Sheep happens.

Tuesday, October 24, 2006

Ramblings.

P4 Streaming, PSLE, Sec 2 Streaming, 'O' levels, 'A' levels.

This system has certainly (somehow) kept me on my toes. There I was, an innocent primary four kid of only 10, and a knife buried itself in my back. Well, actually not a knife- I was EM1- but imagine if I was still far away in Lalaland and I was entirely clueless on what school was about. Imagine if I had ended up in EM3. How could one's fate be sealed at such an early age?

I am not saying that the streaming system is ineffective, for it would be totally against what I had learnt in Social Studies lesson. I am just saying that primary 4 is too early to begin with it.

The system is designed in such a way that the student has to face a major examination every two years. Terror of terrors, horror of horrors. Consistency seems to be the only way out. With that, it leaves no room for slacking (but people still slack anyway) and only space for working. Every student would agree that the holidays are pretty much short-lived, with only a few public holidays dotting the calendar. The life of the student is getting tougher.

Imagine a young boy of merely 10 years old, going to the school in the neighbourhood. This is his streaming year, and he does not even know the impact his results would bring on his future. He takes the exam, and he failed miserably. He gets sent to EM3.

Does that make him a loser in life?

Thanks be to the ministry for taking action to abolish the EM3 stream.

I, on the other hand, am facing an entirely different crisis. If this was a game, I would be at the stage where you fight a smaller boss before the big one comes out. The problem is that I am uncertain even about the smaller boss.

That big fat doughnut. 'O' levels. I wonder what flavour it is. Sweet? Sour? Salty? Bitter? For all you know I might just get a mix of flavours. Sweet and sour, sour and bitter (no, please), etc. I wish I'd get that sweet raspberry doughnut to go along with my coffee, before choosing the toppings for my 'A'pple strudel. I wonder what choices they give you in Hwa Chong? Peking duck on my 'A'pple strudel?

Life has been pretty exhausting nowadays. I am being very unproductive, honestly. My rate of two papers a day is hardly sufficient. I have to pull my socks up.

I wonder what would happen if I happen to be wearing ankle socks though.