Not gonna lie, I was hoping to get the lungs/heart/small intestine from this fairly expensive bath ball so that I could use it as a prop to teach my students Science.

I got the skull instead. No harm done, since the Singapore curriculum does teach the skeletal system (more details here: https://diaperfinancingfund.blogspot.com/2024/11/human-body-systems-mcdonalds-really.html). Just that it will not be tested in the almighty Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) because it heavily tests young minds on the digestive/circulatory/respiratory system.

But the skull is an example why I deeply respect the Japanese education system. It not only covers a wide range of topics - including dinosaurs and outer space - but also, requires the young to learn things in depth. I’m not 💯 sure, but I won’t be surprised if elementary school students have to memorise the names of various bones that make up the skeleton.

The education system may be a significant factor that contributes to the Japanese’s iconic attention to details. Every tiny piece of information is invaluable in itself - and when consolidated together, allows the learner to gain a rigorous understanding, as tight as a sealed room used in a murder mystery.

“The Singapore education system isn’t everything,” I can’t remember the context but I vividly recall stating this emphatically to my ex-principal of NorthLight School.

Which is why even though I’m concerned enough to start preparing my preschooler boy for the PSLE, I’m optimistic that I will remain healthily detached from his results. I understand more than others how our educational system necessitates students to apply their knowledge for a rather narrow spectrum of topics. There are so many things that we ought to learn besides the textbooks.