Is Today’s Curriculum Too Hard On Our Kids?
Posted by mamie ami on September 13, 2007
I’ve heard it once, I’ve heard it twice. I’ve heard it from someone else and I’ve heard it from myself. Pre-school and elementary students’ lessons nowadays are too advanced.
If we based it on the lessons we had, less than 30 years ago… of course today’s curriculum is far too advanced. I didn’t solve word problems in pre-school math and I learned to write cursive only by the end of my first grade. Last week, I was teaching my first grade daughter about Roman Numerals. 1-3 were easy but 14, 40, 19 and 90, and others, were way too confusing for her. My problem is, I can’t seem to explain Arabic-Roman numeral conversion without having to explain the process of adding and subtracting double digits. Then I remembered, they were not yet taught how to add and subtract double Arabic digits yet. So why do teachers expect them to write 298 in Roman Numeral? On top of Math, she had to memorize 2 English poems and 1 tula for a graded recitation. Talk about child stress!
My daughter is doing well in her other subjects, she actually topped her pre-school class last graduation. But I still think that her grade school lessons are too fast-paced, if not difficult. Some people, like the owner of the learning center where she studies thinks so too but then she said, “It’s already the standard. If we don’t follow it, we’ll get left behind.” Quite true.
According to reports, the Philippines is left behind, perhaps, too far behind, by its Asian neighbors in Math and Science. I heard someone justify the advanced lessons as a response to this situation. But I think there should more to it than just teaching difficult math problems or English lessons. Methodologies should also be developed so that no matter how advanced, like asking grade 1 students to solve algebra-like problems, understanding it won’t be too hard on the kid.
Maybe I’m just venting out my math-o-phobia. Or maybe I’m just not aware that there are drills or activities to make studying Math a piece of cake. Or maybe it’s me who’s pressured because I want to her keep her academic standing. Maybe I’m pressured because I’m beginning to think she now needs a tutor because I haven’t help her much in studying due to various reasons.
Wherever this pressure is coming from, I hope I get over it. For crying out loud, she’s only in grade 1!
September 17, 2007 at 6:55 am
One of my former schoolmate sent me a message at Friendster. He simply said:
“no. parents are.”
I replied:
“yeah. i did think so, too.”
September 17, 2007 at 7:12 am
expectations from both (school and family) are stressful. because we always think competitions are the only way to survive. but it’s not. coop-etition dapat.(cooperative competition)
September 18, 2007 at 9:03 am
OMG! I know exactly how you feel! I asked my son’s principal once about the load at school and he said they try to introduce lessons and see if kids can handle. If too hard they pull out.
September 18, 2007 at 10:30 am
hailey,
I like that, coop-etition. Well, I’m also glad that the learning center to which my daughters go to are not competition-oriented (in the negative sense). That’s the good thing with smaller learning centers.
mayi,
Oo nga e. I heard of a study about Phil Sci curriculum as being too advanced for the mental/intellectual level of teen-agers. I think this applies to the general curriculum of pre/elementary students.
O baka nga naman, it’s us parents who can’t keep up! Hahaha
September 20, 2007 at 7:13 am
hi, here via PMN!
i think the problem with most asian schools is the method of teaching. pupils are being taught so much, they can recite formula, poems, factoids etc but at the expense of creativity and critical thinking. my son is 5, attending kindergarten here in singapore, and i explicitly told his teacher that i don’t care how he fares academically, as long as he enjoys his classes and have fun learning. for me, that’s the most important thing at this age. there’s time for more serious stuff later.
September 20, 2007 at 10:05 am
Ruth,
Tama ka jan. Schools should come up with more children-friendly methods lalo na sa provinces. I heard of schools in Metro Manila that have gone beyond memorization and other standard methods. But here in (most of) the provinces, it’s still the same.
October 4, 2007 at 12:57 pm
Ami, I agree that there are just too many things being taught to the children that they have a hard time coping up. Concepts are introduced and newer concepts are given without mastery of the previous lessons.
I believe in transfer of learning. No matter how good one has memorized facts and formulas but if the practical use is absent, then those that have been memorized are futile.
Sometimes I even suspect that schools do this to be able to get students to attend summer classes. My bad.
Life isn’t all about the academics, there’s more to life than what children learn within the four walls of the classroom.
My eldest daughter loves her school so much to suggest to her to transfer to another school for HS is met with frowns and protests. I home school my 6 year old son and 4yo daughter.
October 5, 2007 at 10:08 am
TeacherJulie,
“Sometimes I even suspect that schools do this to be able to get students to attend summer classes. My bad.”
Actually, I also suspected they do it to make the students need a tutor (who are often coming from the same school). So it’s double the expenses for parents but not double the fun for kids, hahah.
October 5, 2007 at 10:11 am
Update: I received the report card weeks ago and yes, she slipped to number three. I felt sad, she did too but she promised to do better to re-claim the top post. In the meantime, she remembered, she has her dance class to attend to :-).
I conceded, she has a life to enjoy.
October 30, 2007 at 1:59 pm
hi amids, just answered your question at PMN, i missed it kaya ngayon ko lang nasagot. tutal naman asa worpress ka pala, you would definitely know how to link your blog from PMN to your URL. hope to read your posts, soon. this post is so true, buti na lang dito, they still let the small kids enjoy their childhood.