Another dot in the blogosphere?

Posts Tagged ‘unethical’

The PSLE: Harmful social experiment?

Posted by: on: September 17, 2016

The video below highlights some research that would not pass muster today.


Video source

Today we are guided by the principle of “do no harm”, or at least “do the least harm”.

I wonder if the same could be said about social experiments that are a result of non-researchers tinkering with systems and policies.

For example, how much social experimental harm has the PSLE caused?

Make no mistake: The PSLE has been a very successful as a social experiment. It has become the operating standard, it shapes expectations, and we cannot seem to think outside it.

However, we need to ask ourselves if the PSLE embedded in our collective psyche is a good thing. Simply mentioning it as harmful begs disbelief in some quarters and helplessness to do otherwise in others.

Just because something is successful does not make it helpful or harmless. Pandemic diseases spread with us as carriers and our technologies as enablers. Often we do not even know we are helping the disease spread until it is too late.

This doctor is highlighting some symptoms of PSLE. Are you feeling OK?

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Tsk, tsk tuition agencies

Posted by: on: May 13, 2016

A little bird reminded me why some school principals and teachers hate tuition agencies.
 

 
I was told how one school’s principal discovered an unethical practice of a tuition (read: enrichment) centre. The centre claimed to help a particular student from that school. The school personnel checked its rosters and found out that the student was made up by the centre.

Maybe the tuition agency was sharing its creative and fictional writing with the public. I offer to grade that piece of writing.

Another agency touted the qualifications and experience of a teacher (read: brand name school teacher). However, it did not check that claim. If it did, it would have found out that the teacher was at the school for less than a week before she left.

Maybe that tuition group could not tell the difference between mercenaries and teachers. I can teach the group the differences, but before I do, I invite it to verify my Ph.D. and work history.

Still another centre ignored a school teacher’s efforts. It claimed to raise a student’s failing grade to an “A”. Everyone knows that a child’s success (or failures) is due to many factors and inputs.

Well, almost everyone. Maybe the marketing genius behind that tuition centre’s display needs a refresher. I could offer some remedial tuition on that.

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