As the one-week long JXP to River Valley High School come to its end, I have found out that one important objective that MOE set for us has already been accomplished: Getting to know Singapore education system better. Almost all of those questions raised before JXP has got its answer. Based on my experiences, I have also developed my own understanding about the benefits and drawbacks of Singapore junior college education system.
Generally, Junior college acts as a transition between secondary school and college. It allows students to learn in lectures where hundreds attend, while arranges small group's tutorial for students to practice more and solve their doubts – which is the basic mode of college education. While at the same time, the school would set timetables for each students in advance based on what modules they choose. It also put CCA in a particular time of the day so that students could worry less about balancing time between CCA and studies – which is still very much alike secondary school education. The purpose is being quite clear – MOE hope that students could step out of their secondary years and get prepared for universities, and that they could become more of their own time manager.
In realizing the function of a transition, I think the system works well. Lectures and tutorials in Junior colleges are quite similar to the way universities conduct them. Starting learning in lectures from an earlier age could absolutely make students more used to this way, so that the good habit of fully participating in the lecture brings them higher efficiency. During lectures, students have their own tutorial teachers around so that they could ask questions easily. As many studies suggest, the efficiency when people first learn something matters the most. All these settings could ensure this point, as well as the good learning habit they could bring to college. Besides the studying part, CCA settings are also functioning well. Junior colleges provide more varied options which are closer to the ones in college, in order to make sure students develop long term interests.
However I would say, according to my experiences, the education system is not yet perfect. One big problem I have is about timetable settings. Firstly, it gives students a break once two hours or even more, leaving them very little time for refreshing. Secondly, it never give students a fixed lunch time – the lunch break varies from 10 am to 2:30 pm. For instance, on a Tuesday, I had a meal at 10 am. I was quite puzzled at first about why they don't wait until 12 noon, but later I found out it was because there was no break from 10:30~14:00 at all! My buddy told me that they have to eat 2 lunches on Tuesdays, and that he was not quite pleased with it. This arrangement is undoubtedly bad for students' health, which the schools really need to consider when making timetables.
Anyway, no one is wonderful, and so does an education system. As long as it listens to advice and keep improving, it only gets better.
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