Are property agents feeding parents’ anxiety?

Is it smart to move for a school?

School status should not be a priority: Prab

Why parents get FOMO over extra tuition

Parents who send their kids for tuition kiasu?

Is being a “relaxed parent” a luxury?

What’s wrong with shadow education system?

Parents strategise to cope with inequality

Parents have long complained that the education system in Singapore is too stressful for children.

To address their concerns, the Ministry of Education has made policy changes over the years, including scrapping PSLE T-scores and removing weighted assessments and examinations at certain levels.

But have these measures worked?

A recent survey by the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) showed that parents are more stressed than 10 years ago, and they are spending more on tuition and enrichment classes.

The Straits Times also reported that some property agents now explicitly market themselves as Primary 1 strategists or consultants, and advise their clients to plan ahead so their children can get into the school of their choice.

If the system has been easing up, what’s driving parents to continue taking part in the education “arms race”? And are the tuition and property industries capitalising on their anxiety?

In this episode, Natasha chats with:

• Jacqueline Ho, assistant professor of sociology at the Singapore Management University, who researches the Singaporean education system, and

• Prab Nathan, a property agent and former school teacher, and a father of two. His eldest daughter will be in Primary One next year.

Highlights (click/tap above):

3:46 Are property agents feeding parents’ anxiety?

9:18 Is it smart to move for a school?

11:45 School status should not be a priority: Prab

25:42 Why parents get FOMO over extra tuition

28:30 Are parents who send their kids for tuition really kiasu?

34:00 Is being a “relaxed parent” a luxury?

43:39 What’s wrong with having a shadow education system?

49:50 Parents strategise to cope with inequality

Follow The Usual Place Podcast and get notified for new episode drops every Thursday:

Channel: https://str.sg/5nfm

Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/9ijX

Spotify: https://str.sg/cd2P

YouTube: https://str.sg/theusualplacepodcast

Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg

SPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg

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Follow more ST podcast channels:

All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7

Get more updates: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

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Get The Straits Times app, which has a dedicated podcast player section:

The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB

Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX

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#tup #tuptr

Parents have long complained that the education system in Singapore is too stressful for children.
To address their concerns, the Ministry of Education has made policy changes over the years, including scrapping PSLE T-scores and removing weighted assessments and examinations at certain levels.
But have these measures worked?
A recent survey by the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) showed that parents are more stressed than 10 years ago, and they are spending more on tuition and enrichment classes.
The Straits Times also reported that some property agents now explicitly market themselves as Primary 1 strategists or consultants, and advise their clients to plan ahead so their children can get into the school of their choice.
If the system has been easing up, what&rsquo;s driving parents to continue taking part in the education &ldquo;arms race&rdquo;? And are the tuition and property industries capitalising on their anxiety?
In this episode, Natasha chats with:
&bull; Jacqueline Ho, assistant professor of sociology at the Singapore Management University, who researches the Singaporean education system, and
&bull; Prab Nathan, a property agent and former school teacher, and a father of two. His eldest daughter will be in Primary One next year.
Highlights (click/tap above):
3:46 Are property agents feeding parents&rsquo; anxiety?
9:18 Is it smart to move for a school?
11:45 School status should not be a priority: Prab
25:42 Why parents get FOMO over extra tuition
28:30 Are parents who send their kids for tuition really kiasu?
34:00 Is being a &ldquo;relaxed parent&rdquo; a luxury?
43:39 What&rsquo;s wrong with having a shadow education system?
49:50 Parents strategise to cope with inequality
Follow The Usual Place Podcast and get notified for new episode drops every Thursday:
Channel: <a href="https://str.sg/5nfm?ref=inline-article" aria-label="link" data-testid="custom-link"></a><a href="https://str.sg/5nfm?ref=inline-article" aria-label="link" data-testid="custom-link">https://str.sg/5nfm</a>
Apple Podcasts: <a href="https://str.sg/9ijX?ref=inline-article" aria-label="link" data-testid="custom-link"></a><a href="https://str.sg/9ijX?ref=inline-article" aria-label="link" data-testid="custom-link">https://str.sg/9ijX</a>
Spotify: <a href="https://str.sg/cd2P?ref=inline-article" aria-label="link" data-testid="custom-link"></a><a href="https://str.sg/cd2P?ref=inline-article" aria-label="link" data-testid="custom-link">https://str.sg/cd2P</a>
YouTube: <a href="https://str.sg/theusualplacepodcast?ref=inline-article" aria-label="link" data-testid="custom-link"></a><a href="https://str.sg/theusualplacepodcast?ref=inline-article" aria-label="link" data-testid="custom-link">https://str.sg/theusualplacepodcast</a>
Feedback to: <a href="mailto:podcast@sph.com.sg?ref=inline-article" aria-label="link" data-testid="custom-link"></a><a href="mailto:podcast@sph.com.sg?ref=inline-article" aria-label="link" data-testid="custom-link">podcast@sph.com.sg</a>
SPH Awedio app: <a href="https://www.awedio.sg/?ref=inline-article" aria-label="link" data-testid="custom-link"></a><a href="https://www.awedio.sg/?ref=inline-article" aria-label="link" data-testid="custom-link">https://www.awedio.sg</a>
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Follow more ST podcast channels:
All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: <a href="https://str.sg/wvz7?ref=inline-article" aria-label="link" data-testid="custom-link"></a><a href="https://str.sg/wvz7?ref=inline-article" aria-label="link" data-testid="custom-link">https://str.sg/wvz7</a>
Get more updates: <a href="http://str.sg/stpodcasts?ref=inline-article" aria-label="link" data-testid="custom-link"></a><a href="http://str.sg/stpodcasts?ref=inline-article" aria-label="link" data-testid="custom-link">http://str.sg/stpodcasts</a>
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Get The Straits Times app, which has a dedicated podcast player section:
The App Store: <a href="https://str.sg/icyB?ref=inline-article" aria-label="link" data-testid="custom-link"></a><a href="https://str.sg/icyB?ref=inline-article" aria-label="link" data-testid="custom-link">https://str.sg/icyB</a>
Google Play: <a href="https://str.sg/icyX">https://str.sg/icyX</a>
--
#tup #tuptr

Natasha and her guests unpack the latest current affairs, every Thursday.

Synopsis: Join host and correspondent Natasha Ann Zachariah every Thursday, as she unpacks the latest current affairs with guests. 

Podcaster: Natasha Ann Zachariah

Executive producer: Danson Cheong

A podcast by The Straits Times, SPH Media

Synopsis: Join host and correspondent Natasha Ann Zachariah every Thursday, as she unpacks the latest current affairs with guests.&nbsp;
Podcaster: Natasha Ann Zachariah
Executive producer: Danson Cheong
A podcast by The Straits Times, SPH Media

The Usual Place

Synopsis: Join host and correspondent Natasha Ann Zachariah every Thursday, as she unpacks the latest current affairs with guests.

Podcaster: Natasha Ann Zachariah

Executive producer: Danson Cheong

A podcast by The Straits Times, SPH Media

Synopsis: Join host and correspondent Natasha Ann Zachariah every Thursday, as she unpacks the latest current affairs with guests.
Podcaster: Natasha Ann Zachariah
Executive producer: Danson Cheong
A podcast by The Straits Times, SPH Media