As much as a pragmatic society like Singapore highly values academic grades, there has been a shift in mentality and teaching techniques in recent years. Many would have realised by now that Singapore has already begun placing more emphasis on holistic developments. Some schools tap on holistic frameworks such as giving students the opportunity to learn skill sets like coding, or even learning sports like archery or boxing as a leisure activity, as well as outdoor adventure camps. Mid-year examinations for certain levels like Primary 3 and 5, and Secondary 3 have also been removed in order to give students more leisure time to take up new skills.
Although the underlying emphasis on academics is still present, the efforts put in for holistic development among students here must be acknowledged. Many find that activities under the holistic framework are a waste of time, or even “useless” for their future. However, this is a grave misconception. Holistic development of students evokes their curiosity to learn, instead of merely memorising everything off the textbooks or lecture notes. Or even just memorising model answers in order to score in examinations. Not only does cramming education not help students prepare for the working world, but it also aggravates students’ stress and anxiety.
Unfortunately, many students neglect the importance of Character and Citizenship Education (CCE) lessons in school, and might even make use of those periods to complete their homework or do their revision. CCE, in fact, plays a huge role in a student’s school life. It enables students to apply learning in real-world settings, and develop stronger life skills and socio-emotional competencies. Values and morals learnt through holistic development like these are important platforms for a student’s character development and nurturing of 21st century competencies. Altogether, these programmes ensure that students are able to enjoy authentic learning opportunities to discover their new interests and develop their characters concurrently. These programmes truly allow students to get to know themselves better and to discover their life goals.
The main point here is – never ever neglect holistic framework activities curated just for you. As much as academic grades largely determine your education and career paths, it is important to first have a deeper understanding of yourself – discover what you enjoy doing, find out your passion and your purpose in life. Many students are so absorbed in studying, leaving no time to find out their goals in life. Hence, these students soon find themselves being lost and indecisive when they are at a foreign crossroad in life. Such crossroads include the selection of new schools and courses, as well as their career path.
For instance, I personally have peers who are cream of the crop when it comes to academics and scored full distinctions for both O and A Levels. In spite of that, some of them struggle to make informed decisions when it comes to the selection of schools and courses. They largely depend on what outsiders comment about their potential career paths without understanding themselves. Like what Oprah Winfrey has once said, “Don’t get confused with what people say you are, with who you know you are.” Adolescents are admittedly impressionable, thus being easily influenced by what outsiders say.
Sadly, these students do not entirely understand the purpose behind the long-studying hours and the reason why they chose to study the subjects chosen. Cramming education is heavily relying on memorising notes or model answers without a deep understanding of real-life application. These students often rush through revision in order to do more practice, but often do not evoke curiosity. Ultimately, most of the students under this category find themselves regretting the course chosen and have great difficulties in choosing a career path that they prefer.
Thus, it is only natural for a holistic framework to come into play. Students should definitely appreciate CCE lessons and cherish holistic framework activities curated just for them. Hard skills are learnt from textbooks and notes, while soft skills are gained through hands-on activities. It is indispensable to have both hard and soft skills in today’s competitive world.
The pressure cooker education system more or less deteriorates students’ health. Hence at New Dawn Learning Studio, we provide a semi-autonomous learning experience for students, where students can decide their own pace of learning and choose whether they want to have an independent or a guided learning approach during lessons. As we adopt a hybrid of one-to-one and classroom style learning, students can feel free to learn at their own pace and learn in a conducive and comfortable environment. Instead of forcing information into students, we allow students to slow down and trace out their thought processes.
Our centre offers JC A Level H2 Math tuition, JC A Level H2 Chemistry tuition and JC A Level H2 Physics tuition. Unlike typical school tutorial lessons, our tutors go through each topic thoroughly and ensure students are able to link to real-life applications before diving into practising. Tutors at New Dawn Learning Studio do their best to cater to the needs of each student and help students understand the reason behind studying these topics. We provide exclusive materials such as topics summary sheets, formula sheets, and summary booklets. These materials are carefully organised by our tutors and information is concise to help you study smart! Clearly, the issues JC students face while studying A Level H2 Math, A Level H2 Chemistry and A Level H2 Physics can be quickly rectified by joining our centre.
Besides providing prime H2 Math tuition, H2 Chemistry tuition and H2 Physics tuition, New Dawn Learning Studio is filled with affable energy and everyone here is open to conversations relating to your career path. Recognising the importance of identifying the goals and purpose in life, we are more than willing to provide our insights and journey with you in crafting out your desired future path.
So what are you waiting for? Join us today! Remember – your decision today affects your tomorrow. Don’t hesitate, make a change now by heading to our main page to find out more.
