Grades are not the only thing in life

But what inspired the largest number of Singaporeans was PM?s vision of education ? education not just to prepare the young for a job, but so that they can learn to be a full person ? xue zhou ren as the Chinese say. As PM put it, grades are not the only thing in life.

His call to ?teach less, learn more? has lit a fire of enthusiasm amongst teachers, students and parents. They know that we have an education system that most countries envy. But they also know that the best time to improve, and make our next leap in quality, is when the system is still working.

What does ?teach less, learn more? mean to 16-year-olds? Tan Li Bing, who has brought honour to Singapore at international competitions for the disabled, told me we should give students more time to explore and discover their talents. Affizul bin Mohamad suggested class field trips each month to strengthen the bond between students and teachers. Brian Teo felt we should allow students to focus on a particular area without having to rush through topics. There should be less memorising, and more understanding. Asha Gayatheri said we should not spoonfeed students with answers. We are listening to every view.