Forum: Lessons on primary school education worth learning from international schools
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I am a former Ministry of Education (MOE) mathematics teacher who has worked at international schools here and observed their teaching methods.
There are many good practices that MOE could consider adopting.
At those international schools, there are specific sessions set aside for pupils to play besides the usual recess and physical education lessons. Coloured chalk is provided for the pupils to draw in the enclosed carpark during play time. There are also creativity centres for pupils to create items with recycled materials.
Maths is also taught differently. For example, while local pupils are told to memorise that vertically opposite angles are equal, international school pupils carry out activities to investigate and conclude for themselves that those angles are equal.
A smaller classroom size, more teaching resources and a lighter syllabus help to facilitate more hands-on activities for pupils to discover and exercise their creativity. During lessons, international school pupils are often asked to express their opinions and explain their thinking. They have less homework, and little or no scolding from teachers.
In local schools, pupils are often overloaded with instructions and information from teachers. Pupils prefer to wait for instructions from teachers, and there is a fear among pupils of making mistakes.
Teachers seem hard-pressed for time to complete the syllabus and to prepare pupils well for examinations. There is very little room for pupils to develop independence, creativity and critical thinking.
While a robust and content-heavy syllabus has served us well in the past, it may no longer adequately prepare pupils for the future. Independence, critical thinking and creativity are important skills to develop.
MOE has in recent years initiated many changes, and is generally moving in the right direction in line with a fast-changing working world. Despite these positive changes, I feel that there is a need to review the primary school education system to inculcate the joy of learning in our children and bring the joy of teaching back to our teachers.
We must also make what is important in education measurable, and not just make what is measurable important.
Harry Lim
