The Homework Woes
I used to marvel at other people’s school going kids and can’t wait for my own turn to have that experience. Well, now that Darrius is in pre-school, it is not something I am looking forward to everyday! 
Though most of the pre-schoolers elsewhere do not have much homework or exercises to do but being in Malaysia, the situation is completely different if we want to send our kids to vernacular schools (Chinese/Tamil) when they start primary/elementary education.
There was once when I was talking to Darrius’s class teacher, she told me that for the 4 years old, the kids can still play a fool but when they reached 5 years old… they have to be really serious! *gulp* She said it with such serious note! For a moment I thought I am sending Darrius just to learn ABC but I was totally wrong!
Since both PiggyBeng and myself are bananas (we can’t really read and write Chinese) so we have no choice but to opt for a Chinese stream education for Darrius so he could do something better than us!
The kindy that Darrius is attending is a very traditional kindy (the types that I used to attend myself some 30+ years ago) which is very academic focus. Though it is good for knowledge, but it can be so demoralising and stressful for any 5 years old! Darrius will come home with writing exercises almost every day! I could tell you, he loathed those ‘homework’ and will cry each time I asked him to start. Most of the time I have to barter trade with him (watch TV, go to his favorite playground or buy certain food) so he will do them… hardly willingly.
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Each time he do these ‘homework’ there will be a lot of tears involved. Mr.Rotan is constantly beside us so our dear Darrius can complete what was given each day. He will whine and whine. Most time he will come up with lots of excuses (those lazy people syndrome) such as ‘I want to go shee-shee (pee)’, ‘I want to go ngh-ngh (poo)’, ‘I’m very sleepy so can I do it later?’ and whatever his tricky mind can come up with! 
I do sympathize with him but what other choice do I have? I do not want him to suffer when he starts Primary One in 2 years time so I guess I’ll have to do the grilling now or he will suffer.
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Tell me abt it, Alice. Ashley is in the same situation. Her kindy is very academic focus. She gets homework every day…sometimes 3 books a day (Chinese, Numbers and Alphabets). I was expecting loads of homework during this school holiday but surprisingly, only 2 pgs of writing. I even blogged about this once when she was sick for 3 days and didn’t go to school. When she did, she brought home 8 books of homework
you’re not alone! it’s an ordeal everytime to get my boy finish his homework! i enrolled him into a kebangsaan school few days back as i think chinese school will make this homework struggles worse!
this “sounds” very familiar. I used to rant and curse when Zoey was in kindy too. To me, come on, how old is the kid? Can’t she even have a normal childhood? But now that she is in std1 (Chinese school as both hubby & I are Chinese ed), I’m beginning to understand and thank her kindy teachers. Even so, I still feels Malaysian education sucks to the bone!!!
ya lo… u r not alone leh!
Malaysia’s education system is such a big failure… we can see how are all our graduates now…
I still cannot comprehend how our MOE can still comes out with those training programs for graduates… which offers to pay them to learn!!!!! Don’t they already do all the learning in uni???? What a waste of tax payers’ monies!!!