A rebuttal to Eric Brooks’ call for Sporean to be ‘grateful'
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Originally posted by charlize:
I notice the trend now is to get people from developed countries like US, Canada, Australia to tell Singaporeans that they should be grateful to the government.
It perpetuates the thinking that "Singaporeans are always ungrateful" instead of the other way round, that Singaporeans, like everybody else in other countries, are striving to better their lives or protecting their own interests.
If Americans or Canadians or Australians complained and protested against local government policies, do Singaporeans write to the relevant papers in that country to tell them to be "grateful"?
Many of these White folk who settled here, aren't the creme de la creme of their former countries. They thrive here in Asia because of our soft, embracing cultures.I am not surprise if people, like Eric Brooks, go after Asian woman, turn Asian advocator, sing the praise of Asian. They are the very reject of their anglo-saxon societies. They marry asian because no White woman wants them, they have no social security back home so they find it cost effective to sojourn and seek medical here in Asia.
Back home, they were the drifters from job to job - the social rejects or trash in their former countries. Here they find jobs aplentiful and asian women an easy catch.
Pesonally, I came across these people. It doesn't mean a thing in what they said to discerning locals.
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Originally posted by complain or not:
Eric Brook is completely right, We Singaporeans take many things for granted. Instead of complaining so much about foreigners taking our jobs, all I see on the bus and mrt are FT's, foreign student dumping scholarship and running off to the US...etc....I mean what's the point??
Unless you are willing to actually do something about instead of just talk talk talk, the policies of the PAP will never change. Lets face it, we voted the PAP to power and gave them the mandate so stop complaining. Unless you really want or dare to do something about it, nothing will ever change. We'll all just be armchair protestors, complaining on the internet until we're satisfied then going down to Jalan Kayu for some Roti Prata served by Muthu from India or down to Geylang for some frog porridge served by Li Xin from China.
Unless the majority or Singaporean's future generation are prepared to let themselves be heard by the country's politicians, be very much content with what you have and say hello to your neighbour, Paolo from the Philippines, Bo Xin from China or Ali from Sri Lanka because thats the current and future of Singapore. Just live with it and accept it, or be someone like Eric Brook, leave Canada and find a country like Singapore with minimal permanant residency requirements and comment on the ungratefulness of that country's citizens on the newspaper. Unlike many many many Singaporeans, at least Eric Brook dares to voice his opinions (not just online), if Singaporeans are willing to do the same the government will surely listen to its people and take their views into consideration....or won't they?
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Originally posted by Atobe:
If one is a willing resident or citizen of Canada - should one not be expected to accept all that comes with the package ?If religion is not part of the equation, what possibly should be considered to make any kind of harmonious blend as the final product ?
It is obvious that Eric Brooks must have been employed to start a debate
Time will tell if he's 'employed' to start a debate.
Yes, it has to be expected (if you want to be a citizen in that particular country)
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Why I prefer Canada’s education system – world-ranking or not
Sunday, 29 November 2009, 1:39 pm | 455 views
Wing Lee Cheong / Canada
“Singapore’s ranked 1st in quality education system in the world” – Global Competitiveness Report 2007–2008“Singapore ranked one of the world’s best-performing school systems” – McKinsey Report, published September 2007
“Singapore students ranked among the top in Mathematics and Science” – Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2007
“Singapore ranked 4th among 45 education systems” – Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) 2006
Those are very impressive achievements that one can be proud of. Dr.Ng Eng Hen, the Education Minister of Singapore, cited a 2007 survey by the Fraser Institute that shows 94 per cent of Ontario students were dissatisfied with the Canadian public school system. Dr.Kishore, dean of public policies of NUS proudly claimed that educational leaders around the world are flocking to Singapore to copy Singapore’s successful educational model. He said that some North American schools are even using similar textbooks in their schools.
Canada may not have a perfect education system but I seriously doubt the reliability of the survey cited by Dr Ng. One has to question the criteria and sample size used for the survey.
Most Canadians are proud of their education system and will not trade it for the aggressive streaming system of Singapore where one’s future and career is based solely on academic results. Studies have shown that passing standardized examinations with good grades does not necessarily mean that one has a better knowledge of the subject than another with lesser or failed grades. In most cases, it simply shows that the person is better in the art of taking examinations. There are controversies amongst Canadian educationists if standardized examinations can accurately assess students’ subject knowledge and the application of that knowledge. Not knowing how to apply the knowledge is no knowledge at all.In the pursuit of academic excellence, Singaporean parents force their children to study long hours to make the grade. In the fierce process, Singapore children are denied the joys of childhood. This explains why Singapore children are more stressed and tensed compared to Canadian children with their happy and carefree outlook. Children of Singapore friends who visit me in Canada tend to be more reserved and do not interact well. More interestingly, almost all of them would bring their school work during these visits. The parents made sure that their kids did certain hours of studies everyday despite the fact that they were on holidays. It is a strange trend amongst Singapore parents who want to be one-up on others. It is a reflection of the typical Singapore “kaisu” culture.
Life is a marathon, not a sprint
Canada is one of the few countries that do not have a central or federal education ministry. All the thirteen provinces and territories have their independent education ministries to coordinate the national system through the Council of Education. This system has worked well for the country. Canada’s literacy rate is 99 per cent and placed at 19th in world standing, while Singapore’s is 94.4 per cent and placed at 74th, according to UNESCO in its 2007 annual report.Canadians believe that life is a marathon and not a 100-meters sprint. Children are encouraged at a young age to develop at their own natural pace. There is no streaming. Mentally-challenged children are put in the same class as the normal and gifted children. Exceptions are made for severe mental cases. Under this environment, Canadian kids learn to develop compassion towards the less fortunate and realize that the world comprises different kinds of people. Hence they grow to be less arrogant and less prejudicial.
It is mandatory for students to do part-time jobs or perform volunteer duties at seniors’ home and other charity organizations in order to graduate from high schools. The students get marks for doing charity or part-time jobs. It is not uncommon to see volunteers in the hospital reception areas, families picking litter on the streets, distributing food/clothing to the needy, volunteers in senior homes, even the mentally and physically challenged are taken care of by volunteers. While in Spore the handicapped are considered an embarrassment and kept in the homes by their families, here in Canada volunteers bring them out shopping and they are encouraged to participate in recreational activities.
Canadians constitute less than 1 per cent of the world’s population but provides 10 per cent of the world’s peacekeeping forces in its selfless and unceremonious way. Volunteerism has become second nature to Canadians.
Singapore – just study and get good grades
This is in contrast with Singapore where an increasing number of parents would have maids attend to every need of the children. The maids carry the school bags, bring the drinks and food. All the children need to do is to study and get good grades. It has come to a point where many kids cannot do without maids. I have friends whose kids would scream to their maids to do simple chores like getting a drink. Few of these kids know how to make a cup of tea let alone a simple meal for themselves.Even our much respected figure of MM Lee, despite all the fine education and good grades he had, did not know that one needs to peel off the egg shell before a hard-boiled egg can be eaten. (As related recently by his daughter in a Straits Times article.)
It is a common practice for Canadian university students to take a year or two off to travel the world and return to complete their studies later. My daughter took a full year off to backpack in Australia two years ago. With another classmate, they bought a used car and drove all over Australia. Most of my friends in Singapore thought I was crazy to let a young girl postpone her studies and travel aimlessly for a year.
Perhaps to most Singaporeans, it was a complete waste of time and money. My two other boys similarly backpacked in Africa, South America, Asia and Europe during their summer holidays. They learned more from their travels than from textbooks. Most importantly, they enjoy their lives. It is difficult to reconcile how forcing our children to go on a relentless paper chase can be the right thing to do.
Canada may not compare well with the Singapore education system in world rankings. Canadian students may not compete well in mathematics and science tests against Singapore students. Despite these, however, Canada has produced eighteen Nobel Prize winners, 44 Olympics medalists, with 9 Gold Medalists in the last three games, plus hundreds of world-renowned entrepreneurs, artists, musicians, writers, actors, singers, etc. By population ratio, Singapore should produce at least three Nobel Prize winners and scores of artists and writers, etc. Even Hong Kong and Taiwan each managed to have one Nobel Prize winner, many Olympic medalists and entrepreneurs.
Trade-off and compromise
The Canadian and the Singapore education systems are built on different premises. Singapore trains its students to be 100 meters sprinters for fast results to show the world whilst the Canadian system train its students to be marathon runners for the long haul in life. Canadian public education is free for all its citizens and permanent residents - from kindergartens to high schools. Tuition fees for most universities cost an average of C$6,000 per year.
The unscientific assumption by Singapore’s leaders that if you are not good at passing examinations with good grades, you are unlikely to make good for the rest of your lives, is laughable. History has shown us that there are scores of high achievers without degrees, i.e Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Michael Dell, Richard Branson, Walt Disney, Henry Ford, Frank Lloyd Wright, etc.History teaches us that we cannot get something for nothing. If we push our children hard to be super human beings, we may push most of them over the edge. There is always a trade-off and compromise.
These children would grow up to be blinded by materialism and money, potentially resulting in a lack of compassion, failed marriages, poor social interaction skills, aggressive behaviors, and so on. No one has managed to social engineer a super society. There are already signs Singaporeans are stressed out before retirement. If the people are pushed at an early age, they will wear out at an early age. Few people can last being stressed for their entire working lives.
Singapore may have a better education system (according to certain rankings and studies) and the citizens may be contented and proud of it. However, I still prefer the traditional Canadian education system where we are taught to be human beings rather than human machines. We may not be high in world rankings but we are happy. That is what life is all about. All the millions of dollars a year would not necessarily bring you genuine joy and happiness.
We were born with nothing and we will leave with nothing.
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Cartoon by the author. -
Patriotism and gratitude require reciprocity
Monday, 17 August 2009, 9:22 am | 1,901 views
The following is by Mr Cheong Wing Lee in response to Canadian, Mr Eric J Brooks’s second letter to the Straits Times. Mr Cheong emigrated to Canada from Singapore and is now a Canadian citizen.
Dear Editor,
Mr. Brooks’ second letter published in ST reiterate that Singaporeans should be grateful for what they have. He cited more examples of the failed Canadian welfare system as compared to the successful welfare system that Singaporeans are enjoying but have taken for granted.Again I am embarrassed by a fellow Canadian who misrepresented his own country. It is easy to verify what Mr Brooks had said through the Canadian High Commission or Amnesty International.
Canada may not have a perfect welfare system but having lived and worked in several countries myself, I must say that Canada is as good as anyone could wish for.
When I immigrated to Canada, I bought three cars for the price of one in Singapore and a 4,000 sq. ft house for the price of a 5-room HDB apartment. A similar house in Singapore would have cost S$2 million
Yes, the Canadian taxes are high but the citizens are well treated. For me, the savings on the purchase of the house and cars could pay my income tax for the rest of my life.
Every child in Canada gets free education from kindergarten to Grade 12, the equivalent of junior college in Singapore. Most schools are within walking distance from home. Free transportation is provided for students living farther away. Each child gets C$250 a month as “milk” allowance until 18 years of age. However this benefit may have been rescinded.
Contrary to what Mr. Brooks claimed, all my three children graduated from reputable universities in Canada without any problem. My children’s university education did not cost me much as my children were able to obtain grants and student loans to pay for their university fees. They took part-time jobs to supplement their pocket money.
The greatest joy for parents is to see the happiness expressed in their children’s eyes when they play in the beautiful parks during the summers, springs and autumns and snow in the winters. The satisfaction is more than money can buy. This is in contrast to the daily intensive tuition that Singapore children are subjected to.
Mr. Brooks’ assertion that many bright Canadian children are denied the opportunity to attend universities in Canada but could obtain full scholarships in Singapore is untrue. In fact it is the other way around. My niece who could not get into Singapore University, was admitted into a reputable American University. She finished her Masters, secured a good job and sadly did not return to Singapore.
In Canada, senior citizens are well respected and treated. Seniors travel free on public transport, i.e. the MRT, bus and ferry rides, from Mondays to Thursdays. They get discount for weekend travel, food and most purchases. They are entitled to old age pension and workman pension when they reach the age of 65. The combined income from these two pensions is about C$1,000 to C$2,000 or more a month. Seniors get subsidies for housing. Seniors can study in reputable universities and get a degree by paying a token fee of less than C$100 per semester.
When I was diagnosed with kidney failure, it cost the Canadian Healthcare C$80,000 a year for dialysis and medical treatments to keep me alive. I paid C$90 a month for healthcare insurance that covers both my wife and I. The Canadian healthcare pays for all hospital expenses including medications. It was free for me. When I travel overseas, my dialysis and medical expenses are reimbursed by Canadian healthcare up to the amount it costs in Canada.
The homeless issue was greatly exaggerated by Mr Brooks. This issue is universal and every country has its fair share of homeless people including Singapore. In Canada, most of the homeless people are there by choice because of their drug addiction. No amount of government assistance can help pay for their expensive habit. In Singapore, most of the homeless people are there because of economic reasons. They are either without pension and too old to get a job or abandoned by their children.
For Mr Eric Brooks to say that Canada has a failed welfare system is unfair and bias. Check with the Canada High Commission and verify what I said.
SM Goh Chok Tong can call us quitters and losers because he cannot see beyond his comfort zone. He has no worries. His job is secured for life and is paying him by the millions. It is little wonder that his wife said that $500,000 a year salary is peanuts. If he could only spend one day outside his comfort zone and live like an ordinary Singaporean drawing less than $2,000 a month with the anxiety of losing his job, the burden of getting his children through the fiercely competitive education system, the stress of living in a materialistic environment and the uncertainty of having a dignified retirement, SM Goh may then understand the plight of the ordinary citizens. It is easy for him to pass judgement when he already has everything.
Patriotism and gratitude require reciprocity. If a citizen feels unwanted and treated without respect, it is no shame for the outcast to seek greener pasture and realize his potential elsewhere. It would be naive to expect the outcast to be patriotic and risk his life to protect a privileged group who continue to reward themselves unchallenged by the millions.
My decision to immigrate was not politically motivated. It was based solely on the future of my family. I have three children when the Singapore government’s strict policy then was, “Two is enough”.
As for education, I was expelled from school at secondary two. I obtained an “O” level and a certificate from Singapore Vocational Institute (fore-runner of ITE) through evening classes. In a highly competitive society like Singapore where you are judged by academic excellence and materialistic possessions, my credentials would be sneered at. I would most likely be a minimum wage worker, praying not to get sick when I am old and retired.
The lifestyle difference between a typical Singaporean and a Canadian is that a Singaporean spends his life making a living, whereas a Canadian lives his life.
Regardless of all the negative misinformation that Mr. Eric Brooks has said about Canada, I am deeply beholden to Canada who has given me my self-respect, dignity and a chance to realize my potential. Most of all, a bright future for my children. Herein lies my gratitude.
Thank you, Canada.
Yours truly,
Wing Lee Cheong
North Vancouver, BC, Canada -
good article...
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Singapore likes to advertise itself and get into the top rankings around the world. Just advertising gimmicks..
