Making Learning Meaningful

Resonated with your post about PSLE. I'm taking my kids out too.

I’ve been following your post quite a while now, and just really resonate with your content and your ideology on education.

Hey John! I’ve been reading your courageous posts about the Singaporean education system. I’m reaching out in support and to say don’t give up on your mission and vision to change education!

I immigrated with my family from Singapore to Australia halfway through Secondary 2. This meant I unfortunately (or fortunately?) lived through PSLE. Being a good Singaporean student, my grades were good enough to get me to Nanyang Girls’ High School but I was a very average student once I got there. I endured huge amounts of pressure to do well academically, very much the same as many other Singaporean students. I remember feeling so much pressure as a child to always ace tests (even 99 was not enough), to the point that in Primary 2 when I was diagnosed with myopia through a routine health test at school, I was distraught having to break the news to my parents that I “failed” my eye test.

Upon reflection, I feel super fortunate to then have experienced the Australian education system for the 2nd half of my education. At the time it was tough being a teenager thrown into a whole new culture. And while it’s nowhere close to perfect, the Australian education system challenged Singaporean me to try new things (and be ok if it wasn’t the right path for me after trying) and to try to find things I enjoy (rather than stick to my parents’ prescribed path). This was a stark contrast to Singapore, where, between studying and working on compulsory extra-curricular activities (eg learning piano - lots of tears on those keys), there was never any time to discover my own strengths and interests. I am still unlearning this behaviour to this day - my early experiences shaped me so deeply as a human that I still struggle to identify hobbies and enjoy non-productive activities, because that was never celebrated or encouraged. But the pivotal change in my life in moving to Australia has helped me immensely.

Hi John, not a parent myself, but as someone who spent my primary school years overseas (2 years in an international school in Beijing, and 3 years in a British school in Brussels), and then coming back to Singapore’s stifling education system, it was definitely a very difficult adjustment (esp for someone who is naturally curious and adventurous). Glad to see more active discussion on this topic vs the “every school is a good school” or “we have a world class education system” mantra propagated in the mainstream media.

This group is really for anyone who cares about meaningful learning for kids.

Everyone can play a part in shifting mindsets about education.

As Anne Lamott puts it, bird by bird.

Parent by parent.

We are the change we have been waiting for.

Not lost on me that the acronym is MLM.

But we are MLM in the best possible way.

We are MLM for nurturing kids, giving them space, encouraging them to explore and experiment, letting them fail, telling them it's ok, just try again.

We are MLM for letting kids learn about the world and all of its wonders and ugliness, getting them to become global citizens, and to take action.

Most of all, we are MLM for letting kids be kids.

MLM because we will shift mindsets about learning.

One parent at a time.