student.hsc said:
Ok, firstly, I'm just trying to say that humanities tend to be more based on work, so I'm saying that more people could get a 90+ with humanities. I accept that people cannot all get the same results with the same ammount of work. I suppose that we have reached an impasse because basically I'm saying the opposite; using Western vs Eastern education as an example:- at my school a significant portion of the student body have experienced an eastern education, which is why they were capable of doing our high-school maths many years prior to yr 12:- and why many of them dont come to 3/4 unit maths yet still consistantly rank extreemly well. My point is; I know you may not have had the benefit of an eastern eductaion (nor have I), but the level of commitment of these students in their old schools demonstrates that it is; by and large; possible to rote learn vast quantities of knowledge
A good point you've raised.
Those easterners definitely took an early start in learning at a highly intense level.
Take this for an example.
When I first came to Australia I'd just completed grade 2, I realised my previous school in an Eastern country have already covered everything up to grade 6. I noticed this when every time they do one of those weekly math calculation exercises, all those kids seemed struggling a lot while I was almost bored to death doing the same math over and over again. And it's not just me that thinks the curriculum was a joke, almost every other kid from an early Eastern education background think so.
The other thing to bare in mind is, these overly speedy learning progress didn't come easy for those kids. It really stressed them quiet a bit. I mean I was more nervous back then than when I did those HSC exams. They also had some massive end of term exams twice a year. It took a long time for me to forget how terrifying it was.
The teachers also had very high expectations for the kids. To encourage the students, they had a ranking system which I think they are still using it now on all year levels, even at uni I think.
The competitiveness was as high as getting 80% for math and/or First languages would put you in the bottom of the rank.
The top guns would have marks varying within one point. When I was in grade 2, I got 95% for First language, 100% for math and 96% for Science. I came third in that semester. The second semester, I got 91% for First Language, 95% for math and 94% for science, and I came 20th!
My mum fully canned me with scornful words and the teacher gave an even worse time for the parents. Unlike the parents meeting you have here, all the parents have to attend it and be prepared if you're a crap students, coz the teachers will just bag the shit out of those parents in front of everyone. Very embarrassing.
Now, imagine students like this coming down here doing our HSC. Their twelve years of hard work should never be looked at lightly.