Singapore students often complain about the tremendous stress of schoolwork. Yet many parents who are determined to see their children succeed in life, insist on private tuition for them and in some cases, for almost every subject. This can do more harm than good.
    A press survey not long ago revealed that more than one-third of Singapore‘s school children （including kindergarten kiddies） rely on private tuition to enhance their grades.
    This phenomenon is not peculiar to Singapore； it is also widespread in the other East Asian societies like China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan and South Korea.
    A common thread that binds these countries is their Confucian heritage, which places learning and scholarship above all other pursuits in life.
    The passing of the competitive examinations was the prerequisite to an illustrious career in officialdom. Many candidates spent years, and even decades, to pass these examinations. Those who excelled would bring prestige and honour to their families and clansmen. China‘s traditional regard for learning has percolated beyond its shores, and is firmly rooted in overseas Chinese communities and in other East Asian countries.
    Against this historical background, the reliance on private tuition would not appear strange to East Asian parents, most of whom passionately share the Confucianist emphasis on education. What better testimony to this than the flourishing tuition industry, one of the most dynamic throughout this region of Asia？
    In Singapore, the Government and people are imbued with the confucian reverence for education. Large amounts of public funds have been expended in enhancing our education system. Schemes are formulated aimed at encouraging continual educational improvement.
    While Singapore‘s civil service is a legacy of its colonial past, the Confucian influence has helped make it one of the best in the world. It attracts a good proportion of the nation’s limited talent pool into its ranks annually. A foundation of the Republic‘s economic success is the Government’s extensive scholarship scheme, based largely on the examination results at the pre-university level. Scholars （including recipients of the President, SAF and Overseas Merit awards） are groomed for key positions throughout the public services, in particular the elitist Administrative Service.
    The brightest of each cohort are given accelerated promotions and regular job moves to monitor their suitability for greater responsibilities. Those who can stand up to the scrutiny are promoted permanent secretaries, generals or even government ministers.
    This effective scholarship network, which has antecedents in the Chinese examination system but has been continually refined to meet the challenges of the information and technological era, has enabled Singapore to uphold meritocracy in its public administration.
    Private tuition thrives here because parents know that academic achievements will give their offsprings a head start in life. No sacrifices are too great if they can get them into a university locally or abroad.
    The competitiveness of our schools has made Singaporean students world-renowned for their academic prowess, especially in mathematics and science.
    While I am not against private tuition per se, over dependence on it, unfortunately, has exerted undue pressure and stress on our young, who are always exhorted to deliver results and to live up to their parents‘high expectations.
    Consequently, the quality of school life is inevitably affected as numerous students struggle to cope with the burden of additional subject learning outside the class room, instead of enjoying their pet interests after school and during vacation in order to broaden their horizons. In some cases, this could lead to health hazards.
    Moreover, it would surely defeat the quintessence of education which is to open up one‘s mind to develop potential and creativity, and not merely to slog relentlessly for better grades at all costs.
    The purpose of this commentary is not to offer up a solution to this problem, but to stimulate public discussion on a topic that is close to the hearts of a large number of Singaporeans.
    （The writer is a retired lawyer.）
    過(guò)多補(bǔ)習(xí)增加學(xué)生壓力● 藍(lán)秉湖
    新加坡的學(xué)生常常抱怨學(xué)校生活的壓力太大,可是望子成龍的家長(zhǎng)“無(wú)課不補(bǔ)”的關(guān)愛(ài)之心,無(wú)形中加重孩子的壓力。
    超過(guò)三份之一的新加坡學(xué)童,通過(guò)補(bǔ)習(xí)來(lái)爭(zhēng)取更好的成績(jī)。
    不久前,本地報(bào)章的一項(xiàng)調(diào)查顯示,超過(guò)三份之一的新加坡學(xué)童（包括啟蒙班的孩子）,通過(guò)補(bǔ)習(xí)來(lái)爭(zhēng)取更好的成績(jī)。
    這不是新加坡獨(dú)有的現(xiàn)象,在其他東亞社會(huì),例如中國(guó)、臺(tái)灣、香港、日本和韓國(guó),補(bǔ)習(xí)也非常普遍。
    這些社會(huì)有一個(gè)共同點(diǎn)——它們都受到儒家傳統(tǒng)思想的影響,對(duì)于學(xué)習(xí)和教育的重視,遠(yuǎn)超過(guò)對(duì)生命中其他目標(biāo)的追求。
    在封建時(shí)代的中國(guó),在競(jìng)爭(zhēng)激烈的考試中名列前茅,是日后官運(yùn)亨通的必要條件。許多人年復(fù)一年,甚至終其一生,就是為了通過(guò)考試。順利考取功名的讀書(shū)人,還能光宗耀祖。
    在中國(guó)以外的華人社會(huì)和東亞地區(qū),尊敬讀書(shū)人的傳統(tǒng),依然根深蒂固。
    了解了這樣的歷史背景,也就不難理解重視子女教育的父母,紛紛依賴補(bǔ)習(xí),希望孩子能取得更好的成績(jī)的心態(tài)。這些亞洲社會(huì)的補(bǔ)習(xí)行業(yè)蒸蒸日上,就是佳的證明。
    新加坡的政府和人民,也認(rèn)同儒家思想對(duì)于教育的重視。政府撥出巨款,不斷改善我們的教育制度。
    雖然我們的民事服務(wù)是殖民地時(shí)代的遺產(chǎn),儒家思想的影響,卻有助于使它成為世界上佳的民事服務(wù)之一。每一年,它都從我們的有限人力資源中,吸引了相當(dāng)多的人才。
    政府眾多的獎(jiǎng)學(xué)金計(jì)劃,是我們的經(jīng)濟(jì)成就的一個(gè)重要基礎(chǔ)。獎(jiǎng)學(xué)金得主（包括總統(tǒng)獎(jiǎng)學(xué)金、武裝部隊(duì)獎(jiǎng)學(xué)金和海外獎(jiǎng)學(xué)金）,都在‘A’水準(zhǔn)考試中取得驕人的成績(jī)。他們受到細(xì)心的栽培,以便在民事服務(wù),尤其是擁有杰出人才的行政服務(wù),擔(dān)任要職。
    在同屆中表現(xiàn)出色者,可以得到急速的擢升,也時(shí)常被調(diào)派到不同的職位,評(píng)估他們是否能夠負(fù)起更艱巨的責(zé)任。成功克服挑戰(zhàn)的,可能成為常任秘書(shū)、將領(lǐng)、甚至政府部長(zhǎng)。
    中國(guó)的科舉制度,可以說(shuō)是這種有效的獎(jiǎng)學(xué)金計(jì)劃的前身。獎(jiǎng)學(xué)金計(jì)劃不斷被改進(jìn),以應(yīng)付資訊科技時(shí)代的新挑戰(zhàn)。這個(gè)制度,使我們得以維護(hù)公共部門(mén)選賢任能的政策。
    新加坡盛行私人補(bǔ)習(xí),因?yàn)楦改付贾?優(yōu)異的學(xué)業(yè)成績(jī),將使孩子在人生的道路上,占有的優(yōu)勢(shì)。如果能夠讓孩子進(jìn)入本地或海外大學(xué),他們絕對(duì)愿意作出任何犧牲。
    學(xué)校里的激烈競(jìng)爭(zhēng),使新加坡學(xué)生的優(yōu)越表現(xiàn),特別在數(shù)學(xué)和科學(xué)方面,舉世聞名。
    我并不是反對(duì)私人補(bǔ)習(xí)的作法。不幸的是,過(guò)度的依賴補(bǔ)習(xí),已經(jīng)給莘莘學(xué)子,帶來(lái)許多不必要的壓力。他們無(wú)時(shí)無(wú)刻被提醒要考取好成績(jī),和實(shí)現(xiàn)父母對(duì)他們的高度期望。
    為了應(yīng)付課外補(bǔ)習(xí)的負(fù)擔(dān),學(xué)生的學(xué)校生活素質(zhì),必然會(huì)受到影響。他們無(wú)法在下課后或?qū)W校假期,享受他們感到有興趣的事物,開(kāi)拓他們的視野。對(duì)于一些學(xué)生,這種情況甚至?xí)斐山】祮?wèn)題。
    更何況,教育的本質(zhì)在于啟發(fā)人們的思想,發(fā)展他們的潛能和創(chuàng)造力,而不是不斷的埋頭苦讀,不惜任何代價(jià)爭(zhēng)取好成績(jī)。
    我寫(xiě)這篇文章的用意,不在于為問(wèn)題提出答案,只是拋磚引玉,希望公眾對(duì)這個(gè)許多新加坡人關(guān)心的課題,進(jìn)行更多的討論。