I admit that we have the best educational system in this part of the world (Southeast Asia). But the culture here in Singapore dictates that we can never stop improving. Yes, complacency is bad, but so is not knowing when to stop. In an attempt to outdo their predecessors, educators set more and more “challenging” questions in order to show that the system is progressing under their watch. But how much is too much? When does one go overboard and start drawing legs on snakes when they finish first?
This is question for a listening comprehension exercise. While we can all understand that it’s only a hypothetical case meant to test the student’s listening and understanding ability, I feel that the example is a really bad one. If there are so many changes to something as important as an exam timetable, would you dictate it to the class like that? Yao mo gao chor ah? You would print out a new timetable and have the parents sign to acknowledge the changes, wouldn’t you? Aiyoyo!
© Chan Joon Yee
