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
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
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