Slipping through the cracks

Today during our weekly lesson, my tuition kid and I discovered that we attended the same primary school. Though of course, about 10 or 11 years apart. He was dumbfounded at that idea and said that he couldn't believe it, admittedly, I was tickled that he felt so surprised. 

It made me realize though, that we can have such different experiences - "we" not only points to just him and myself, but any two people in Singapore who has gone through the same education. Everything considered, I am proud of our education system - if anything, it has groomed me well. I may not be anything close to a top scholar, but I believe that I've benefited greatly from it all round. 

I benefited even though my primary school had the "stigma" of being a "neighborhood" school - as did many of my peers, a number of whom I'm still familiar with today and who are doing exceedingly well. Today it dawned on me however, that not everyone gets the same experience.

Here is my student, 10 years on from our time, supposedly studying in an improved study environment, and yet, he has slipped through the cracks. This reminds me that the privileged few that we know, are exactly that - the privileged. Many kids in Singapore fall behind the vigorous education system and they're often left lagging behind for ages because the work piles up and gets progressively harder at an aggressive speed. It's difficult to keep up when your head is barely above the water.

Of course in any kind of cohort, be it a test of academics or physical strength, there will always be a percentage that don't test well. But I wonder if our country will continue to neglect these students; who are not to say less intelligent or less able, they just need more time. 

From what most of these weak students report - there's never enough time. I wonder how we can help them more.