Refer to last wednesday's show at 8+ on Channel 8.

Aiyah, I don't know what the show is called. (seldom watch tv) But it is the one that shows Mark Lee going to Holland, and talking to various people.

A section of it is dedicated to the primary school system there. There, there is no ranking, no exams, only fun learning. They learn various kinds of knowledge in the school, and they are taught how to live with others and be nice to them. The kids appear enthusiastic to learn and they also accommodate each other's learning. It seems so peaceful, i would say, so blissful to learn there.

Contrast it with the system we have locally. Here, students and parents fight tooth and nail for a place in a prestigious school. They simply don't care if others die, as long as they survive and win.

- If you are in the same class as me, and you are slower than the rest of the class, then you will be faulted for slowing down the pace of the class. (Little did they know that everyone's speed is uniquely different and in every class there will definitely be people who are slower. Unless you have a class for 1 person, but how many teachers are there in this society)

- Parents do silly things to get their children into THEIR OWN dream school (not their children's dream school, for god's sake). This include going for DSA (like getting in through sports achievements blah blah). Do note that if intellectually your child is not as quick as his peers, he will gain nothing by going into a prestigious school other than the constant battering of his waning self-esteem.

- Inconsiderate behaviour. If I can't learn, so can't you. I will keep disturbing you until you die together with me. (Hello, where did children get this kind of thinking?)

- The constant exams, tuition and homework. What?!? 12 hours of studies a day, even during weekends? Yep, welcome to the new world, where students work longer than adults and are more tired than adults.

True enough, our system has been shown to produce students who are academically strong. But what about those that gets weeded out by the system? And the happiness and childhood that is sacrificed in the pursuit of results which is believed to lead to fortune and fame? Shrug, I don't know.