The general public believes that it is not important for children with learning disabilities to be integrated into our mainstream education system. These people state this is as they feel that children with disabilities, such as dyslexia, are slow and stupid, and hence cannot cope in our competitive and challenging world-class education system. The case of actress Bella Thorne, diagnosed with dyslexia before she was in elementary school, could prove their stand true. In an interview, Bella mentioned that she herself felt afraid and self-conscious as she felt less intelligent than other kids, being unable to read as well as they did. She was also confused as to why she was learning much slower than they were. Indeed, children with such disabilities typically learn at a much slower pace than normal children, making them seem and feel foolish, possibly affecting their self-esteem in the process. However, I do not see this as a viable reason as to why children with learning disabilities should not be integrated into our mainstream education. In fact, I believe that while these children may be slower and perceived as rather delinquent, they have just as much to offer to society as any normal child does. In a mainstream education system, children a taught a myriad of subjects, from English to Music. If a normal child can shine in any of these subjects, so can a student with disabilities. It is crucial that we embrace this, so that society will enthusiastically welcome the talents and skill sets of those often seen as inferior. This next example will be taken back to actress Bella Thorne. While Bella struggled learning, she had the determination and gusto to continue, coping with both school and her acting career at the same time. In her early teens, she had finally overcome dyslexia, and was well on her way to a successful acting career on both the small screen and silver screen. This demonstrates that children with disabilities have what it takes to shine, let alone survive, in society, and should thus be given a shot at mainstream education, the tool which could propel them to even greater heights. Another example which prove this point is that of Wee Care (Singapore). Wee Care is an organization which first educates special needs children, equipping them with functional and social skills, before allowing these children to try their hand at adapting and integrating into the mainstream kindergarten population. This shows that there are people in society that believe that children with disabilities can be on the same level as normal children, as long as they are given time and opportunities the mainstream education system offers. This belief definitely came with reasons, perhaps such as the past success stories of those with learning issues, and should therefore be taken seriously. Hence, in my opinion, it is of utmost importance that children with learning disabilities are integrated into our mainstream education system, as they have what it takes to offer something special to society, and should be given equal opportunities as normal children to do just that.
Showing posts with label Cheryl&YingHan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cheryl&YingHan. Show all posts
Teachers' union calls for ballot on primary test boycott - BBC Education and Family
Teacher's union calls for ballot on primary test boycott - BBC Education and Family
SUMMARY:
The National Union of Teachers annual conference held in Brighton on Sunday accused the primary school testing system of being unreliable and extremely confusing, especially with the baseline tests being introduced. These test were created to provide a starting point to measure student's future progress through primary school, however, critics argue that "This is not what the first six weeks of school should be about." Additionally, these test are not providing students with an accurate gauge of their abilities, resulting in students leaving school incapable of performing up to the standard middle school students are supposed to perform at. This is largely as the content tested in tests are too high-leveled for students of 6-12 years of age.
OPINION:
Clearly, the topics being taught and tested in primary schools are unnecessary to the success of students at later parts of their lives. Primary schools should be focusing on teaching the basics of languages and mathematics to students, not giving them Math Olympiad level sums to solve. While some students may be intellectual enough to solve these problems without proper understanding of the basics, moving on to do well in middle school, others fall behind due to their inability to master the basics. This in turn results in them suffering when moving on to high levels of education, possibly causing them to be unable to catch up to their peers in middle and high schools. Middle and High Schools are the time when grades become a significant part of their lives, and may affect their chances of getting into their dream university of even pursuing their passion in their dream job. In addition, primary school should not be concentrated on testing students on their abilities, but instead allowing them to learn at their own pace and discover their passion. Although end-year assessments are encouraged, schools should refrain from conducting frequent tests as at the ages of 6-12, students have a lower level of maturity, hence making tests an inaccurate gauge of their abilities. Moreover, it can also be detrimental to a child's health if he experiences too much stress, caused by tests, at such a young age. Therefore, as we believe that primary school should strictly be for learning, not continuous assessment, primary test should be boycotted.
SUMMARY:
The National Union of Teachers annual conference held in Brighton on Sunday accused the primary school testing system of being unreliable and extremely confusing, especially with the baseline tests being introduced. These test were created to provide a starting point to measure student's future progress through primary school, however, critics argue that "This is not what the first six weeks of school should be about." Additionally, these test are not providing students with an accurate gauge of their abilities, resulting in students leaving school incapable of performing up to the standard middle school students are supposed to perform at. This is largely as the content tested in tests are too high-leveled for students of 6-12 years of age.
OPINION:
Clearly, the topics being taught and tested in primary schools are unnecessary to the success of students at later parts of their lives. Primary schools should be focusing on teaching the basics of languages and mathematics to students, not giving them Math Olympiad level sums to solve. While some students may be intellectual enough to solve these problems without proper understanding of the basics, moving on to do well in middle school, others fall behind due to their inability to master the basics. This in turn results in them suffering when moving on to high levels of education, possibly causing them to be unable to catch up to their peers in middle and high schools. Middle and High Schools are the time when grades become a significant part of their lives, and may affect their chances of getting into their dream university of even pursuing their passion in their dream job. In addition, primary school should not be concentrated on testing students on their abilities, but instead allowing them to learn at their own pace and discover their passion. Although end-year assessments are encouraged, schools should refrain from conducting frequent tests as at the ages of 6-12, students have a lower level of maturity, hence making tests an inaccurate gauge of their abilities. Moreover, it can also be detrimental to a child's health if he experiences too much stress, caused by tests, at such a young age. Therefore, as we believe that primary school should strictly be for learning, not continuous assessment, primary test should be boycotted.
One significant point in the article that i agree with is that the euphoria experienced by youths during a first love can make it more difficult to find happiness with a future partner.
If youths had a very passionate first relationship, they may expect something better in their future relationships after having experienced their first love, and use that first relationship as a benchmark. This will cause them to be constantly pursuing something extremely unrealistic as they try to strive for more than what was in their first love experience. They will thus never really be satisfied with subsequent relationships in future as they are always going to compare other relationships with their very first. This is why I agree that the euphoria experienced by youths during a first love can make it a lot more difficult for them to find happiness with a future partner.
South Korea: Mers virus outbreak is over - theguardian
With MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome) spreading like wildfire during the middle of 2015 in Seoul, South Korea, citizens were sent into panic-mode while the country's economy took a significant dip. This epidemic disease killed a total of 36 citizens and hospitalized hundred others, causing thousands of schools to cease activities and slowing the pace of its usually fast-paced tourism industry in the process. Fortunately, this has since ended after no cases were reported after the one reported on 4 July 2015.
OPINION:
It is clear that this issue has left a significant impact on many, with newspapers updating people around the world on the number of cases just about everyday during that season. Hence, without a doubt, I feel that it deserves the front cover of TIMES magazine. Reminding us that these sort of scenarios can also play out in such highly urbanised and modernised countries like South Korea, it also gives us insight of how the leaders of the country managed the situation so successfully. Not simply minimising the number of deaths, they also managed to put an end to the situation in a limited period of time. In fact, this was spearheaded by the many measures that they had put in place to prevent further spread of the disease, such as sterilising their subway trains every single day, while persuading their population to remain calm. This is a lesson that citizens and leaders all over the world can learn from South Korea: to stay calm and trust the leaders especially in a state of emergency and to do whatever it takes to put an end to dangerous situations. Therefore, with its valuable insights and lessons to the general population, this piece of news surely deserves a place on the cover of TIMES magazine, it being a magazine that reports on issues from all over the globe.
Introduction: Cheryl and Ying Han
CHERYL:
I am Cheryl. I was in class 2F last year. My current CCA Is ELDDS debates. I like watching movies and listening to music during my free time. I hope I can get to know my new classmates this year better.
YING HAN:
My name is Ying Han. I'm a badminton player and runner. During my free time, I like reading books, baking and watching Netflix. My idols are Katniss Everdeen and Miranda Sings. My attention span is about 30 seconds, so anything longer than that would ultimately throw me slightly off for a period of time.
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