HWA CHONG INSTITUTION SECONDARY TWO ENGLISH LANGUAGE 2014 TERM 1 Name:_______________________________________ [ ] Class:_________________

Education Project Project Brief This term, we will be embarking on a learning journey to find out more about the topic of Education. Every now and then, we hear comments deploring the state of education in Singapore (i.e. the inherent elitist streak that prizes academic achievements over practical skills), or read in articles/ expositions asserting claims like the over-emphasis on grades in Singapore education is killing creativity in the next generation. We also frequently come across various commentaries in the media espousing the merits of alternative education systems in various parts of the world. But how many of us really know the real details and the underlying philosophies pertaining to these arguments/ discussions? In this unit of work, we will be seeking answers to some key questions about the topic through a series of activities which include lectures, group work, seminar style discussion, analysis of relevant literature / articles, movie viewing etc. At the end of the unit, you will be graded on TWO products: 1. A group presentation using PowerPoint, Prezi or any suitable platform. 2. An individual essay assignment.

Group Presentation Each group will research on ONE aspect of the Singapore educational landscape (Bilingualism/ Elitism/ Streaming/ Pre-School Education/ The Tuition syndrome/ IP/ Gifted Education) The TASK: Provide a detailed overview of ONE aspect of the Singapore system o Pick an aspect of education in Singapore that you want to focus on. o Collect 10 - 15 articles covering the same aspect of education. This can include online forum discussions on education, TODAY Online Commentary, MOE

Websites, School websites (focusing on the mission/ vision), Academic Journals on Google Scholar. o Comment on these dominant ideologies and threads and link them to the wider societal context at large. State the attributes/ characteristics that have been observed of the Singaporean education system and comment on the recent changes in education policies and their impact.

Mode Each group will make a presentation and you will be graded on: The depth, breadth and accuracy of the information that is presented. The aesthetic quality and interactivity of the presentation

Each presentation should not be longer than 10 minutes. You are also to provide a one-page handout for the entire class. Include the background information, the core arguments/ changes and your recommendations to the current education system. Please include your rationale as well. Content Do ensure that the content is relevant, up-to-date and accurate. This means doing extensive research and finding corroborating evidence from different sources. Do not gather all your information from one source. Groups that are able to present a balanced view of the issue will gain more credit. Your role would be to evaluate the evidence presented by all sides.