Sec : Dangers of one-child policy

An interesting article of what is likely to happen to the individual, family and society when a country practices the one-child policy.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-05-25/chinas-one-child-policy-creates-ruthless-children-writer-says/6495666

O Level: Learning - the Finnish way

 

By Sandra Davie The Straits Times Monday, Sep 30, 2013

 

 

Like Singapore, Finland, which has a population of 5.4 million, is an education superstar. - See more at: http://www.edvantage.com.sg/content/learning-finnish-way#sthash.3XR6FXvm.dpuf

 

Only Finland's best become teachers

Free to play and free to learn at Finnish pre-schools.

 

 

Its students consistently do as well as top-performing Singapore pupils in international maths and science tests. 

 

But a recent study trip by The Sunday Times sponsored by Lien Foundation found that Finnish students take a completely different route to academic excellence.  Before going to Primary 1 at age seven, all that Finnish children in pre-schools seem to do is play.

 

And once in school, they do not undergo formal assessments or examinations until they are 18, when they sit for a matriculation examination to enter university. There is also little homework for primary and lower secondary students, and no nationwide standardised testing. 

 

And tuition? That is a concept foreign to most Finnish parents.  Teachers say the equivalent of Singapore's gifted education scheme or Normal or Express streams would be illegal in Finland because its education policy calls for all children to be given the same opportunities.

 

Streaming at 16

 

The only "streaming" allowed occurs at age 16, when students, after being graded by teachers, get to choose whether to take the vocational or academic route. 

 

And yet, the Finns have consistently performed in the top tier since the first Programme for International Student Assessment (Pisa) survey was conducted in 2000.  This study compares 15-year- olds in different countries in reading, mathematics and science. 

 

So how does Finland do it without the intense pressure and competition that are so much a part of Singapore's system?  Finnish educators list a combination of factors, from the strong reading culture - Finnish people borrow more books from libraries than anyone else in the world - to highly educated and well-trained teachers. 

 

Many also attribute the success of the Finnish education system to the strong foundation in learning laid in pre-school, where the focus is on cultivating intellectual curiosity and a love of learning in the young.

 

The emphasis is on learning through collaboration, not competition."  All children are given equal opportunities. We put equity ahead of producing top students," says Dr Pasi Sahlberg, who wrote the much-talked-about book, Finnish Lessons, which details how the country improved its mediocre academic results and produced top-performing students.

 

Every school is a good school

 

The 53-year-old director-general of CIMO (National Centre for International Mobility and Cooperation) at the Finnish Ministry of Education explains how Finns aim to have good schools for all students, echoing the Singapore Education Ministry's (MOE) recent slogan that "every school is a good school".

 

Dr Sahlberg says Finnish parents really do believe that all Finnish schools are equal. That would explain the puzzled looks given by Finnish parents when The Sunday Times asked how they select a school for their children. The answer: They pick the one closest to home.

 

Dr Sahlberg points out that the Pisa results show that the gap between high and low achievers in Finland is the smallest in the world.The main aim of its policymakers since the 1980s has been to ensure that every child should be given the same opportunity to learn, regardless of family background or income.

 

In Finland, education is free from pre-school to university level. Government spending on education makes up 6.8 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP).All Finnish schools offer free meals, free health care, free psychological counselling and free individualised student guidance.The country's education system did not start out this way.

 

Back in the 1960s, less than 10 per cent of students continued their education until the age of 18. There was nationwide standardised testing for children at age 11. Children who scored in the top 25 per cent went to private schools that charged high fees.

 

But starting in the mid-1970s, education reforms were introduced. Private schools were scrapped and all schools became publicly funded. Pre-school teachers attended a three-year degree course, while those heading to teach in primary and secondary schools studied for five years up to master's level.

 

Teachers are allowed to design their own lessons.

 

Streaming of students to put them on either the vocational or academic tracks was pushed to a later stage, at age 16.Class sizes were kept to an average of 25 students. Teachers were allowed to design their own lessons.

 

Instead of examinations, teachers assessed students using tests they designed themselves. Grades in report cards were based not just on test scores, but also on projects and class participation. 

 

Periodically, the Education Ministry would track a few sample groups of children across a range of schools to make sure the system was working.  There was opposition to the reforms at first, with some groups calling for a return to examinations and streaming. 

 

But the results of the first Pisa studies in 2000 and the second in 2003 changed people's minds. Finnish children were among the top performers in mathematics, science and literacy.  Soon, educators from around the world were flocking to Finland, hoping to learn the secret to its success.

 

"Once, people used to come to Finland to learn about Nokia. Now, they come here to learn about our school system," says Dr Sahlberg, who receives numerous invitations from around the world to give talks and attend education conferences. 

 

Dr Sahlberg, who has been appointed visiting professor by Harvard University, says: "When the first Pisa study came out, most Finns didn't believe it. But we came out tops again in the second survey. The best thing that Pisa did was that it silenced those who wanted to go back to having private schools and national examinations."

 

But he is quick to correct any misconceptions among visiting educators that the system, from pre-school to university, is laid-back. He notes that although examinations and streaming do not exist in the lower levels, students have to sit examinations at age 18.  At 16, more than 90 per cent of students choose to further their education through either "general" or "vocational" upper secondary schools.

 

Consider doing away with PSLE

 

Vocational students usually head to polytechnics or enter the job market. Those in the academic general stream have to sit a national examination to get a place in university.  Universities also set their own entrance tests to select students for specific courses.

 

However, there are those who believe the Finnish system is not suitable for all countries, including Singapore. 

 

While Finland's population is similar in size to Singapore's, it is largely homogeneous, with people speaking the same language, Finnish.  Also, Finland has a generous social welfare system where education and health care are free. But Finnish taxes are among the highest in the world at 44 per cent of GDP, reported Reuters.

 

The income tax rate ranges from 6.5 per cent to 31.75 per cent. On top of that, Finns pay municipal tax ranging from 16.25 per cent to 22 per cent.  Dr Sahlberg says Singapore is admired for the way it teaches mathematics and science, and for its recruitment and training of teachers.

 

But one thing that Singapore should consider doing away with is the Primary School Leaving Examination, he says, echoing the views expressed by Stanford University professor Linda Darling-Hammond in a recent interview with The Sunday Times.  "Singapore is one of the few countries in the world to have a high-stakes examination for 12-year-olds," says Dr Sahlberg. "So I wonder why Singaporeans are arguing over scores or bands.

 

Shouldn't the debate be about whether the exams are appropriate for children at such a young age?" 

 

He is aware of the anxiety felt by Singapore educators over the widening gap in school performance between children from disadvantaged homes and those from privileged backgrounds. 

 

Stressing that many elements of the Finnish school system are interwoven with the country's social welfare policies, he says: "As the OECD (Pisa) report stated, the highest-performing education systems are those that are able to combine quality with equity." 

 

And if there is something that Finland can show others, it is what equity and equal opportunity in education look like. And it is possible to achieve excellence along with equity."

 

 

Source: http://www.edvantage.com.sg/content/learning-finnish-way

O Level: How can we be more environmentally-friendly in schools?

Schools are institutions of learning. It is a place to impart important skills and values and it is of paramount importance that students learn to protect the environment.  Our Mother Earth needs our help as it is deteriorating at an accelerating rate. Yet, we often procrastinate rather than take action.  So, what are the ideas schools can implement to make themselves more environmentally-friendly? The key is to reduce wastage of precious resources.

Firstly, schools should put in effort to cut down the electricity used. Since electricity normally comes from fossil fuels, saving electricity means that this helps conserve the environment as energy production normally releases carbon emissions would be reduced. Schools use a great amount of electricity daily. To cut down electricity, schools could use energy-efficient bulbs instead of florescent tubes.   Students and teachers should also turn off equipment when it is not in use. Computers should also be turned off at the end of the day. It is calculated that school can reduce energy by 20 to 30 percent by adopting such prudent practices. In addition, an air-conditioning unit is often the main culprit of a high electricity bill. Schools should use the fans more and the air-conditioning unit less. If AC has to be turned on, studies have shown that most people feel comfortable at 18 to 26 degree Celsius. Thus, schools should set the thermostat to about 25 degree Celsius to save electricity.

Another environmentally-friendly idea is to save water. Water is an essential resource and it should be used sparingly and not wasted. There are many ways for schools and students to conserve water. Firstly, teachers can create posters to educate students on the importance of saving water. Students should be taught not to let water run while soaping their hands. Water running from unused faucets should also be turned off. Also, students should learn to drink from water bottles instead of drinking directly from the drinking fountain as the latter wastes more water as compared to drinking from their water bottles. Finally, schools can consider installing low-flow devices on faucets and toilets. Every flush could then save 12 to 15 litres of water per flush . Imagine, the amount of water that is saved as a result of such changes. The saving is definitely tremendous.

Thirdly, we should reduce the usage of paper. Every day, schools, as educational institutions, could never avoid the use of paper. Worksheets and notes have to be printed out for students. Since teachers need to print out forty sets for every class, the paper used accumulates to thousands of sheets per year. This figure drastically increases when one takes into account a school of at least twenty classes each. It is said that one tonne of paper is equivalent to 17 trees. Thus, many trees have to be cut down just for a single school. It is therefore important to save paper. Schools should encourage communication by emails. When students, parents and teachers read email messages onscreen, a lot of paper would be saved. Also, schools should produce double-sided documents whenever possible to avoid wastage. Students should also be encouraged to save paper by re-using the blank side of the paper for rough work.

Come to think of it, there is no end to the possibilities once students embark on the journey to preserve the environment by making our schools more environmentally-friendly. Environmentally-friendly actions in school do not need to be large to have an impact on the environment. Consistently reducing the amount of energy, water and paper can make a huge difference on the environment. If we put our minds to it, we can help converse the resources of our planet for future generations. Instead of procrastinating, why not start today?