today, the education ministry announced the psle results. and sometime mid-afternoon, i got 2 smses about it. one was from a friend and the other from my sis. both their kids managed to pass the psle with flying colours. for my friend, she said she was happy with her son's achievement. instead, it was her son who was unhappy with the results... hmmm... i supposed this was a happy problem. happy in that her son had taken it upon himself to do well. as for my sis, her daugther's results was nothing short of stellar. yet she complained that she now has lots of problem selecting a school for her daughter cos her score was 1 point short of entry into the top school in singapore. and added to that, her daughter had chosen a school that she felt was a little too far for her.
and i was thinking - wow, such a happy outcome yet it was made to sound rather negative. there are probably thousands and thousands of people who are happy just to be able to get into a secondary school or worst still, people who could not pass and had to undergo vocational skill training, etc. and here, the worry is about not being able to get into a top school or that the school was too far... it certainly struck me how a different perspective is all it takes to make a good bad and a bad good. and from that angle, yes, although i am facing so much problems at work, the fact that i have at least a job makes it a happy fact for me.
:-)
and i was thinking - wow, such a happy outcome yet it was made to sound rather negative. there are probably thousands and thousands of people who are happy just to be able to get into a secondary school or worst still, people who could not pass and had to undergo vocational skill training, etc. and here, the worry is about not being able to get into a top school or that the school was too far... it certainly struck me how a different perspective is all it takes to make a good bad and a bad good. and from that angle, yes, although i am facing so much problems at work, the fact that i have at least a job makes it a happy fact for me.
:-)
Hi, glad that you seem more cheerful today. Hope you would be able to do something for your mother to keep her occupied.
ReplyDeleteMy younger son did well in his PSLE too. He qualifies for the top schools but he intends to choose a good neighbourhood school which is closer to home. A lot of parents would wonder why and think it a pity. For me, I am supportive of his decision as long as he is happy with it. I am not ambitious enough, am I?
It was the same with his elder brother when he chose to go to Polytechnic to pursue the course he likes, instead of going to one of the top JCs. I respected and accepted his decision although his father was upset for days.
I really miss my home.
Cheers! :)
hey ladybird! it's good to hear from you again! and congrats for the good results of your son. i am sure he had worked very hard for it and must be really proud of it. yup, i would have done the same if i were you - to let him decide. it is an important part of character building. but do make sure you provide him with the necessary information he needed with the decision making process ya!
ReplyDelete:-)
Yes, agree with you that before my son makes the decision, he should have the necessary information.
ReplyDeleteHe has his criteria for his choice of secondary schools and has until 30 Nov to do that. He already has a few schools in mind and is sharing and exchanging information with his classmates and friends before finally deciding.
A number of his classmates' parents are choosing secondary schools for them especially if they qualify for the top schools; and for the girls, the parents prefer girls' school for their secondary education.
My elder son is currently working partime as a waiter. His objective is to save up and help his friend who has just completed his O levels finance his poly education because his parents had threatened not to support him if he should refuse to go the JC route.
He finds the job hectic, tough, tiring and stressful. It's a good thing because it made him realize how fortunate he is and what a comfortable life he has been leading. In fact, he told me he would not spend unnecessarily now that he knows how hard it is to earn that $7.50 an hour. I hope he really meant it because he always runs out of money before the month is up. I hadn't been successful in inculcating the value of money and the benefits of saving for rainy days to him.
:)
that's very nice of your son. his friend must be someone very special to him. yes, i see the good side too. makes him appreciate the value of money. very good for character building!
ReplyDelete:-)
I hope this good friend of my son would not fall out with his parents over his choice of JC/Poly. Hopefully they could settle the matter calmly and amicably.
ReplyDeleteThe parents want the best (JC --> University --> High-flying career --> prestige --> comfortable life in expensive Singapore?)for their son and refuse to let go of control but the son has other ideas and wants to break free.
:/
best intentions from parents often end up being not in line with the flow of the younger generations. i supposed we had all walked the path before... challenging aspect of being a parent. fine line. sometimes we fear trusting their decisions especially when we adopt the "been there done that", "i know better" attitude. and that may not necessarily be always wrong too...
ReplyDeletehmmm...