When I take the bus in Singapore there are some things that always catch my eye.
First is the amount of phones and headphones. The whole bus is scrolling, listening to music or playing a game. Maybe sending a txt or an email. It is all non-verbal and thus it is very quiet on a bus in Singapore.
Then a group of teenagers enters the bus.
You would suspect some noise here. Some sillyness and laughter, some pushing.
Not in Singapore. The youth -in general- behaves so well it is almost scary.
I certainly have different memories of me being a teenager...
They are very busy with their phones and headsets as well, I hardly hear them talk.
They are loaded with books.
They behave well, paying for their ride, giving up seats to the elderly.
They all wear a uniform. They all wear glasses.
Singapore is a meritocratic state.
Meritocracy, in the first, most administrative sense, is a system of government or other administration wherein appointments and responsibilities are objectively assigned to individuals based upon their "merits", namely intelligence, credentials, and education,determined through evaluations or examinations.
After the daily school routine the Singaporean children go 'en masse' to enrichment courses.
As in - school after school, private tutoring, extra lessons...
Usually Chinese , English , maths and science.
I don't think they play a lot.
Hence the outburst of myopia amongst the population.
I have never seen so many children with glasses.
MrGuzzi showed me an article the other day about the link between playing outside and nearsightedness. In short it states that outdoor play might reduce or slow down nearsightedness in children. It probably works the other way as well. The less you play outside in bright sunllight, the more the nearsightedness might progress. That, and a good portion of genetics as well, probably. The business is thriving, you see 'glasses shops' everywhere.
Another thriving business is the enrichment courses.
They are everywhere. Every corner, every street.
First is the amount of phones and headphones. The whole bus is scrolling, listening to music or playing a game. Maybe sending a txt or an email. It is all non-verbal and thus it is very quiet on a bus in Singapore.
Then a group of teenagers enters the bus.
You would suspect some noise here. Some sillyness and laughter, some pushing.
Not in Singapore. The youth -in general- behaves so well it is almost scary.
I certainly have different memories of me being a teenager...
They are very busy with their phones and headsets as well, I hardly hear them talk.
They are loaded with books.
They behave well, paying for their ride, giving up seats to the elderly.
They all wear a uniform. They all wear glasses.
Singapore is a meritocratic state.
Meritocracy, in the first, most administrative sense, is a system of government or other administration wherein appointments and responsibilities are objectively assigned to individuals based upon their "merits", namely intelligence, credentials, and education,determined through evaluations or examinations.
After the daily school routine the Singaporean children go 'en masse' to enrichment courses.
As in - school after school, private tutoring, extra lessons...
Usually Chinese , English , maths and science.
I don't think they play a lot.
Hence the outburst of myopia amongst the population.
I have never seen so many children with glasses.
MrGuzzi showed me an article the other day about the link between playing outside and nearsightedness. In short it states that outdoor play might reduce or slow down nearsightedness in children. It probably works the other way as well. The less you play outside in bright sunllight, the more the nearsightedness might progress. That, and a good portion of genetics as well, probably. The business is thriving, you see 'glasses shops' everywhere.
Another thriving business is the enrichment courses.
They are everywhere. Every corner, every street.
 |  |  |
Singapore is a meritocratic state, and the enrichment courses are big businesses.
They openly advertise with the results of the children that attended their class.
They openly advertise with the results of the children that attended their class.
even on the bus ...
Imagine having your child's school results on the back of the bus ...
MsLollipop had a day off today - she spent the whole day playing outside, getting dirty and tired.
No bus for her today.
Love to all of you
Evelyn
MsLollipop had a day off today - she spent the whole day playing outside, getting dirty and tired.
No bus for her today.
Love to all of you
Evelyn
RSS Feed