Today is the release of PSLE results.
I know. My sister had her results too.
I shall decline to name her or to place her score here, save for the busybody parents who are finding some other score to compare with against.
She did better than me. I don't know what their grouse is.
Would you like a robot instead?
No need for food, water, attention or energy. Just plug it to a socket, program it and it runs.
That's the way some parents treat their children anyway. Like it's written somewhere, "I'm a robot." This is not AI or I, robot for any matter. It's a child. Not something you program and it goes wrongly and you replace it.
She got scolded. I felt the brunt too. Although it's none of business but I felt as though they were scolding me for being incapable of teaching my sister how to be a top scholar. Look, I can't even get straight As for my subjects. How can you expect me to teach somebody? And then I teach wrongly I get the blame too.
Dear Parents.
I know you are angry/frustrated/happy/upset/confused/bewildered/(any other emotion) with your child's amazing/abysmal/expected/(any other expression for a bunch of 3 numbers) score in the PSLE. Maybe you should stop comparing him/her to the top scorer or anyone else present. When you scold them, they feel the pain and burnt. You don't. You are probably going to dismiss it as water cooler talk to and mention it for the sake of necessity at the next family gathering/social event/school open house/chance of stepping on the topic. Don't do that. Singaporeans have a Kiasu mindset, and that's without you meddling into it. So stop this unnecessary comparing. Everybody is different and unique, and nobody is wired to work in the same way. We're not iphones or cars or houses. We can't download all the same apps, or start up from 0 to 60 in 5 seconds, or be big enough to contain your belongings, and wow guests at every turn. We're humans. There is little basis for comparison. Solely comparing on academic achievement is an insult. Comparing with aesthetic talents isn't good enough. I know you learn the Piano. So do 50 thousand or more other people. What about values? Do they know to look after their own room? Do they return their plates after a meal? Do they take what they need and not be greedy? How many parents actually remind their children of values?
I'm not saying parents didn't do their job. I'm just saying comparing us is not going to do anybody any good.
Yours Sincerely,
Sister of PSLE student
Ex-PSLE candidate
Dear Top Scorers and Family,
I know you're all very happy and excited. Please keep it down. I'm not interested to know how many hours you put in a day. And being known for the top scorer fades out after a while, so perhaps you would like to develop another interest in the meantime? And don't ask for people's scores. I know you don't mean it intentionally, but please, time to accept people as who they are. Not a carbon copy.
Thanks.
And perhaps the media should start looking towards more inspiring stories, such as those of students overcoming greater difficulty instead of interviewing students whose job was only to study. I know it's their job to study. But with what these students go through, they really do deserve our respect and admiration.
And teach us all a lesson or 2.
I know. My sister had her results too.
I shall decline to name her or to place her score here, save for the busybody parents who are finding some other score to compare with against.
She did better than me. I don't know what their grouse is.
Would you like a robot instead?
No need for food, water, attention or energy. Just plug it to a socket, program it and it runs.
That's the way some parents treat their children anyway. Like it's written somewhere, "I'm a robot." This is not AI or I, robot for any matter. It's a child. Not something you program and it goes wrongly and you replace it.
She got scolded. I felt the brunt too. Although it's none of business but I felt as though they were scolding me for being incapable of teaching my sister how to be a top scholar. Look, I can't even get straight As for my subjects. How can you expect me to teach somebody? And then I teach wrongly I get the blame too.
Dear Parents.
I know you are angry/frustrated/happy/upset/confused/bewildered/(any other emotion) with your child's amazing/abysmal/expected/(any other expression for a bunch of 3 numbers) score in the PSLE. Maybe you should stop comparing him/her to the top scorer or anyone else present. When you scold them, they feel the pain and burnt. You don't. You are probably going to dismiss it as water cooler talk to and mention it for the sake of necessity at the next family gathering/social event/school open house/chance of stepping on the topic. Don't do that. Singaporeans have a Kiasu mindset, and that's without you meddling into it. So stop this unnecessary comparing. Everybody is different and unique, and nobody is wired to work in the same way. We're not iphones or cars or houses. We can't download all the same apps, or start up from 0 to 60 in 5 seconds, or be big enough to contain your belongings, and wow guests at every turn. We're humans. There is little basis for comparison. Solely comparing on academic achievement is an insult. Comparing with aesthetic talents isn't good enough. I know you learn the Piano. So do 50 thousand or more other people. What about values? Do they know to look after their own room? Do they return their plates after a meal? Do they take what they need and not be greedy? How many parents actually remind their children of values?
I'm not saying parents didn't do their job. I'm just saying comparing us is not going to do anybody any good.
Yours Sincerely,
Sister of PSLE student
Ex-PSLE candidate
Dear Top Scorers and Family,
I know you're all very happy and excited. Please keep it down. I'm not interested to know how many hours you put in a day. And being known for the top scorer fades out after a while, so perhaps you would like to develop another interest in the meantime? And don't ask for people's scores. I know you don't mean it intentionally, but please, time to accept people as who they are. Not a carbon copy.
Thanks.
And perhaps the media should start looking towards more inspiring stories, such as those of students overcoming greater difficulty instead of interviewing students whose job was only to study. I know it's their job to study. But with what these students go through, they really do deserve our respect and admiration.
And teach us all a lesson or 2.
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