Do we really need to be thinking that much??

My errr…. rather lengthy reply to your comment is here: Parents too picky about kids’ schools?”

And I agree with everyone that it depends on the kid as well whether they would be reserved or not. However, I personally have noticed in my area, chinese school students are more reserved. But I feel that’s why they are also more disciplined.

My neighbour’s kid was an active child when she was in kindie, often came out to play with my kids. Now she’s in Standard Two in a Chinese school, I see she’s so ‘kuai’ at home. I hardly hear her voice and see her come out to play anymore.

Btw, do you speak or read/write in mandarin? If not u have to be gan cheong about another thing, school events where everyone speaks mandarin and u don’t.

But seriously, no need to worry so much about it. Children can adapt well.

Ya lor. My friend’s Std 3 Chinese school kid also very sweeet and “kuai” one compared to her boisterous, talkative mother.

The school will have two days of orientation for the parents but I see the program also dunno what its all about, everything in Chinese. So yes, I am definitely gan cheong about school events, starting from the orientation program. Afterwards I misinterpret the school rules and regulations and get my poor girl in trouble. Kesiannya. Hahaha.

I hope so cos I’ve heard this reserve comment more than once.

My sis sent her first kid to a Montessori preschool and he really had a culture shock when he entered chinese school in Year 1 because of the very different methods like you say.

I have friends who send their kids to Chinese school eventhough they know nuts about Mandarin. Turn up, the parents can speak Mandarin now. It’s much depending on how much effort and encouragement the parents put in in their children’s education irregardless it’s Chines or English school.

Well, we know nuts about Chinese so it’ll have to be that way for us, ie have to learn together with them in order to guide them, no other way. Unless you want to rely on tuition teachers which is something I don’t want if I can help it.

I think it’s individual. and teachers also play important part. My friend’s daughter sat for UPSR yesterday. She came out and told the teacher that the Bahasa paper was easy. U know what the teacher said? She said, if it’s easy, that means it will be difficult to score. That remark made the girl so worried and my friend has to “destress” her over the phone in office. Why can’t the teacher says something positive, moreover they have 3 more exam days to go.

Chinese school teachers too strict, kebangsaan school teachers pulak tidak apa. But not all teachers are like that lar. So parents still have to work alot here to balance things up. Not like last time, parents can leave almost everything to school. My parents donot have to worry a bit on our schooling – just signed report card oni. Now, school can put a lot of stress to students and parents as well. Sigh

Yah, I wish the teachers would be more positive. They don’t realise how much importance the kids view their words.

Ya lah, in those days, our parents sign report card only. No need to nag us to study, no need tuition etc. The students are more independant then. And I don’t think its the parental styles that has changed, it is forced by circumstances.

But I didn’t learn double of everything wor. Becos I was having fun – being an average kid, I dunno how to appretiate opportunity to learn ..always think of play oni…haiz. I also have friends who can master the language from the nite-school, but I can say very very few can achieve that. That’s why I think, tuition alone can’t help much, unless the kid has high initiative.

I missed the old Chinese text book we used before KBSR or 3M. I liked the old chinese text book. It consists of many short stories. Most of them were Chinese’s moral stories. I can still remember some of them. I regretted I gave them away. Can’t find them now. I learnt a lot of good values from that text book. Who can tell me where to find them?

Maybe you can try ebay. Seems like can find most things there especially old things.

Gosh. You learned double of everything?

I attended both chinese and government school in primary, but do not keep in touch with the language, having like other forms of medium more. so I couldn’t read the papers and could only recognise hawker stall signs “kai fun” “kon low mee” etc

But my other siblings who keep in touch with the language could still read Chinese papers, even though they reside and work in UK, Miami, Aust or US after their graduation and marriage. Me, I live in an Asian country, but do not keep in touch with the language, forgot most characters.

While I do realise that Chinese school is very much favoured nowadays, I still think it depends on the kid. I think there’s no harm trying out Chinese school. If you don’t think it’s for your kid, you can always opt out later.

My girl says she likes to learn Mandarin so we’ll try it out. What we want actually is for her to learn Mandarin as a third language, and not let it become the main medium of instruction but it seems we have no choice here.

Also, our sons enjoy talking to adults, exchanging and sharing ideas, and I have heard that in Chinese schools, teachers are too concern about getting the lessons done, so no time for chit-chat and sharing of discoveries in class. Plus the load of home work, the pages of writings, will sure cripple my sons’ love for experiments and explorations.

My boys will sure end up hating school.

I have the same sentiments as you but for the sake of learning chinese and for lack of a better choice, I am sending my girl to Chinese School and hope to provide her with a balance at home.