Learn Mandarin & Chinese History

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Poem by Tang Dynasty renowned Poet - Tu Fu, his admiration of Zhu GeLiang's (諸葛亮) ingenius military strategy.

八阵图 - 杜甫

功盖三分国①，
名成八阵图②。
江流石不转③，
遣恨失吞吴④。


①三分国：指三国时魏 (Wei)、蜀 (Shu)、吴 (Wu) 三国。
②八阵图：由八种阵势组成的图形，用来操练军队或作战。

八阵图，指由天、地、风、云、龙、虎、鸟、蛇八种阵势所组成的军事操练和作战的阵图，是诸葛亮的一项创造，反映了他卓越的军事才能。

③石不转：指涨水时，八阵图的石块仍然不动。(remember Israelites crossed River Jordan - twelve stones/rocks?)
④失吞吴：是吞吴失策的意思。In the very beginning the kingdom of Wu (under Xun Qun and Chow Yu) forged alliance with Kingdom of Shu (Zhu Ge Liang) to counter the all powerful late Han Dynasty (魏 -Wei) prime minister Caocao (曹操) in battle of the Red Cliff (赤壁之戰),After establishment of "detente" among the three kingdoms: 魏、蜀 、吴 , Zhu Ge Liang regretted that he did not conquer Kingdom of Wu, as subsequently the Kingdom of Wu grew more powerful and ambitious and attempted to destroy the other two kingdoms (Shu and Wei) captured and beheaded Zhu Geliang's general Kuan Yu - 關羽 - no forever friends or enemies!

八阵图 strategy being adopted and proven by latter military strategists, including, Tang Dynasty (Emperor Li Shi Min), Qing Dynasty Emperor KangXi (八旗軍) when he defeated the Russian Tsar. Others who applied similar strategy include French Napoleon, Nazi Hilter, etc - conquest of Europe and Central Asia.

If I have not mistaken, I believe the approach of 八阵图 was applied in the Joshua leading the Israelites crossed River Jordan.

To defeat the incumbent, one has to apply the wisdom: 以柔制剛, 以少勝多, 以弱勝强.

Wisdom of Zhu Geliang - 諸葛孔明

Those who are skilled in combat do not become angered, those who are skilled at winning do not become afraid. Thus the wise win before they fight, while the ignorant fight to win. - Zhu Ge Liang 萬古軍師 - 諸葛孔明

MOE World’s Best-performing School System?

Our pupils do brilliantly in Mathematics and Science tests. America students are worse off in examination results but do better in the real world. Students from China, Taiwan, Korea and India outshine anything in the United States academically. East Asian countries top virtually every global ranking of students in Science and Mathematics. It's not just Singapore pupils outperformed America in this area, it's an East Asia and global phenomenon. "Singapore ranked 4th among 45 education systems” – Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) 2006.Afterall, this is not something exclusive that Singapore MOE should feel proud of. Singapore's students do so brilliantly on these tests, when you look at these same students 10 or 20 years later, few of them are worldbeaters anymore. Singapore has few truly top-ranked scientists, entrepreneurs, inventors, business executives or academics. American kids, by contrast, test much worse in the upper primary and secondary levels but seem to do better later in life and in the real world. Why? One belief is that Singapore and America have different types of meritocracies: American is a talent meritocracy.Singapore an exam meritocracy.An exam meritocracy is not able to assess the student well in areas like creativity, curiosity, risk taking, ambition, etc. Most of all, America has a culture of learning that challenges conventional wisdom, even if it means challenging authority. These are the areas where Singapore is far behind many first world countries. Some years ago, a friend of mine brought his children back from America and put them in Singapore MOE SAP schools. He pointed out a marked difference in that the American school, when his children would speak up in class during lessons, they were applauded and felt good. In Singapore, they seen as disobedient and weird. The fun, passion and culture of learning is totally absent here. Our MOE system makes learning a chore. Work hard, memorize and test well. After two years of struggles for the kids, he took them out of the Singapore SAP schools and put them into a private, international schools. This certainly provokes thoughts about Singapore MOE education system.

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林花谢了春红，太匆匆，无奈朝来寒雨晚来风。

胭脂泪，相留醉，几时重？自是人生长恨水长东！

无言独上西楼,月如钩,寂寞梧桐,深院锁清秋.

剪不断,理还乱,是离愁,别是一般滋味在心头.

南唐后主李煜

MOE Faces Challenges

Elitism in the education system triggers competition at all levels – among pupils, classes, teachers, principals, schools and parents. Elitism identifies and picks the best. However, not everyone can be the best. For some to be the best, others would have to settle for second, third or even fourth place. This quest to be the best inevitably results in an over emphasis on ranking. Instead of teaching and learning, schools are focused on comparing and competing. Aggressive streaming done at too young an age kill alot of late developers and potential talents.

Elitism breeds elitism. A good PSLE score is needed to get into a top secondary school. Good “O” Level examination scores are needed to get it a top Junior College or popular courses in the polytechnics. Excellent “A” Level or diploma results are needed to get into the local universities. Everyone wants only top results. Many in this society only narrowly focus on getting these results at the expense of learning. This is competition in a well.
The system is overly focused on performance ranking, academic achievement and the acquisition of skills to prepare students for the rat race and paper chase. Moral education and character developments seem lacking, if the increasing reports on teenage suicide and sex are anything to go by. Have we done enough to get to the root causes of these social problems? The current system of school ranking and teacher performance appraisals need to be reviewed.
The quest for knowledge feeds the competition for grades, which students partake in so that they can move on to next level of their education or secure a better paying job. Once attained, students tend to lose the motivation to upgrade themselves. Sadly, it is perhaps for this reason that the initiative to promote lifelong learning and inculcate it as an attitude and practice didn’t start in the schools but originated from the labour movement. Our education policy has undergone too many changes that may be in conflict with the ancient philosophical wisdom of "Bai Nian Shu Ren"( 百年树人 ).

The heavy price we are paying for due to agressive streaming, ranking and branding in our schools are as follow. The youths these days are apolitical and self-centred. Compared with the youths in Hong Kong and Taiwan , the typical Singaporean youth does not have a sense of entrepreneurship, much less to ever aspire to become an entrepreneur. Can this be attributed to the dominance of civil service jobs and the presence of multi-national corporations? The civil service takes in the most talented scholars who might not have had the exposure to or have ventured into business. Singapore is a country with good administrators but a society badly in need of entrepreneurs. Instead of bi-lingual, today Singapore pupils speak only Singlish. Singapore is fast becoming a mono-lingual society. Our next generation has lost the cultural heritage in their ability to speak our dialects.

小六定终身, 天生我材必有用， 拒绝分流！
http://tankinlian.blogspot.com/
http://geraldgiam.sg/
http://www.beyondsg.typepad.com/
http://www.avatarimage.net/news/Chiam-See-Tong.html
http://singaporemind.blogspot.com/2009/12/alex-tan-barred-by-ypap.html
http://theonlinecitizen.com/
http://www.temasekreview.com/
http://www.gov.sg/
Lee Hsien Loong
Goh Chok Tong
Ho Ching
Mah Bow Tan
http://www.cabinet.gov.sg/CabinetAppointments/Mr+Mah+Bow+Tan.htm
Lee Kuan Yew
Wong Kan Seng

Dr Poh Lee Guan & Dr Yam Poh Nam, John

Singapore Economic Growth Measurement

I believe that our economy will eventually reach a saturation point
like most western countries and Japan. Realistically, our long
term objective should focus on longer term sustainable, balanced
and moderated growth – not just property prices and productivity growths.
Greater emphasis in tracking and measuring the number of quality jobs created
(value added products and services) is more relevant than just GDP growth.

Singapore Education World Ranking Versus Canada Education

“Singapore’s ranked 1st in quality education system in the world” – Global Competitiveness Report 2007–2008
“Singapore ranked one of the world’s best-performing school systems” – McKinsey Report, published September 2007
“Singapore students ranked among the top in Mathematics and Science” – Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2007
“Singapore ranked 4th among 45 education systems” – Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) 2006
Those are very impressive achievements that one can be proud of. Dr.Ng Eng Hen, the Education Minister of Singapore, cited a 2007 survey by the Fraser Institute that shows 94 per cent of Ontario students were dissatisfied with the Canadian public school system. Dr.Kishore, Dean of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at NUS, proudly claimed that educational leaders around the world are flocking to Singapore to copy Singapore’s successful educational model. He said that some North American schools are even using similar textbooks in their schools.
Canada may not have a perfect education system but I seriously doubt the reliability of the survey cited by Dr Ng. One has to question the criteria and sample size used for the survey.
Most Canadians are proud of their education system and will not trade it for the aggressive streaming system of Singapore where one’s future and career is based solely on academic results. Studies have shown that passing standardized examinations with good grades does not necessarily mean that one has a better knowledge of the subject than another with lesser or failed grades. In most cases, it simply shows that the person is better in the art of taking examinations. There are controversies amongst Canadian educationists if standardized examinations can accurately assess students’ subject knowledge and the application of that knowledge. Not knowing how to apply the knowledge is no knowledge at all.
In the pursuit of academic excellence, Singaporean parents force their children to study long hours to make the grade. In the fierce process, Singapore children are denied the joys of childhood. This explains why Singapore children are more stressed and tensed compared to Canadian children with their happy and carefree outlook. Children of Singapore friends who visit me in Canada tend to be more reserved and do not interact well. More interestingly, almost all of them would bring their school work during these visits. The parents made sure that their kids did certain hours of studies everyday despite the fact that they were on holidays. It is a strange trend amongst Singapore parents who want to be one-up on others. It is a reflection of the typical Singapore “kaisu” culture.
Life is a marathon, not a sprint
Canada is one of the few countries that do not have a central or federal education ministry. All the thirteen provinces and territories have their independent education ministries to coordinate the national system through the Council of Education. This system has worked well for the country. Canada’s literacy rate is 99 per cent and placed at 19th in world standing, while Singapore’s is 94.4 per cent and placed at 74th, according to UNESCO in its 2007 annual report.
Canadians believe that life is a marathon and not a 100-meters sprint. Children are encouraged at a young age to develop at their own natural pace. There is no streaming. Mentally-challenged children are put in the same class as the normal and gifted children. Exceptions are made for severe mental cases. Under this environment, Canadian kids learn to develop compassion towards the less fortunate and realize that the world comprises different kinds of people. Hence they grow to be less arrogant and less prejudicial.
It is mandatory for students to do part-time jobs or perform volunteer duties at seniors’ home and other charity organizations in order to graduate from high schools. The students get marks for doing charity or part-time jobs. It is not uncommon to see volunteers in the hospital reception areas, families picking litter on the streets, distributing food/clothing to the needy, volunteers in senior homes, even the mentally and physically challenged are taken care of by volunteers. While in Spore the handicapped are considered an embarrassment and kept in the homes by their families, here in Canada volunteers bring them out shopping and they are encouraged to participate in recreational activities.
Canadians constitute less than 1 per cent of the world’s population but provides 10 per cent of the world’s peacekeeping forces in its selfless and unceremonious way. Volunteerism has become second nature to Canadians.
Singapore – just study and get good grades
This is in contrast with Singapore where an increasing number of parents would have maids attend to every need of the children. The maids carry the school bags, bring the drinks and food. All the children need to do is to study and get good grades. It has come to a point where many kids cannot do without maids. I have friends whose kids would scream to their maids to do simple chores like getting a drink. Few of these kids know how to make a cup of tea let alone a simple meal for themselves.
Even our much respected figure of MM Lee, despite all the fine education and good grades he had, did not know that one needs to peel off the egg shell before a hard-boiled egg can be eaten. (As related recently by his daughter in a Straits Times article.)
It is a common practice for Canadian university students to take a year or two off to travel the world and return to complete their studies later. My daughter took a full year off to backpack in Australia two years ago. With another classmate, they bought a used car and drove all over Australia. Most of my friends in Singapore thought I was crazy to let a young girl postpone her studies and travel aimlessly for a year.
Perhaps to most Singaporeans, it was a complete waste of time and money. My two other boys similarly backpacked in Africa, South America, Asia and Europe during their summer holidays. They learned more from their travels than from textbooks. Most importantly, they enjoy their lives. It is difficult to reconcile how forcing our children to go on a relentless paper chase can be the right thing to do.
Canada may not compare well with the Singapore education system in world rankings. Canadian students may not compete well in mathematics and science tests against Singapore students. Despite these, however, Canada has produced eighteen Nobel Prize winners, 44 Olympics medalists, with 9 Gold Medalists in the last three games, plus hundreds of world-renowned entrepreneurs, artists, musicians, writers, actors, singers, etc. By population ratio, Singapore should produce at least three Nobel Prize winners and scores of artists and writers, etc. Even Hong Kong and Taiwan each managed to have one Nobel Prize winner, many Olympic medalists and entrepreneurs.
Trade-off and compromise
The Canadian and the Singapore education systems are built on different premises. Singapore trains its students to be 100 meters sprinters for fast results to show the world whilst the Canadian system train its students to be marathon runners for the long haul in life. Canadian public education is free for all its citizens and permanent residents - from kindergartens to high schools. Tuition fees for most universities cost an average of C$6,000 per year.
The unscientific assumption by Singapore’s leaders that if you are not good at passing examinations with good grades, you are unlikely to make good for the rest of your lives, is laughable. History has shown us that there are scores of high achievers without degrees, i.e Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Michael Dell, Richard Branson, Walt Disney, Henry Ford, Frank Lloyd Wright, etc.
History teaches us that we cannot get something for nothing. If we push our children hard to be super human beings, we may push most of them over the edge. There is always a trade-off and compromise.
These children would grow up to be blinded by materialism and money, potentially resulting in a lack of compassion, failed marriages, poor social interaction skills, aggressive behaviors, and so on. No one has managed to social engineer a super society. There are already signs Singaporeans are stressed out before retirement. If the people are pushed at an early age, they will wear out at an early age. Few people can last being stressed for their entire working lives.
Singapore may have a better education system (according to certain rankings and studies) and the citizens may be contented and proud of it. However, I still prefer the traditional Canadian education system where we are taught to be human beings rather than human machines. We may not be high in world rankings but we are happy. That is what life is all about. All the millions of dollars a year would not necessarily bring you genuine joy and happiness.
We were born with nothing and we will leave with nothing.

Wing Lee Cheong - Canada
Source:http://theonlinecitizen.com/2009/11/why-i-prefer-canadas-education-system-world-ranking-or-not/

新加坡人的心声

我读了您写有关于”外来人才”的话题, 的确在我们现今的社会,几乎每个角落都可以看到,包括工作,学校,家庭中,我们都好像非得靠着这些来自新加坡以外的人力资源.我也曾经在心里有过许多的问号.

您的文稿中也提到了有关我们的房产事项,现在的房屋价额不停的上涨,也成为了人民很重的负担.这也是我们下一代要面对的问题. 他们将要面对的是将来的房屋价格, 工作薪金, 和孩子的教育问题.

我或许在这里也分享一下自己所经历的不同年代,以及一些变化后的看法和忧虑.

我出生在1959年, 走过了六十年代和七十年代的教育,我是在一间很简陋的小学毕业,当时也有好学校和普通学校之分,但是我们一定有学校可以继续升学. 我们当时只有留班制度, 好帮助学生真正的完成小学的进度, 继续升到中学.我们的学费也得到政府完全的资助, 当时外来的学子, 大都是父母花了许多的金钱, 才能把他们的孩子放在新加坡读书, 当时我以身为新公民而感到骄傲.

当年我们的父母不用担心因为没有钱交学费和考试费, 而使孩子失去求学的机会; 我们一般都能完成最基本的中学教育;而现时代的教育, 表面上去看, 似乎每个学生都有受惠于政府的教育资助, 但是一旦到了中学,考试都必须要付费,学院的考试费也比中学高;一些经济环境不好的父母, 就要面对孩子参加考试的费用而担心, 因此要搅尽脑汁去借贷.;考完试后又要担心考试成绩不好而没有学校可以接受他们. 虽然我也知道, 现在的学校都有辅导和经济援助,但是往往是要求父母,甚至孩子去面试而谈,手续相当的麻烦,而且只是暂借学费,并且未必一定能得到暂借的资助. 我想作为父母的一定会为着孩子去面对,但是要孩子在学校去面对这样的事,他们要如何去面对呢?他们的年龄可以承受吗? 到了大学, 父母若没有储蓄, 或公积金, 孩子就必须向银行贷款来完成他们的学业, 一旦毕业, 就是开始成为了背债的人.要开始还债.

我们的孩子要进入中学,学院,和大学的路程为什么会那么的辛苦? 争学位, 争成绩,都成为了孩子们的重担呢?我们现代的父母要养育一个孩子要那么的烦恼和负担? 所以倒不如不要生孩子, 只拼事业吧!这些都是现在处处可听闻到的事实.是一个很不健康的事实吧?

在教育上,我不反对教育的提升,我也可以接纳外来的学子, 但是应该是以培育我们真正的新加坡公民为主制. 外来的学子, 应该要支付他们来我国就学的费用,我们的政府也应以本土的待遇,先培育自己国内的人才. 若要资助外国学子,应该要他们成为我们的公民,而非永久公民,因为永久公民随时可以一走了之,政府更应该仔细的设立一些条款,限制他们完成学业后,若要移民到别的国家,必须把政府所资助的一切费用回归给我们的国家.以免造成国家的损失.

现在我们再看看一个中学,或学院和大学毕业的孩子,所要面对的现实社会问题. 目前我们的政府不停的鼓励那些公司,让雇员提升技能, 而且会给以辅助津贴,身为国民的我们,也应该了解真正获益的国人,所得到的巴仙率有几成,这也应该是个我们要关注的问题. 因为一旦我们的孩子踏入社会,他们就要面对很大的事业竞争.不管他们是否学历高或低,他们都要面对.因为外来的员工.处处都有,薪金要求也都比我们低.他们没有房贷,没有教育贷款, 可是我们的下一代,却必须面对着公积金扣除后, 所剩的钱,还各样的贷款.而且他们将要面对房屋高涨的价格,若以他们的薪金相比,可是遥远不及的数目.虽然政府在房屋问题上,似乎也作了许多的补助计划,但是若以目前的迅速高涨,以及给于高额的贷款给我们的下一代,恐怕他们是要还上一辈子了.如果我是这世代的年青人,我也不要生育孩子了,免得害了他们将来要承受失学,和失业的问题. 更不要增加自己的经济负担.

近几年来,我也真的看到住屋有很大的变化,包括了我们所谓的政府组屋,由我们当年的薪金倍数来计算的话,以前是年薪的约四到十倍就能还清,而现在的增长倍数为接近二十到六十倍.而我们下一代的薪金增长只有三到六倍, 他们要如何去面对生活上的经济问题, 因此生育也很自然的成为他们必须要计划与考虑的问题. 他们的根在这里,他们不可能和来自其他国家的公民做比较,这样对他们是很不公平的. 他们除了在事业上死拼外,另一个选择就是放弃竞争.默默的做个无声的公民.

其实国家的进步和繁荣,是很值得我们骄傲的,引进外来人才,也是一个很好的政策. 提升组屋也是对我们有益的事.从前我很庆幸自己生长在这里,而如今我却觉得自己失去了那份公民的荣耀,犹如一个寄宿者,而我的孩子只是在这里出生而已.我也感到作为一个新加坡人好累.

所谓国家的资产就是人民的财富,现在数算起来,好像都是属私人机构在管理.就连我们的水电供应局也是由私营机构招标管理;我们的组屋已经成了公开市场的产业,而且建屋局条例说换就换,换到好多国人不是买不起,就是因条例限制而不能买.而永久公民, 也能拥有我们的组屋.我们还能有什么可为傲的呢? 在人的角度,我可以体恤他们的需要,在一个国民的角度,我会为那些买不起和不能买的公民们觉得不公平.

以下有几个值得我们反思的事情:
1. 孩子的教育: 以前是外国来征聘我们到国外工作,因为我们不单是精通双语,而现在的教育制度专注在英语,华文也只有基本的基础而已,更别提方言,甚至连能否有学位都要以学分来定. 反之外来的学子们,他们不单对自己的国家熟悉,又加上在我国受教育,无形中就占了更好优势.我们的孩子要拿什么去跟他们比呢?有的外来孩子还是由我们政府资助的所谓精英.到底这些精英完成学业后,是否都已是新加坡公民了吗?他们有留在这片土地上,为这个给于他们免费教育的国家做出奉献吗?真正有留下的比率是多少?这是值得我们去考量的事.在新的教育制度与媒体的大渲染,出现了我们的名校,也因为有了名校,使到名校附近的产业价值增涨.这种现象是否健康呢?

2. 住屋的问题: 政府组屋是给国人安定的最基本产业.如今永久公民也可以在公开市场买卖.而且价额的迅速上涨,不是一个良性的现象.建屋发展局提到国人要以预购来买津贴的组屋,以免出现过多的兴建问题; 租组屋的等候也必须要约一年,而且租赁房屋的需求也大量的增长,这现象好像是在开倒车.我们从前是由租赁房屋, 随着社会进步,而拥有了属于自己的组屋,现在国人却为了经济上的需要和存着短期利益的念头,或某种原因等等,失去了机会和资格, 但是又没有租赁组屋可以供应,以致要租房,这现象也使房屋租金不停增高.建屋局有很多的政策与条例改革,但是为什么还有那么多的国民,无家可归呢?要限制国民以津贴组屋来投资牟利,应该要好好的实行一些更好的条例,而不是单以某些限制条例来约束,比如只给以两次的优惠津贴贷款后,或许可以个别公民的问题去了解后,决定再以限制性的条款卖给那些真正有需要的国人,好让他们可以解决住屋的问题.
老人公寓是一个很好的实施政策,它也限制国人用来在公开市产买卖投资牟利,建屋局是否可考虑以这种限制法令,帮助那些年龄介于四十至五十岁,公积金只有一百千,收入在壹千左右,突然离婚,孩子经济能力很低或没有孩子,贷款不到,而又已享有了两次优惠津贴的公民,施行兴建多点小型的组屋卖给他们,让他们可以在五十五岁前,还可以动用他们的公积金存款来购买.同时限制他们不可在市场公开买卖,不可出租.一旦放弃,可以用所住的年份来统计余额归还他们的公积金户口. 并且限制这种购屋只可以申请一次,建屋局条例既然常换, 为何不多加一些让需要的国人更受益的条例呢?反倒一直只关注于提升和翻新的需要呢?

3. 民生的问题: 我知道我们的政府在很多贫苦家庭,给予了许多的补助与津贴,但是我也知道有许多的中层家庭,也很需要政府的补助,他们介于不高又不低的收入,但是在生活上又面临很多的经济困难,在申请补助时又不受理,他们也是需要关怀和正视的国人.由于国人都受到公积金的条例限制, 到了四十五岁后,按着每五年的更动与调整,所可动用的普通户口,也会随着减低,本来可以刚好支付的房屋贷款,却变得不够了,特别户口的钱又有所限制,只可以动用限定的数额来支付房屋贷款.在退休政策上,好像是为着我们的老年,退休而计划,但是这却造成了未老就要面临生活的经济困难.我们是否真的需要保留一个特别户口和一笔退休金在公积金户口?有了这笔退休金,我们真的老了生活就有保障吗?HDB 提到目前有许多的家庭在拖欠贷款,其实有许多的家庭他们的公积金(OA)普通户口已用完,而在(SA)特别户口有钱,可能可以应付三到五年的经济困难,但是由于只能动用限额,因此造成了现金上的问题.,也使这些家庭陷入了要承担HDB贷款拖欠的利息,也造成了组屋的套现与转卖市场活跃,最后可能也造成了国人失去了家. 因为这样的转卖套取现金,最终可能也由于HDB的各种条例,无法再买回一间组屋了. 这种情形是很不健康的现象, 是值得我们谨慎的去解决国人住屋(家)的问题.

4. 就业的问题: 最近政府宣布要减低外来的员工申请, 这个问题早就应该被关注.我也期盼对那些办外来工人的经纪公司, 政府有必要严格的看管他们的行政. 目前市场上有太多的员工经纪公司,大量的把国外工人申请到我国,除了薪金低,他们也有很多是在经纪公司隐瞒及误导资讯的情况下,被骗来到我国工作的. 现在新加坡的工作准证类别也好像越来越多了. 这也显示了我国对外来员工的条例,已放宽到了各个不同阶层与机构,都可以申请, 而非只有专业的人才和大机构有足够的本地员工人数,才可以申请及聘用外国的员工,这无形使到雇主可有很多选择,以及理由来减低聘用本地人.我想国人不是不愿做, 而是低薪无法负荷生活上的需要.我也不否认确实有一部份的国人, 在征求工作时要求很多, 以致难以找到一份安定的工作.但是那并不代表我国工作机会多, 而国人不愿做为理由, 因此需要从国外大量引进员工或放宽永久居民的申请.好填满我们的土地和增加国家的经济繁荣. 这是对国家有利的政策,但也是有弊的,若国人的生活与工作,持续或无法平衡,再过十年,我们可能就会看到土生土长的新加坡公民,会越来越少.我们的公民意识也可能会越来越低, 归宿感也会慢慢消失.这不单是民生的问题, 也将会是国家的问题.

总结:
在我的年代生第三个孩子要罚款,但是却还是有许多人,被罚款也要生孩子.现在生孩子,可以得到政府的奖金和许多孩子成长的津贴, 但是许多父母却只要生一个或宁愿不要生孩子.这种反差的根源是什么呢?

我们目前的教育制度,对我们的下一代真的有益吗? 政府在教育上的资助,真的让家长们减轻生活的负担了吗?

组屋的新政策和新条例,可以给国人一个安定的家吗?组屋的售价快速高涨, 国人真的应付的了吗? 我们还有许多的国人,甚至要向永久居民的组屋屋主租房间,这样的现象真的是生活在提升吗?

公积金的特别户口(SA)真的有必要以限制数额来保障我们的老年退休吗? 如果目前连组屋贷款都承担不了,人民的生活会安定吗?

一位新加坡母亲的心声

本人几年前就曾经亲身在巴士上听到两个中国的学生批评我国的教育,他们不但没有感谢我们政府给于的优待,反而对我们的教育提出批评,说我们的教育程度低,老师教导方式很烂等的话题;他们甚至提到如何在完成这里的学业,再往国外发展的计划.当下我真的很不舒服,心里不停的问为啥我们的政府要承担这些外来的精英,而却不被感谢,成为他们的踏板.我们身为新加坡的家长在供养孩子上却那么的辛苦,尤其一旦到了四十岁后,更是要面临公积金的短缺,在房屋贷款上要加附现金,和孩子的教育与学费而面临双重的经济困难.

我也很反对媒体在大事"渲染"所谓的"状元",这样的报导用在教育上,无形会造成了学校,教师,学生和家长的压力;因而产生了"怕输"的心态.我们都经历了60s,70s,80s,90s 年代的教育体制，我们都是土生土长的新加坡公民，也清楚我们的家长在我们身上的教育方式。他们大多数都是来自低教育或无教育背景的父母亲，但是他们也同样的把我们栽培起来，不是因为他们有很好的教育背景，而是当时的教育体制，和政府的专注都在我们这一代的本土孩子身上。但是到了我们的孩子时，分流制度，学分制度，使我要常常提醒自己，不要给孩子太大的压力；因为常常会看到孩子为了学分而担忧。但是又不可忽略他们的成绩，因为一旦学分太低，就会影响到他们升级的问题；一个成绩的公布，有如古时的“状元上榜”，也把孩子的前途，和上大学的路定下来了。真是父母难当，孩子也难当，我想老师也不易当！

我其实并不反对提升教育，但是以一个学分而来规划孩子的程度，实在是不正确的教育制度。更糟的是近这几年，我国政府还把国外的所谓精英引进到国内，让我们的孩子和他们竞争，不但剥削了我们自己土生的孩子在教育上本可得的津贴，也成为了他人的踏板。我们的政府常常提到，吸取外来的精英到我国，但是好像忽略了我们的孩子也同时流失了。我的孩子甚至曾经和我分享到，他感觉他不像是新加坡人，因为太多的外地人已经取代了我们，到哪里都好像外国人比我们新加坡人多。我突然感到自己的孩子真的失去了“归属感”；这是很可悲和担忧的事。这也可能就是您所提到的“新加坡人的独立思维能力将会丧失，不再懂得如何思考与发问”。因为他们都感到失去了他们的身份，对自己成长的国土已没有“归属感”了，所以就不必提出问题。外国的孩子可以把我们的教育当踏板，我们的孩子也可以； 这是我们必要担忧的事。所以我们一定要坚持“拒绝精英体制”

Mr Low Thia Khiang MP for Hougang SMC - 2010 Lunar New Year Celebration