From 25th may to 31 may this year,we went to Shanghai and Hangzhou for our OELP programme.It was an eye-opener and enabled me to benefit and learn from the trip.
I learnt that Chinese students are competitive and eager to learn,as to pursue a better life and help their country,China to prosper.
Secondly,China has done a good job of diversifying modern culture and traditional heritage.This can be seen from well-preserved Chinese buildings cum Tourist attractions such as Cheng Huang Miao.This is to let the younger generation gain a better understanding of China's history and to appreciate the hardwork of forefathers at the same time progressing forward as a country.
Another example of China preserving its culture is the Qinghefang Ancient Street in Hangzhou. It is 1800 meters long and has been the Ming and Qing Dynasty. This street is the only well-preserved part of the ancient city and is the best place to embody the historical values.
In conclusion,I believe it is essential to preserve a country's historical treasures and at the same time progress forward economically and socially.
There is a major flaw in Singapore's education system.In recent years the system has come under fire for putting children under high level of stress. A UNICEF survey in 2001 revealed that exam anxiety was one of the main causes of unhappiness among children in Singapore.
The stress originates from a highly-competitive and rigid environment in which grades are priority, a mindset percolated not only by educators but by society as well. In a performative classroom culture, there is constant parental and peer pressure for students to do well.
I think the educational system should place more emphasis on the likes of creativity and IQ. Too many children these days are spending their time memorizing things from the textbooks. In this sense, most subjects are dead and therefore contradictory to their very purpose. This is not a test of their intellectual capability, but a test of their memory. It is therefore for society to place judgement on a particular individual based on certificates derived from his memory.
