Reflective Journal 5

Reflective Journal 5: Reflect on education. You may choose reflect on the necessary priorities of education, how far the ideals and realities of education converge, how the problems discussed about education in US and China can be resolved. You should explicitly explain how class discussion on education in US and China have influenced/shaped your views.

Education is something that we all have to go through. We go through education to learn new skills and knowledge. Most of us know the importance of having a good education. We know that by getting a good degree, we can have a better chance of landing a much better job, which is good for our future. Our parent’s and teacher’s constant nagging to make us study and countless hours of tuition and remedial are all part and parcel of getting a good education and getting a better chance of having a good future.

However, not all of us appreciate it, with some of us even resenting it. I too sometimes resent the work and studying I have to do. I feel that what has caused this resentment towards education would be the stress and pressure some of us receive.  Education system here in Singapore also focuses largely on standardized tests to enter good schools like the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE). This has caused us to study just to attain good grades at these tests and most of us resort of memorizing, which is the best way to get a good grade at an examination. All these rote memorization and dull learning style has really caused some of us, even I myself, to sometimes question why we even continue studying, as there are little or no practical skills thought or practiced. I sometimes do not even feel the motivation to do my work. However, we still have to do it as we all know it is for our future.

The truth is, having an ideal education system whereby everyone loves education is really impossible. Everyone wants to be able to pursue their interests, even in terms of education. They want independence in choosing the courses they go to. An ideal education system to me is also something that actually teaches us students actual life skills rather than just examination skills.  However, all these are not entirely feasible in the real world as in my opinion, not all students would be disciplined enough to do so. In an ideal education system, there is much emphasis on independent learning and choosing what you feel suits you the best. However, I feel that there are definitely students who lack the self-discipline and motivation to do so, choosing courses that are easily done, rather than those that really interest them. I feel that everyone is lazy, it is just how the individual overcomes the urge to be lazy that really differentiates those that work hard and those that do not. The system in Hwa Chong does emphasize a little on independence. We are given free choice of choosing our courses provided that we have good grades. Although the majority of us are able to do so, there are still a good number of us who still struggle with this system. This is because some of us are still lazy or do not see the point in studying, where in the end, we still need to sit for the A-levels if we get into the junior college, which is yet another standardized examination. Hence, an ideal education system is really difficult to be implemented as I believe everyone wants to lead an easy life.

Some people say that the Chinese education system is better, while others say that the western or American education system is better. In my opinion, both education system has its merits and I feel that having a good mix of elements from both education system would be the ideal one. For example, the Chinese education system emphasizes on discipline and hard work, and the American education system emphasizes more on creativity. If only these elements could be combined, then would there be a much more ideal education system. In this education system, students would have the creative mind to think of original ideas while being disciplined and focused on what they do, doing their best in whatever they do. These students in my opinion would grow up with the potential to help their countries economy. Hence, I feel that if both the Chinese and American education system wants to improve, they would have to try to introduce elements from the other education system.

In conclusion, the education system is not able to suit the liking of each individual. I feel that it is impossible for an education system to be able to suit the needs of each individual as everyone has different preferences. Some might prefer a structured system while others might want to be given independence. The most an education system could do in my opinion is to make suiting the needs of the country as its main priority, which is the case in most education system including the one I am currently experiencing, whereby the education system produces students based on the needs of the country. In the long run, the country and its people would be able to benefit from this education system, giving people a better life, which in my opinion is better than just satisfying a few individuals going through the education system.

(847 words)