Not many I suppose. Although this is not a scientific survey, based on the friends I asked - most of try to go for the "best schools" (or what they think as the best). Others lament, "what to do, make the best-lah". Those with money, send overseas while some opt to take a different path like homeschooling.
Our minister of Education (past and present) sends them to international school and off overseas,bypassing our education system altogether. For those who have been asking about SPM exams in our homeschooling talks, you go the answer from the ministers themselves. Full story from Malaysia Today: Your source of independent news.
INTERCONNECTIONS. Everything is connected, somehow.
Monday, June 30, 2008
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Politics in Schools
Fresh from a recent seminar on alternative education and homeschooling, I find this incident disturbing. I have always believed that out education system needs to be reformed and be free from "dumbing" down the children, but this has taken Malaysian education to another level DOWN. It has gone to the dogs!
If you ask why our students cannot think - it is because they have not been taught to think, they are not allowed to think. More frightening, is that teachers and headmaster cannot think! What is MOST frightening is that they have NO GUTS to think. Someone should tell the students of SMKSU that their teachers and HM are role models NOT to be followed!
I sincerely hope I am wrong and in the coming days, someone from SMKSU would stand-up, speak up and say end to this crap! Otherwise, teachers and HM should all quit and run somewhere and hide, forever! You are not worthy of the positions they hold.
It is not about the silly (stupid) instructions, its about the courage to stand and speak up!
For the uninitiated, click on Hannah Yeoh: SMKSU Prefects' Reunion and the follow-up stories
If you ask why our students cannot think - it is because they have not been taught to think, they are not allowed to think. More frightening, is that teachers and headmaster cannot think! What is MOST frightening is that they have NO GUTS to think. Someone should tell the students of SMKSU that their teachers and HM are role models NOT to be followed!
I sincerely hope I am wrong and in the coming days, someone from SMKSU would stand-up, speak up and say end to this crap! Otherwise, teachers and HM should all quit and run somewhere and hide, forever! You are not worthy of the positions they hold.
It is not about the silly (stupid) instructions, its about the courage to stand and speak up!
For the uninitiated, click on Hannah Yeoh: SMKSU Prefects' Reunion and the follow-up stories
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
HOME'S KOOL!
I came out from the Learning Beyond Schooling talks (on Sat, June 14) feeling great!
Homeschooling is definitely going places, based on the responses we have been getting on FamilyPlace and the recent talks we had - one thing is clear: PARENTS WANT TO TAKE CONTROL OF THEIR CHILDREN'S EDUCATION. One of the best way to do it to adopt homeschooling.
Homeschooling not about taking a child out from one school to put him or her into another "school" be it a private learning center or a "homeschool" center. Homeschooling, as the words says, its about learning from the HOME - parents MUST play an enlarged role. Very often, some changes in live style MUST be made to accommodate out children. More importantly, homeschooling is about having faith in ourselves as parents and giving the faith to children and to listen to them - with our ears and hearts and minds.
Can we make whatever changes for the sake of our children? This is something you needs to ask. In fact, it is not just change for homeschooling - if we were to see our children success, we have to change to accommodate them. Many people have made that decision and came out absolutely happy. I am definitely enjoying it.
Nice to see more parents making the change, at least, starting to.
As my daughter writes on our glass home's panel
"Home Skool" = "Home's kool"
Homeschooling is definitely going places, based on the responses we have been getting on FamilyPlace and the recent talks we had - one thing is clear: PARENTS WANT TO TAKE CONTROL OF THEIR CHILDREN'S EDUCATION. One of the best way to do it to adopt homeschooling.
Homeschooling not about taking a child out from one school to put him or her into another "school" be it a private learning center or a "homeschool" center. Homeschooling, as the words says, its about learning from the HOME - parents MUST play an enlarged role. Very often, some changes in live style MUST be made to accommodate out children. More importantly, homeschooling is about having faith in ourselves as parents and giving the faith to children and to listen to them - with our ears and hearts and minds.
Can we make whatever changes for the sake of our children? This is something you needs to ask. In fact, it is not just change for homeschooling - if we were to see our children success, we have to change to accommodate them. Many people have made that decision and came out absolutely happy. I am definitely enjoying it.
Nice to see more parents making the change, at least, starting to.
As my daughter writes on our glass home's panel
"Home Skool" = "Home's kool"
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Learning Beyond Schooling - June 14
FamilyPlace's Learning Beyond Schooling seminar Started. An interesting afternoon ahead.......
LOKE for RASAH: Do you know how much the Menteri Besar earns monthly?
LOKE for RASAH: Do you know how much the Menteri Besar earns monthly?
Check this out! If we are boss, we should email the MB and tell him, "You have a paycut!"
Email the NS MB at:
Y.A.B. Dato’ Seri Utama Haji Mohamad b. Haji Hasan
mbns@ns.gov.my
Check this out! If we are boss, we should email the MB and tell him, "You have a paycut!"
Email the NS MB at:
Y.A.B. Dato’ Seri Utama Haji Mohamad b. Haji Hasan
mbns@ns.gov.my
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Given the chance, anyone can succeed
I am (slowly) reading this books entitled "A Mind At A Time". It's an interesting books that expounds that every child is special and their minds are "wired differently". Give the right conditions and opportunities, any child will flourish.
Check this video out
Check this video out
Sunday, June 08, 2008
Learning Beyond Schooling
In conjunction with Wai Leng's book launch and the great interest in home education, Wai Leng and I will be speaking in on Jun 14, 2008 @ Bandar SunwayMAS. Log on here for details.
You can purchase, "Learning Beyond Schooling" from the same website.
If you want to play a reclaim your role as key educators for your children, come and talk with us.
Thursday, June 05, 2008
The Courage of The Sangha
I am inspired by the monks. Let's help in anyway we can.....
Myanmar's military government, which has a relief hub just 10 miles north in the town of Bogalay, has not delivered aid to scores of remote villages like this across some of the most devastated areas of the Irrawaddy River delta. For now, the villagers' only hope is goods that arrive from time to time in an underground supply chain operated by Buddhist monks in Bogalay, who are defying the ban on private relief operations in the delta.
More here
Also Monks Succeed Where as Junta Fails
Myanmar's military government, which has a relief hub just 10 miles north in the town of Bogalay, has not delivered aid to scores of remote villages like this across some of the most devastated areas of the Irrawaddy River delta. For now, the villagers' only hope is goods that arrive from time to time in an underground supply chain operated by Buddhist monks in Bogalay, who are defying the ban on private relief operations in the delta.More here
Also Monks Succeed Where as Junta Fails
Wednesday, June 04, 2008
Makan: cheap and good
One way to beat the raising cost of food. Lunch for 4.5 people, vegetarian (meatless) with vegetables, eggs. Don't order their drinks, especially fruit juices. Bill came up to under RM10! Check this place in Kota Kemuning.
(Air 'suam' should suffice-lah)
Saturday, May 31, 2008
The Price of a Road...
What did it take to open a road?
The Cabinet had to step in to make a decision to open the road. I am not sure why the Cabinet need to make such a decision.
One man still lies in intensive care.
and how did he ended up this way, check out the tugs that did that to him:
I pray Chang Jiun Haur recovers speedily.
I pray good sense prevail.
The Cabinet had to step in to make a decision to open the road. I am not sure why the Cabinet need to make such a decision.
One man still lies in intensive care.
and how did he ended up this way, check out the tugs that did that to him:
I pray Chang Jiun Haur recovers speedily.
I pray good sense prevail.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
super intelligence, what's the use?
While in Penang recently, something during the seminar we spoke in blew my mind.
two kids waving their hands over a card to determine its contents - blind-folded
After our speaking session, was a last minute addition where two "qi-gong" masters spoke about the power of the qi and it ability to transform ordinary children into super intelligent kids. Wow!
After speaking, he got 2 kids up on stage and blindfolded them. There were given flash cards (chinese characters) and playing cards to be identified its content. Blindfolded, the kids would "feel" the cards and announce the content. One of them got most of it right and the other got some wrong. Sorry, I did not keep count.
What went through my mind was. "What's this has got to do with Dharma schools or its teachers?". While most of the speakers spoke of the need to improve ourselves to understand and overcome issues confronting our children such as managing stress and bringing up children's potential - but here we have something quite different and in my opinion, threw the topics off balance. Anyway, if the kids did get 100% correct, so what? This presentation blew my mind!
After the talk and presentation, Wai Leng witness the mother of one of the kids scold and beat this boy for not getting correct answers! When I was told of this, I was horrified - all that we spoke about seeing respecting our children as Buddhas (see previous post) seems to have come to naught!
When Wai Leng approached this mother and told her that a child needs time to be nurtured and guided, she stop the scolding. It was a good thing. Will it stop there? I pray and hope so for the sake of this young kid.
two kids waving their hands over a card to determine its contents - blind-foldedAfter our speaking session, was a last minute addition where two "qi-gong" masters spoke about the power of the qi and it ability to transform ordinary children into super intelligent kids. Wow!
After speaking, he got 2 kids up on stage and blindfolded them. There were given flash cards (chinese characters) and playing cards to be identified its content. Blindfolded, the kids would "feel" the cards and announce the content. One of them got most of it right and the other got some wrong. Sorry, I did not keep count.
What went through my mind was. "What's this has got to do with Dharma schools or its teachers?". While most of the speakers spoke of the need to improve ourselves to understand and overcome issues confronting our children such as managing stress and bringing up children's potential - but here we have something quite different and in my opinion, threw the topics off balance. Anyway, if the kids did get 100% correct, so what? This presentation blew my mind!
After the talk and presentation, Wai Leng witness the mother of one of the kids scold and beat this boy for not getting correct answers! When I was told of this, I was horrified - all that we spoke about seeing respecting our children as Buddhas (see previous post) seems to have come to naught!
When Wai Leng approached this mother and told her that a child needs time to be nurtured and guided, she stop the scolding. It was a good thing. Will it stop there? I pray and hope so for the sake of this young kid.
Talks in Penang
We recently concluded two talks in Penang. The first one on May 24 organized by FamilyPlace with Slone held at the ESL Connection in Jalan Burma. Wai Leng and I spoke about home education and homeschooling. Most parents who attended were concerned about their children's education and the quality of current schooling systems. Our conclusion, homeschooling is the way to go! After the talk, a parent email us strongly stating "we will adopt the unschooling approach". Great to know, parents are taking charge of their children's education.
with Wai Leng at ESL Connection speaking to interested parents
The next day, we were speakers in a Buddhist education seminar organized by Aloka Education Foundation. This event was an introduction to the perspectives of education and learning specially targeted to Sunday school teachers.
Wai Leng speaking to Buddhist Sunday School teachers @ the Caring Community Center
with Wai Leng at ESL Connection speaking to interested parentsThe next day, we were speakers in a Buddhist education seminar organized by Aloka Education Foundation. This event was an introduction to the perspectives of education and learning specially targeted to Sunday school teachers.
Wai Leng speaking to Buddhist Sunday School teachers @ the Caring Community CenterThe key message was that every child is different and are geniuses in their own right. Dumbing down using one approach in school leaves many children unable to realize their potential. Parents need to take control and take charge - it does not matter is their children are schooling conventionally or homeschooling. Every child deserves the respect and dignity to be accepted for who they are.
Message to my Buddhist friends - In the Buddhist teachings, it is taught that "there is a Buddha-seed in all being". We would treat children differently if they Buddhas, right? So Buddhist centers should not replicate being schools, they should be points for educational transformation, bringing spirituality making learning holistic and fun. Sunday Dharma Schools need to more of a "skool" and to show that "Dharma's kool"!
Stay "kool"
Message to my Buddhist friends - In the Buddhist teachings, it is taught that "there is a Buddha-seed in all being". We would treat children differently if they Buddhas, right? So Buddhist centers should not replicate being schools, they should be points for educational transformation, bringing spirituality making learning holistic and fun. Sunday Dharma Schools need to more of a "skool" and to show that "Dharma's kool"!
Stay "kool"
Sunday, May 25, 2008
taking a break
I am currently in Penang for talks and workshops. Great time to take break and reflect on coming days.
Hope you are having a great weekend
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