Overseas vs Local: The Brutal Truth Reloaded

In the previous post, I ended of with a promise to expand more on the point that local universities do play a part in fostering this spirit of apathy that is prevalent among the so called post 65ers today.

First and foremost, the OVER-emphasis on academics and CCAs for the sake of getting those points to improve ur record leave the average student little time to develop other aspects. Since the student is already fighting a battle against impossible odds just to get the grades, the said student will not be bothered about issues such as politics and what have you, especially since these stuff are more likely to land oneself in trouble with no tangible gain whatsoever. Local students simply wont have the time or energy to get interested in such stuff, and even if they are interested its probably for some kind of ulterior motive like trying to pave the way for a future in the Men In White or civil service.

But there is of course another reason why people are so apathetic (hence i started the previous para with first and foremost). The blame can be placed at the foot of the university administration.

From sources within the local universities, i have come to the conclusion that universities are run like junior college. Thus a university is like a higher level of a junior college; you are forced to mug till your pants drop and your merely a student in the place; you have no student rights to speak of. Take for instance the previous increase in university fees. Many of the students were caught with their pants down when the administration made the announcement. Even the student union was stunned. So what happens in Singapore society also happens in university. (Remember remember the fare increase after GE 2001 and GE 2006?). So what makes these students so jaded is that there is no way for them to effect any change. Of course there is but under the mountain of schoolwork most would feel that there is no point in expressing themselves, might as well concentrate on school work and in that infamous army phrase, lan lan suck thumb. So after such nonsensical policies are announced people will just get on with their lives because they do not wish to put their heads on the chopping block lest they get into trouble. Apparently the students are rather inactive in NUS and NTU; their student union leaders are in the SU for reasons of their own (getting CCA points and all) and even if there are good student union leaders, they wont be able to do much. Thus in local universities, instead of learning how to become an active citizen, one merely does what one has done throughout the course of one's education; study. Thus it comes as no surprise that once a person enters society, he will also not give two hoots about whats going on in society and be more concerned with his rice bowl. Our local education system seems to be the graveyard of idealism; unless of course your one of the elite who will be allowed to have some ideals, as long as you don't do a chee.

Now after all that is said and done, we must ask ourselves, what is the student union doing? Well the answer would be in the next post. However if one wants to do anymore reading on the subject, here are several links:

http://aaron-ng.info/blog/small-wonder-why-nus-alumni-not-donating-back-to-alma-mater.html
http://aaron-ng.info/blog/student-leaders-of-today-are-not-like-student-leaders-of-yesterday.html
http://charissaishere.blogspot.com/2006/11/watch-out-for-next-nus-fee-hike.html

to be continued

LOCAL VS OVERSEAS Universities: The Brutal Truth

Well it was not easy to come up with the next topic as there are too many things to talk about...the impending GST hike to HELP the Poor, the sudden dearth of bad news in the Straits Times, the sudden Nation Bashing Campaign by said news paper so on...

But anyway since i am going to enter one of our esteemed local institutions i guess i might as well have my 2 per cent worth on it...

Many of us dream of going overseas, i would remember the good old days in jc where those who wanted to apply for UK unis would hound the teacher in charge such that he went into hiding. Then there are those who apply to practically every scholarship awarding body for that overseas scholarship. Despite attempts to do so, i cannot truely recall a situation where students were enthusiastically trying to apply for local scholarships or local institutions.

So what makes an overseas education the preferred choice of students? Despite the constant reminders (through the Straits Times) that NUS is one of the top universities, I personally believe that there are a lot of things one can gain studying out of Singapore.

Firstly, the fact that a person would be in an environment that is not "uniquely Singapore" will help to expand his horizons. Exposure to a new culture is always helpful even if one doesnt feel too comfortable; at least one will not be ignorant of what goes on outside Singapore. A Culture Shock is what most of my frens say when asked of their experiences overseas.

Secondly, it appears that overseas university students are not the usual run of the mill Singaporean students. Instead of spending time mugging and clubbing, this folks are actually actively participating in the running of their university. Remember Warwick university? They were supposed to set up some kind of branch in Singapore, though they did not, citing the restrictions on freedom of expression. It appears that their students there are not the apathetic bunch of folks in this country. Though studying overseas does not mean u have to come back and get jailed for trying to start a protest, perhaps there one can start to take more interest in issues that are not so mundane and become less apathetic and more active in society.

Also, an overseas education works differently. There is more leeway for students to develop other areas rather than just focus purely on the academic, and not just for the sake of getting points for the purpose of remaining in a hall. Furthermore, independent learning for the sake of learning is encouraged, rather than learning for the sake of the elusive A. As a professor from LSE once told her audience," In LSE we give u a list of ten books and its up to u to see which book is suitable for u."

Thats about it for Overseas Education. Now its time to look at the flip side of the coin.

Though not a part of any local university as of this point of time, being in contact with students of the said universities have allowed me to have an idea of what local universities are like. However most of the comments are related to NTU and NUS, since i am not very familiar with how SMU works.

It appears to me that local universities are merely a more...for lack of a better word...advanced Junior College. From observation, i must say that some of my fellow female compatriots are studying a lot harder for their common tests than they did for the A levels or promotional examinations. In fact, someone has likened NUS to a pressure cooker, this is symbolic as Singapore's education has always been likened to a pressure cooker. Thus, as the saying goes, it would be the "same old shit" again once u enter university. Too much emphasis on academics, too much time in classroom make the Singaporean a dull person; able to pass tests, but with little else. This has serious ramifications for the person's future; if he is merely able to pass tests and do little else, then he will definitely lose out to those foreign talent and those who graduated overseas.

Furthermore, despite the various ECAs around, the fact that there is competition for hostel places will make people sign up for the ECAs for the sake of staying in a hostel and not for interest of the sport. This will futher foster the wrong mentality in people, whereby i do something not because i like it, but because i have to do it so that i can get this thing (remember remember community service?)

That brings us to another point, the point on apathy. Singaporean "post 65ers" have often received flak for being unconcerned with what happens around them. I believe that the way the university is run plays a part in this apathy. However, this post is getting rather too large and thus i shall continue another time...

to be continued

The Irony of the common NS man - He has a legislated duty to protect what others enjoy and milk out freely , yet no one sees the need for legislation even to protect his rice-bowl in the very system that will put him behind bars for not discharging his duty.

Im going to be abit lazy and borrow someone elses article for now. In response to the issue of MPs complaining that Singaporeans complain, this person had made a post. It did not end up in the papers (kinda expected) but it ended up online:

Nov 17, 2006
MP's remarks about 'complaining' S'poreans are unfair
I agree fully with the views expressed by Mr Benny Tan Seng Hee and Mr Wang Tiancheng, who reacted to Dr Mohd Maliki Osman's statement that Singapore is becoming a nation of problem-identifiers, not problem-solvers.
As an ordinary Singapore citizen, I would like to state that words cannot describe my disappointment with Dr Maliki.
I would take this opportunity to raise some questions and seek further clarifications on his statements in Parliament.
Isn't it ironic that Dr Maliki, an MP and community leader who was elected by Singaporeans who believe and have trust in his abilities to serve them, complain about Singaporeans' complaints?
I hope that it is not a sign that the MP is getting sidetracked from the tasks at hand by making statements and raising issues which do not significantly benefit anyone.
Exactly what is wrong with Singaporeans requesting assistance from the authorities when there is a problem?
Isn't this the most logical and civilised thing to do? Dr Maliki cited an example of residents calling their town councils when the lift landings are dirty. Is it wrong for residents who contribute monthly to the conservancy and maintenance costs of the estate to do so?
I strongly disagree with the statement that by 'giving feedback' to government agencies, many adults are bad role models for their children.
Filing complaints or 'giving feedback' is a legal and peaceful means of seeking redress, change and improvements.
This process educates the young to respect the nation's laws and raises awareness on the proper channels that are available to citizens. This will also provide them with the assurance that their views will not go unheard.
Dr Maliki's labelling of Singaporeans as 'problem identifiers' and 'problem referrers' is condescending, unfair and uncalled for. As far as I'm concerned, these negative labels have the potential to cause many Singaporeans to be upset, especially those who have voted for him to represent them in Parliament.
With all due respect, Dr Maliki should realise that delivering promises and staying focused on serving the needs of Singaporeans, regardless of how big or small the issue is, is part and parcel of his challenges as an elected Member of Parliament.
I invite Dr Maliki to clarify and explain his statements.
Mohammad Fahmi Bin Ahmad Abu Bakar

It is heartening to know that not all Singaporeans are immune to getting screwed...

Of Economics and Other matters

Having studied Economics during my Junior College time, i cant help but wonder at the lastest announcement that GST increase are meant to help people. In fact it seems to go counter to what i do know of economics...but then again i am no scholar so perhaps in the eyes of some i am not qualified to air my concerns, nevertheless i dun think i am breaking any of the laws so i shall carry on.

There are three forms of taxation, namely progessive, regressive and i have forgotten what the third is. But i will focus only on progressive and regressive as these are the two forms of taxation that have a bearing on income inequality.

Progressive taxation helps to reduce the issue of inequality. This is because those with a greater income will have to pay more tax. Regressive is the opposite; those with less income will pay a larger proportion of their income in tax. Thus Progressive Taxation will help narrow the income gap, while regressive taxation will widen the income gap.

So where does GST come in? Since it is a tax on all goods and services, and those with lower income will spend a greater proportion of their income on goods and services, we can therefore conclude that GST is a regressive tax.

But wait, Mr Lee did say that the GST will help fund the increase in government spending to help those with lower income... so this GST will help those with lower income!!!!

Perhaps thats what our ever reliable press is trying to drive into the minds of the people......however such a view is too optimistic by far...

Why so? Well, remember that no one knows where the money goes due to something called internal checks and balances, so what we give may not be equal to what we receive...thus will it be our net gain or loss? One must wonder....

And do not forget, some of those in the lower income group earn really little....cuz we dun have a minimum wage and with competition from foreign labour such wages are depressed further...so whether this thing about GST helping people is really debatable...

Anyway on other issues... as representatives of the people,it comes as no surprise that members of parliament will face a lot of complains from the people...in fact in my opinion listening to complains is less than the bare minimum of what a member of parliament should be doing, but more of that another time. Thus the fact that some mps are complaining that singaporeans are complaining leave me baffled...as a representative of the people u should expect them to come to u should they have any concerns... since ur oreddy paid more than what mps are paid elsewhere shouldnt u have the decency to listen to their concerns instead of condemning them? How can u represent the people if u dun want to empathise with them? With that, i do not remember who are the mps who said that, but i dread to think of that goes on in their minds and in the minds of their kids (remember Wee Shu Min?)