Life Beyond Grades

29/12/2023

This doesn’t mean a bachelor’s degree has no value! It means every employer should be open to hiring people who are motivated and skilled through alternative routes—apprenticeships, internships, associate’s degrees, training programs, and self-teaching. See the research by , and chapter 9 of Hidden Potential.
In a survey of 800 employers, 45% said they would no longer make bachelor’s degrees mandatory for some positions, 39% said no, and 16% weren’t sure. (Source: )

04/11/2023

15/04/2023

So much emphasis is placed on getting good grades, landing that internship, scoring that scholarship, and getting into a "good" college that we've lost sight of what really matters in life.
Getting along with others, handling conflict, being kind and compassionate, learning how to control and harness their emotions, and learning how to take care of themselves so they know and can react when the pressure gets to be too much - this is what we need to be teaching our kids as well.

If we don't teach our children these valuable skills, who will?

Repost

01/03/2023

Another step forward! 👏🏼 The removal of mid-year exams will not be replaced by more school-based assessments. Schools must also not administer more than 1 weighted assessment per subject per term.

"The time saved from preparing for examinations can be channelled towards deeper student engagement and learning through more varied experiences," said Education Minister Chan Chun Sing.

The Straits Times]
・・・
Link in bio The Straits Times]
📸: Kevin Lim

10/02/2023

A progressive move to relocate an ‘elite’ school into a new neighbourhood. A bold and interesting change from a societal perspective- Since everyone wants “branded schools” let’s have more branded schools (what if there were 10 MGS, 10 SCGS and 10 Nanyangs islandwide?) and move them into younger estates. Hopefully, this takes some of the demand and pressure off the ‘desirable’ school to make network and education more accessible for everyone in Singapore

16/11/2022

Let’s break some negative cycles.

07/07/2022

“Research shows that hopefulness can dramatically reduce childhood anxiety and depression. Hopeful kids have an inner sense of control. They view challenges and obstacles as temporary and able to be overcome, so they are more likely to thrive and help others.

Yet despite its immense power, hope is largely excluded from our parenting agendas. The good news? Hope is teachable. One of the best ways to increase this strength is by equipping children with skills to handle life’s inevitable bumps.”

Here are nine science-backed ways to help kids maintain hope — especially during tough times
1. Stop negativity in the moment
2. Use hopeful mantras 3. Teach brainstorming 4. Share hopeful news 5. Ask ‘what if?’ 6. Celebrate small gains 7. Boost assertiveness
8. Create gratitude rituals 9. Embrace service

For the full article, click the link in my profile :RAISING SUCCESSFUL KIDS: The No. 1 skill that sets mentally strong kids apart from ‘those who give up’—and how parents can teach it (CNBC.com)

31/05/2022

What’s your worth kid? 🌟 such an important share today (Keep reading!)
Caught up in the rat race, women value themselves on brands they wear, size of their bling, section they sit at on a plane, size of their homes, people they know, vacations they take, name of the universities their children are in, amount of socializing they have a week, quality of their social media photos… 😕
You get what I mean. But when we strip all that away, what are we left with? Are we still polite, kind, caring, loving, genuine, grateful, authentic? We need to measure this. This is our worth. 👌
For the little people in our lives, we need to teach them their worth, and it has nothing to do with the material things you buy them, but all the wonderful-ness that IS them. 🤩

26/03/2022

Happy weekend! Good one from

07/03/2022

Truly, Life Beyond Grades 💚 Straits Times: Schools will remove mid-year examinations for all primary and secondary school students by next year (2023), in an ongoing move to shift the focus from academic grades and tests.
Announcing this in Parliament on Monday (March 7), Education Minister Chan Chun Sing said that this builds on earlier efforts to give students space to develop their interests, and focus on their learning and less on marks.
Link in our profile to full article

20/11/2019

PLEDGE FOR OUR YOUTH

“I pledge not to be a competitive parent, Education is not a race... “

With just one day to go before the PSLE results are announced, we've rallied together some of Singapore's thought leaders, champions of youth, and parenting voices to bring a message of hope and affirmation to our younger generation.

Will you join your voice to ours? Let’s show our youth that we care, that we value them beyond just grades. We recognise that each child is unique, and should be encouraged to pursue their own dreams, and not ours.

Here’s how you can participate:

1. Head to our website at http://lifebeyondgrades.sg/blog/pledge-for-our-youth/
2. Choose from and download one or more of our pledge boards.
3. Print it out.
4. Take a photo with it and post it on your Facebook or Instagram account.
5. Tag us:

You can also download a copy of our pledge, sign it and give it to your child!

Let’s get pledging!

PLEDGE FOR OUR YOUTH
and the future generation

I pledge that I will not be a competitive parent, Education is not a race.

I pledge to let you develop your own passion and interests and not impose mine on you.

I pledge to love and support you, to not compare you to others, every child is different.
I pledge to celebrate your strengths, and help you navigate your own path, there are many paths in life.

I pledge to you that your grades are important, but it is more important to be kind, having empathy and being helpful to others.

I pledge to be here to support you mentally and emotionally, your mental health is more important than any grade.

I pledge my understanding that an exam is only a grade, your well-being and self-confidence is more important, there is Life Beyond Grades 💚

04/11/2019

It’s close the end of a school year! Some of us are wrapping up our exams, and others are awaiting the release of results! We’ve created this little video “Billy the Pufferfish”, to remind us that all our children have different strengths. Some may be like big fish, and like to swim in fast currents and open waters, others are like small fish and swim well among the sunlit shallows and corals. As parents, we need to encourage our kids to try their best, but not sacrifice their mental health and natural talents by becoming “Pufferfish”. Being a pufferfish is an unhealthy state, your child could be over-stretched and stressed, which could eventually lead to low self-esteem and depression.
Is your child a Pufferfish?