There's just so many of them. As of yesterday night, results had started trickling in to those who did well... the straight A+ scorers, they've been told. This year they added another level to the A grading... A+, A, A- (we have a 3-tier A). We really have a confusing grading system. So many tiers in an A, B, etc. I still get blur even though one of the extra beban I carry is the dealings with the SPM.
Yet SPM gets more attention even though it's not the last leg to university. The gahmen scholarships are geared more for SPM holders.... I think it's not fair. Scholarships should be for those who have gained entry to the uni and not for pre-uni studies, I feel. One would think that entrance to the uni would be a 'grander' thing. But in Bolehland we go for the lesser qualifications as the benchmark. You can only wonder at the reasons behind it. Can a student with 16A+ in SPM gain direct entry to universities like Yale, Harvard, ANU, NUS, LSE, Imperial, Tokyo??
So after SPM.... foundation programmes, A-Levels, STPM, various matriculation programmes dominate the list of choices. Every one of them except for STPM is a money spinner for the private institutions. And these days, there is a mad scramble for such courses... I think parents are more in the scramble than the kids. These last couple of months, I hear of parents being more 'kan-cheong' than their kids about signing up. Some cannot wait to get their kids to graduate ASAP. Some sign their kids up so that they can get deferment for their National Service. Some feel it's good to jump straight almost immediately after SPM because that would save time, etc, etc... reasons abound. Very few people talk about the need to allow their children to do some journey of discovery of themselves during the break while waiting for the results..... maybe work a little, go travelling, get some new experience, etc... Nope! These are wasteful pursuits.
Continuing Form 6 at home. Well, STPM seems to be the option for the non-moneyed ones... It's more difficult than the rest but this is the age where most of our kids are mollycoddled by their good life. STPM? Some parents say why put their children through such 'hardship'. But somehow I am reminded of the hardship that a butterfly must go through as it emerges from the pupae stage... lots of struggle and perhaps even some pain... only then the beautiful butterfly survives. I am also at this difficult crossroads.
Most kids look forward to leaving home after Form 5. Rare are the 'moneyed ones' who stay back. The longing to leave home is great... the pull of the friends and freedom is palpable.
Anyway, kids leaving home too young... I have my reservations. There are too many distractions. Too much pocket money. Too easy of a life. Life away from home, with money in the pocket - pubs, karaoke, clubbing... not exactly your cheap form of entertainment and also the company you keep. Used to be, we'd hang out just sitting or window shopping, or pak-tor in the library.
Yet SPM gets more attention even though it's not the last leg to university. The gahmen scholarships are geared more for SPM holders.... I think it's not fair. Scholarships should be for those who have gained entry to the uni and not for pre-uni studies, I feel. One would think that entrance to the uni would be a 'grander' thing. But in Bolehland we go for the lesser qualifications as the benchmark. You can only wonder at the reasons behind it. Can a student with 16A+ in SPM gain direct entry to universities like Yale, Harvard, ANU, NUS, LSE, Imperial, Tokyo??
So after SPM.... foundation programmes, A-Levels, STPM, various matriculation programmes dominate the list of choices. Every one of them except for STPM is a money spinner for the private institutions. And these days, there is a mad scramble for such courses... I think parents are more in the scramble than the kids. These last couple of months, I hear of parents being more 'kan-cheong' than their kids about signing up. Some cannot wait to get their kids to graduate ASAP. Some sign their kids up so that they can get deferment for their National Service. Some feel it's good to jump straight almost immediately after SPM because that would save time, etc, etc... reasons abound. Very few people talk about the need to allow their children to do some journey of discovery of themselves during the break while waiting for the results..... maybe work a little, go travelling, get some new experience, etc... Nope! These are wasteful pursuits.
Continuing Form 6 at home. Well, STPM seems to be the option for the non-moneyed ones... It's more difficult than the rest but this is the age where most of our kids are mollycoddled by their good life. STPM? Some parents say why put their children through such 'hardship'. But somehow I am reminded of the hardship that a butterfly must go through as it emerges from the pupae stage... lots of struggle and perhaps even some pain... only then the beautiful butterfly survives. I am also at this difficult crossroads.
Most kids look forward to leaving home after Form 5. Rare are the 'moneyed ones' who stay back. The longing to leave home is great... the pull of the friends and freedom is palpable.
Anyway, kids leaving home too young... I have my reservations. There are too many distractions. Too much pocket money. Too easy of a life. Life away from home, with money in the pocket - pubs, karaoke, clubbing... not exactly your cheap form of entertainment and also the company you keep. Used to be, we'd hang out just sitting or window shopping, or pak-tor in the library.
1 comment:
I am not smart enough for Form 6...so parents have to pay go to college in KL. ><
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