This boy might not have that happy milestone as my former classmate. I could see him struggling and his mother scolding him over dividing 50 by 7. His mom told me that he is in P5 and she is helpless about how to help him.
In today's world, the only way he is not going to be left behind is an iron will to succeed. Unlike my top scoring former classmate, he faces far more intense competition. Our education system is functionally a zero sum game. If life, an expanding economy is positive sum, why should the school system be zero sum? Go figure.
Because we all chase the same limited trophies. This is not a profound revelation. It is historically true for most societies that rulers managed that by disqualifying most people from even participating in the competition. But life and the economy were zero sum then. Now if it feels like a zero sum for many, it is because a few have managed to cut themselves huge slices of a growing pie and those slices are getting larger. Such avaricious habits will only serve to eventually bring the whole system down for everyone.
Strong leaders do something about a situation like this. Weak leaders persuade us to accept it and even write a book to explain that this is a hard truth. Yes, he was once a very strong leader but in his old age has become afraid and therefore weak. Nothing exceptional. Almost all of China's best emperors had suffered the same curse. Age, irrelevance and finally death comes to all.
Forget about changing mindsets. Darwin was misunderstood. It isn't the fittest but the most adaptable that will thrive. We must rejig our cultural DNA. Even the great religions do that or none would have lasted this long.
Update: May 19, 2:35pm
Someone left a comment for this post and also pointed me to this YouTube clip. I am reproducing here for those who are like me do not read the comments at other people's blogs. This is a low hanging fruit for me and it would be unbecoming if I don't even put this up despite the fact that I am blogging for myself.
Even with an iron will, the boy can't make it. The schools expect kids to learn tested material OUTSIDE of school. If the parent is uneducated she won't know how to teach. If the parent earns little, they can't afford tuition. How to learn the material tested?
ReplyDeleteThanks Petunia. To be realistic and practical I have to agree with you that even with herculean will and effort there is little chance that such kids can make it unless they are also very lucky. So I was right only for the rare cases. Too few to be meaningful. I have my reasons for leaving it that way and your comment has added tremendous value to the post. Thanks again.
DeleteThank you for pointing this out, and for caring.
ReplyDeleteThis post connected deeply with me as I grew up in similar circumstances, but in those days it was still possible to make something of yourself notwithstanding adverse financial circumstances, as many Singaporeans were in the same situation and there was not such a huge income gap nor were the costs of living as high as they are now. I feel for children in these circumstances in present-day Singapore, as the odds are stacked against them.
If you could, perhaps you could steer the boy's mother to organisations that could help, e.g. the organisations in this Youtube link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7OWnqEqmx8
Other possibilities are the Singapore Children's Society and Beyond Social Services (http://www.beyond.org.sg), depending on where it would be most convenient and cost-effective for the boy to go to.
Thanks again, and all the best.
Thank you very much for sharing this here! Thanks Petunia for your earlier comment too. Usually I do not respond to comments and you can guess why from my blog name.
DeleteI better stop here and respond to Petunia.