Feature Article

The evolution of education

Travel 1500 years back in time into the sixth century. Picture yourself sitting in a large classroom with exquisite paintings on all four walls and the ceiling. The ancient teacher, who looks like he was a century old, has a long, white beard and he is speaking a foreign language in a quirky, high-pitched voice which sounds a little like English, possibly Latin.

Confused? Well, this was the type of education received by students living in the medieval era, or better known as the Dark Ages. This marked the start of formal schooling in classrooms, which developed to become what it is today.

The history of education is the history of teaching and learning. Each generation, since the beginning of human existence, has sought to pass on cultural and social values, traditions, morality, religion and skills to the next generation. The passing on of culture is also known as enculturation and the learning of social values and behaviours is socialization. The history of the curricula of such education reflects human history itself, the history of knowledge, beliefs, skills and cultures of humanity.

Education is a cycle which repeats itself. Education causes a breakthrough in technology, which the new idea or formula is presented in the form of education. This cycle will continue to repeat itself until we stop the practice of education. Thus, education plays a very crucial role in the development of the human world.

Our forefathers and ancestors helped greatly in the process of improving this world through education, and even education itself. Now, let us take a look at history to see the foundation of education.

During the prehistoric times, cavemen developed writing, an indispensable tool that has been used even until now. The writing was taught to many other tribes so that they could communicate easily with one another and also record items such as food stock. This was by far the first recorded history of signs of education and also one of the first greatest achievements by mankind. Although the writing was pictorial, they helped build our understanding of the complexities of this world. Through many centuries of debate, discussions, government policies and suggestions, we have what we have now: education divided into subjects, age, degrees and talents.

During the first half of the second millennium, many people were deprived of education due to their family background. Usually, the people eligible for this so-called privilege were royals, children born with a silver spoon and occasional rare talents and geniuses. Therefore, many people were illiterate. Without the education to get a better job, they could not improve their lives and were very poor.

Before the Information Technology era (IT), people used to study with books and lessons were usually quite boring with the teacher droning on and on. Nowadays, with computers and the Internet, lessons can be made interactive and with instant communication. Nevertheless, we should be grateful that education now is made compulsory for all.

In conclusion, the development of education has been a very eventful one. Its history is so rich that it would take a whole book just to describe them. Therefore, we should not find it boring as it is a very important and useful tool for our survival in the current society. We should, instead, treasure it by studying hard to improve the quality of education.

Term 2 Week 5 (Weekend Assignment)

Write a short essay of about 300 words on the following question:

'Students should be given more freedom in deciding school rules.' What are your views?

Freedom. The state of being free or at liberty rather than in confinement or under physical restraint, the basic rights of all human beings, as stated by political leaders and the United Nations. Freedom should be enjoyed at any one time, at any place, by anybody. Everyone wants it nowadays; it has become a norm to see many people demanding for it. However, schools are lately becoming like a totalitarian regime, where ground rules set the limits that students can reach by mischief. To be good educational institutions, schools should implement their rules in a correct and proper way such that they do not overly restrain the student. If only the school administration changes the school rules, then this is not helping the students at all as they do not modify the rules towards the students' self interests. Thus, students should be allowed to take part in this amendment as they can fully understand what is best for them and modify the rules to improve their holistic development. If this policy of allowing the students to make their own decisions implements, then students will have much more freedom than before, so they will not complain as much as before.

School rules nowadays can be considered as rigid, which do not cleave to the students' palate. For example, students are not very happy with the fact that they have to wear the same, plain uniform every single day for the whole year and for years after, until they finally graduate. Students will get very bored and sick of wearing the same thing over and over again. What's more, the uniforms are usually not made of very good material such as silk or cashmere, so the students might complain of discomfort, heat and the like. Thus, the schools rules should be modified a little to encompass what the students really need, which in this case is to allow them to wear home clothes to school. They are more comfortable in home clothes, and if this enhances their learning, why not? Universities, colleges and polytechnics all give this freedom to the students. If they can do so, why can't primary and secondary schools follow suit? This is also a test on whether the school is a good school. If the school relents and gives permission, this shows that the school really cares for the students. This quality gives it an advantage over other schools so it can attain a high standard of education.

Corporal punishment has squeezed its way to the top of the students’ “Good riddance” list. Although it is still acceptable in Singapore and many countries, but students should not be treated so harshly at such a tender young age. There are other ways of solving the problem, such as counseling, scolding or even detention. If everything fails, then it would be the ripe time to report it to the police to handle the case. Before that, schools should not take action and cane or suspend the student. Although this is a very effective method of dealing with the student, this would also leave a black mark on his record, and that would totally ruin his future. With advanced technology and the Internet, the student, out of a fit of rage, might decide to post the issue on STOMP. The student would most likely exaggerate the situation, garnering lots of comments by viewers. This would further tarnish the reputation of the school by mistreating students. Thus, the school would not be able to attain its win-win situation, whereby both sides – students and the school – all get advantages. To prevent this from happening, the students should have the freedom to decide what punishment they would get after breaking the rules. The students will then be more willing to accept the punishment after a unanimous consensus. Of course, if the students misuse this freedom to not have any punishment of any sort, then the school must intervene.

There are a few advantages of giving students freedom in deciding school rules. One of them is that the students will be more self-aware of their rules once they have personally set them. If they ever break the rules, they will feel a sense of guilt and remorse as they broke it even when they wanted this rule and chose it in the first place. This will encourage the students to strictly adhere to the rules. Another advantage is that the students have a unique perspective which differentiates them from the school administration. The school administration only ensures the well-being of the students and their education; however, they do not know what they really think of the school rules or even the school itself. This unique perspective allows the students to know the pros and cons of the school rules so that they can pick out its flaws, rectify them and try to create a Utopian school environment to their own benefits. For example, if students are not satisfied with the number of school hours per day, they can possibly shorten them. Who knows, with more time at home to study and revise, their performance and work productivity may increase as a result.

In conclusion, students should indeed be allowed to have freedom to choose their own school rules. To tackle problems faced, utilitarianism is the best way to be used. It means that conduct should be directed toward promoting the greatest happiness of the greatest number of persons. This is very similar to having a win-win situation. Instead of allowing rebellious students to mess up a so-called “perfect” school system run by the school administration, the school should first give the students a little freedom and a chance to share their viewpoints. They should not push it away and reject it. If they can permit the students to do it, then together, the school will prosper. Face the fact: freedom is for all, it has no limits. With a little freedom, big things can be achieved. No matter how it is shunned, it is still there, still present. No one can remove and eradicate it from the face of this world. It is time for the dawn of a new era, an era whereby freedom will rule the world!

Term 2 Lesson 2: War - A Personal Response

Apprehension

As he sat on the three-legged, half-rotten chair, the noise around him reverberated. It was totally unbearable. The area was full of bombings, fires of rifles and the shouts of other soldiers. The US soldiers fought bravely. Facing death directly, they slashed wildly with their bayonets wildly at the enemies at close range. Their battered knees almost buckled under the strain of the tough war. Every few seconds, he would see a comrade shot to death, his eyes horrifyingly wide open. Some of the injured ones were lucky and managed to crawl back to the hut. Upon reaching safety, they lay on their back and gasped loudly with exhaustion while doctors and nurses rushed out to attend to them. He watched the whole process with fascinated horror. The injuries were too gruesome, too gut-wrenching for him to handle. His apprehension on whether the Americans would win this war grew.

Clutching his baton, he suddenly realized he was defenseless to the armed men all around the place, except for the "Hòa bình" sign on the roof of the medical hut which meant peace to the Vietnamese. He was assured that as long as the sign was there, they would never possibly attack it. He glanced at his right shoulder. It was healing, which was injured by a bullet, although he still winced in pain every now and then. He longed to go out there, go out to defeat the Vietnamese. But he was too frightened, the bombings and the massacring of innocent lives. He was too religious to ever commit such a wicked sin. He did not want the burden to crash down on him when he was facing God. Besides, he still had his life to worry about and whether he would still be enjoying the sweet air in his lungs after sunset. He cowered into a corner, just as the sirens wailed, refusing to join in.

Term 2 Week 4 (Weekend Assignment)

Does nuclear energy still have a part to play in the world?

With the increased technological advances in the past 50 years, nuclear energy, although extremely dangerous and destructive, has played a very crucial role in meeting the ever-increasing energy demands of this world and its continual development. Nuclear energy, if used properly and safely for good causes, can serve many useful purposes and bring great benefits to mankind.

Nuclear energy

Chernobyl had experienced the dark side of nuclear energy in 1986. An explosion and fire released large quantities of radioactive contamination into the atmosphere, which spread over much of Western Russia and Europe. It was considered the worst case in history at that time. 25 years later, Japan experienced the same fate of a nuclear meltdown after being rocked by an earthquake followed by a tsunami. These were two rare and unforeseen incidents, the former caused by a sudden power surge; the latter caused by natural disasters. This, however, should not be the case for man to stop developing nuclear energy. In fact, it is imperative in this modern era.

The process to generate nuclear energy is one of the cleanest, and makes the lowest impact on the environment. Nuclear plants do not emit any harmful gases which are usually produced by the conventional electricity power plants that threaten the atmosphere by increasing global warming. They require little space for the energy production, thus conserving land and habitats. It also does not contaminate water sources. The water discharged from nuclear power plants is very safe, free of any radiation or harmful pollutants, and meets all regulatory standards. Hence, this helps in protecting the aquatic life and conserving wildlife. An utmost importance of nuclear energy, is reliability. The energy is not affected by external conditions, unpredictable costs or foreign supplies. Its a reliable source of energy even during extreme weather changes. Nuclear energy requires very little quantity of fuel to produce large quantities of energy. By using it, man can also reduce the dependence on fossil fuels.

One major on-going advancement of the use on nuclear energy is Sterile Insect Technique (SIT), that helps in large scale food irrigation and biological control of pests. Nuclear energy can also be used for food and agriculture via the use of isotopes and radiation techniques. Leading organizations have been working on the technology to increase agricultural production, improve food availability and quality, reduce production costs and minimize pollution of food crop. A very common application of nuclear energy, is in the treatment of cancer - radiotherapy. Also, small amounts of radioisotope tracers are used for diagnostic and research purposes. These techniques have helped in monitoring the levels of toxic substances in food, air and water. Nuclear energy can also be used in industries for processing and sterilization of various products by means of radiation.

In conclusion, nuclear energy has many benefits, such as high performance, energy supply reliability, ensuring environmental safety and conserving resources. Nuclear energy can be used for food and agriculture, and also human health. Man should not waste this valuable resource just because of the dangers involved. However, it is up to them to either use it carefully or abuse it for war or terrorism. With proper use and security, nuclear energy will surely be the fuel source for the 21st century.

Term 2 Online Lesson 1: Crisis in Japan

95 Ichi St, Kyoto, Myagi Prefecture

4 April 2011

Dear brother,

How are you doing in Singapore? I’m sure you have heard about the earthquake back here in Japan. Now, the situation in every city is totally chaotic and the whole area is wiped out. Let me describe what happened to me on March 11.

I was at work as usual, when there were the familiar tremors again. I was unafraid, as I was very used to it. However, they did not stop even after 10 minutes but became even stronger. This was very strange. Then, the tremors became so violent that my computer blacked out and fell flat on my desk. I noticed similar things were happening to my colleagues. My supervisor suddenly rushed out and told us to get under the table. As I followed, I glanced out of the window. Many buildings were collapsed and there was this large “glacier” travelling towards us. Instinctively, I realized that it was a tsunami.

There was no time to run, let alone get out of the building. Seconds later, I heard the first wave hit the building. I felt the whole building being uprooted from the ground. It swayed here and there before regaining its stability. Miraculously, the building was undamaged, except for small cracks here and there at the bottom floors of the building. Afraid that the building might collapse unexpectedly, we immediately rushed out to safety. At the same time, the sirens wailed. All around us, watery debris littered the ground, and our company building seemed one out of a few that still stood.

That night, I camped on the streets for the first time in my life. Although I did not know what had happened to Dad and Mum, I still felt sad for many people as I knew a tsunami and earthquake of this scale was devastating. I slept with uneasiness and apprehension, not knowing what was in for me for the future.

The next morning, I woke up to find rescue workers surrounding us. They escorted us by van to an evacuation centre about 30km away. There were about 100 people already there.

Since then, I have been coping quite well and I am planning to leave for Seattle tomorrow for fear of radiation poisoning. Hope you can visit me there.

Yours sincerely,

Wei Loon