the competitive system, the paper chase game plan continues. By- pass the system, and overseas education is one of the solutions. After all, most of the overseas higher educational institutions are commercialized too, fund is always wanted everywhere. If for the purpose of doing Chinese Studies, one would think of Beijing University or Taiwan National University, why study Chinese in Australia? It is like if you want to learn Chinese cooking the best place perhaps is Guangzhou, Guangdong, China. Learning Chinese cooking in Australia perhaps results in getting the cooking methodology but never the taste. Even the financial guru, Jim Rodger migrated to Singapore so that his kids could learn better Chinese as he perceives Chinese is going to be an important language. The answer is that the paper from the West is always more valuable, especially names like Oxford and Princeton sound very impressive. We Asians are still under the domination of the system of the West. As far as Chinese study is concerned, the best could still lie in the East unfortunately our Eastern professors are not so prestigious and hence less financial value.

Unless a country is rich enough where bread and butter is no longer a major issue for a majority of population, education is still a tool for earning a better living, be it technocrat, production people, wealth creator, manager or medical personnel.

]]> By: limkamput http://blog.limkitsiang.com/2008/10/01/what-do-we-do-with-our-churchills/comment-page-1/#comment-139475 limkamput Thu, 02 Oct 2008 02:09:05 +0000 http://blog.limkitsiang.com/2008/10/01/what-do-we-do-with-our-churchills/#comment-139475 You are talking about exception not the general rule. Please don't confuse the two, smart a**. You are talking about exception not the general rule. Please don’t confuse the two, smart a**.

]]> By: madmix http://blog.limkitsiang.com/2008/10/01/what-do-we-do-with-our-churchills/comment-page-1/#comment-139474 madmix Thu, 02 Oct 2008 02:05:11 +0000 http://blog.limkitsiang.com/2008/10/01/what-do-we-do-with-our-churchills/#comment-139474 No system is 100% perfect. The existing system do filter in a large percentage of the most brilliant people, but they like all systems do miss out others: late bloomers, brilliant rebels, non conformists etc. No system is 100% perfect. The existing system do filter in a large percentage of the most brilliant people, but they like all systems do miss out others: late bloomers, brilliant rebels, non conformists etc.

]]> By: Jeffrey http://blog.limkitsiang.com/2008/10/01/what-do-we-do-with-our-churchills/comment-page-1/#comment-139455 Jeffrey Wed, 01 Oct 2008 19:49:29 +0000 http://blog.limkitsiang.com/2008/10/01/what-do-we-do-with-our-churchills/#comment-139455 The question is whether the good education in Singapore produces good technocrats or really 'educated' people in way I described in earlier posting. The question is whether the good education in Singapore produces good technocrats or really ‘educated’ people in way I described in earlier posting.

]]> By: hiro http://blog.limkitsiang.com/2008/10/01/what-do-we-do-with-our-churchills/comment-page-1/#comment-139448 hiro Wed, 01 Oct 2008 18:54:33 +0000 http://blog.limkitsiang.com/2008/10/01/what-do-we-do-with-our-churchills/#comment-139448 Good education system leads to great economy. People complain about how tough Spore system is. But look where that has gotten their economy. And now they're thinking even further. Compared with them, Malaysian education system truly belong to the third world (even that may be somewhat of an insult to various third world countries). Good education system leads to great economy. People complain about how tough Spore system is. But look where that has gotten their economy. And now they’re thinking even further. Compared with them, Malaysian education system truly belong to the third world (even that may be somewhat of an insult to various third world countries).

]]> By: Jeffrey http://blog.limkitsiang.com/2008/10/01/what-do-we-do-with-our-churchills/comment-page-1/#comment-139447 Jeffrey Wed, 01 Oct 2008 18:27:37 +0000 http://blog.limkitsiang.com/2008/10/01/what-do-we-do-with-our-churchills/#comment-139447 To be rich financially, one helpful trait is to bodek the right people! No need to be very educated to horne this skill. To be rich financially, one helpful trait is to bodek the right people! No need to be very educated to horne this skill.

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