Chasing grades, not dreams

It is a brand new year, am I ready for it? I am not too sure. I guess it is age and I have been thinking about many issues about life. Just two days ago, I was at the bookstore at Thomson Plaza and I saw this mother squatting on the floor, with 3 school-going children around her. What caught my eye was 2 baskets of assessment books. They were all sitting around to examine each of these assessment books. I was very perturbed by what I saw. One of the boys said, "I must have this assessment, it helped me got my A1 last year."

I don't want to turn out like that! Yes, I buy assessment books, because I feel have no choice. The system especially in a school like the one Tobey goes to, requires enrichment. If not, you get lost in the system and more importantly, I worry for Tobey's self-esteem if he doesn't get by well enough. Much as I want to say, this is not school life should be and character is more important than chasing grades, I find myself drawn into this system.

In another example, I was at a friend's party and sitting at the same table as this ivy league undergrad who came back for holidays. He was talking to a friend of mine. He was talking all about himself. It went like this,

"Oh, by the way, I am studying in ABC uni, back for the hols. I just had my 1st semester and I did well, oh IN FACT, I did VERY well! All As, and I beat all the ang mohs. Actually, not difficult to do well there lah because the ang mohs, they all go uni to play but I just study a bit harder."

Okay, don't need to exclaim your achievements, I thought. I feel sorry for that guy, probably a scholar of some Ministry in Singapore but I also pity the people he has to work with or his subordinates in future if he continues to behave like that. Is this the kind of attitude or behaviour that our schools are nurturing? Grades and achievements are important but let's not forget about basic human social and life skills like humility.

I told myself, Tobey may not be a A star student with A star grades but I glad for who Tobey is. He is a well behaved, considerate, caring and wonderful little boy. That's enough for me. Let's look at the strengths and the inner needs of every child.