Einstein's E=MC2 ....he made it up?

Meng Lee · Post by **Meng Lee** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 11:42 pm

What I am saying is not just for one subject. Look at the inflow of foreign talents to do research. Simply because we cannot make it in many aspects.

For the subject of Physics itself, I am not judging just based on that. Accounts from my German, Italy, japanese, and american friends have given me their accounts.

Even if they learn just substituting numbers they are still better. Look at the foreign students in our schools, who are the top students.

The problem why you can't teach Goldstein or Jackson at uni undergrad, is because of the low level secondary and jc education here. Every year cutting syllabus will very soon bring us to our downfall.

JC students using graphic calculator does not even know how to sketch and visualise the graph.

In uni, you are training elites, and yet simplifying syllabus and reducing requirements, we are going downhill all the time.

If you heard about nus being one of the top universities in the world, please check the survey criteria and breakdown, you will know why we are the top.

Ok, I have been dwelling too much on this, everybody has their own thinking and perspective, I shall leave this thread.

Canopus Lim · Post by **Canopus Lim** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 11:59 pm

Meng Lee wrote: If you heard about nus being one of the top universities in the world, please check the survey criteria and breakdown, you will know why we are the top.

Yeah I know why they are on the top.

jermng · Post by **jermng** » Fri Aug 10, 2007 1:53 am

Why?

(Too lazy to go and look at the criteria Meng Lee mentioned)

jennifer1611991 · Post by **jennifer1611991** » Fri Aug 10, 2007 11:44 am

Oh my... How this has opened up my eyes...

Post by **weixing** » Fri Aug 10, 2007 12:52 pm

Hi,

Even if they learn just substituting numbers they are still better. Look at the foreign students in our schools, who are the top students.

May be that's because they are also the top students in their country which may be had a lots more students compare to Singapore.

Anyway, I know our top educational standard may not be as high as others, but I think it fair to think why before we start to complain and criticize our educational standard or system. Below are some possible reason:
1) Singapore is a small and young country with basically no natural resources, so our economy had nothing to depend on.
2) To support our economy, we need people with the knowledge or skills in the sector that our economy most depend on.

You'll realize that our current educational system actually is design to "produce" people that our economy need... ready to contribute to our economy straight away. As a result, with limited resources, our educational system is emphasize more on "know the subject" instead of "understand the subject".

By the way, may be our top students are not as good as the top students in other country, but I think the standard of our students are more consistence compare to other country.

Have a nice day.

kenny · Post by **kenny** » Fri Aug 10, 2007 2:59 pm

Sorry for being off-topic, I can't help but add my favourite quote from Einstein.

"Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former."

Meng Lee · Post by **Meng Lee** » Fri Aug 10, 2007 4:06 pm

There are 5 criteria in the world universities rankings. In short, look at the 2 criteria on research impact and popularity, you will know the truth.

Weixing, actually you are right, the ideology of the university and the education system is indeed to "factory mass produce" students to do jobs.

And I don't know which idiot started the idea that, more students = more attention from the university, various faculties are doing all sorts of nonsense to get students. In fact, even nus and ntu are putting all sorts of "carrots" to lure students. This is ridiculously happening under the table during nus and ntu open houses.

Then when students are lured in, some are good some are bad, but they can't fail them as it will not reflect well on the department, then the department will do ridiculous things and essentially all passed. All these distorted ideologies degrade education.

When I marked 1300 year 1 engineering exam papers, so many have total scores less than 20/100. When I conduct tutorials, so many open up blank papers ready to copy answers.

This is a university education, not kindergartan. If you are here to copy, please don't come to my class.

That's what I tell them. Then complains went by email almost reaching to central administration.

In essence, students please work hard. Respect education. And for educators, please find out what is true education.

With these right ideas, we can truly be as good as the top students. Then we do not have to simplify the syllabus to please the students. In the secondary school level, simplifying the syllabus is mostly to please the parents.

I try to stop here. Otherwise I will soon be expelled from this forum for being an extremist.

Sam Lee · Post by **Sam Lee** » Fri Aug 10, 2007 4:32 pm

Universities doesn't necessary means that it is for 'good' students. To my opinion , it is a choice for further studies in the subject of interest , to both the student and the society. If it was just about choosing the good students and letting the bad go , then its not education anymore.

There are no objections that departments sometimes do moderate the scores to bring up the passing levels . However , in education or even any graded activity, there are bound to be grey areas where students dont pass with good grades. You cant exactly call them good or bad students. There cannot be an absolute value to define them good or bad.
These students are however , given the opportunities to further apply and extend their knowledge in the society, whether or not they are in the same field they first studied in.

Its great that Meng Lee have shared experiences with tutorial students not doing there homework

. I believe there is no teacher in the world who have not faced that kind of issues before.
As said in 'The Freedom Writers Diary' , you cannot make someone wants an education.

Regards,
Sam

Meng Lee · Post by **Meng Lee** » Fri Aug 10, 2007 4:46 pm

At the tertiary level, not doing homework demonstrates immaturity.

But now I don't really care. I will conduct tutorials in a way that a tertiary student should see and learn.

The morale of the story is, if any of you is going to study in NUS, please pray that I am not your tutor, hehe.

Post by **weixing** » Fri Aug 10, 2007 5:25 pm

Hi,
Anyway, I think this is getting way off toptic... from Einstein to Singapore education standard to bad students... ha ha ha

So hope next post will be back to correct topic.

Have a nice day.