Academic castes that dog us for life

Academic castes that dog us for life

Our school years hold many memories. Some of us remember playing football every day after school; others cringe at the memory of their younger, awkward selves. It was a mixed package for me.

FROM OLIVER MICHAEL –

26 MARCH

Our school years hold many memories. Some of us remember playing football every day after school; others cringe at the memory of their younger, awkward selves. It was a mixed package for me.

School was a stage for the drama of academic caste life. Hailing from a school with over a century of tradition and history, there were Express pupils who mocked Normal (Academic) pupils who, in turn, would sometimes look down on Normal (Technical) pupils.

Even within the Express stream today, there is a constant race to be the best. Secondary schools have a system where being first is more important than doing well.

Some would argue that such is school life. Unfortunately, these formative years have a lasting influence. Some pupils never outgrow their shell, and carry the burden of being called “stupid” into adulthood, lacking self-esteem.

Others rebel against the system and the unwanted label, sometimes banding with other misfits, and become the children who sit in the corner of class and disrupt lessons.

While most teachers are instrumental in encouraging pupils to change their ways, some just fuel the stigma. An English teacher from the Express classes once told me that N(A) pupils would “never make it”.

It does not end here. On the Internet, we see junior college students slamming polytechnic and Institute of Technical Education students. People step on others even in university.

The conflict of academic castes continues into our working lives. It is reasonable to assume that our experiences when we were younger, largely our interactions in school, make us who we are.

As such, I would recommend abolishing the streaming system. It would mean that pupils of varying abilities would come together in the classroom to learn how to live with and interact with one another.

The common argument against doing so is that because some students would be unable to catch up, classes would proceed at a slower pace. This fear is ironic, given the increased demand for private tutors under the current system.

Others might argue that the education system reflects Singapore society and, similar to working life, unless you are No 1, you are nobody. What kind of memories, though, do we want our children to have when they are older?

That their childhood was spent trying to consistently get straight As? That their days were packed back to back with school, tuition and co-curricular activities, leaving them feeling drained and depressed?

The by-product of our education system, academic castes, is not its only problem. The education system is meant to prepare people for life, and we have forgotten that there is more to life than grades and rankings.

ABOUT THE WRITER:

Oliver Michael is a final-year student at Kaplan Higher Education Institute and is taking a double major in Psychology and Communications & Media Studies. He was an N(A) student.