Piacente 1

Blake Piacente
English III
7 December 2015

Preparation for Singapore Geniuses

Smartest kids in the world? Is there such a thing as 5 year old children with IQs of 145? There
are in Singapore. Parents are enrolling their children in special classes or programs. Some classes are
even college level! These kids are taking tests to prove that they are certified geniuses. Not only are these
kids learning at a phenomenal rate, but theyre also being adequately prepared by their teachers and
parents for the job economy.
At first, during the 19th century as European settlers were expanding territory, Singapore was in
rough shape. The country was used as a port stop for the British. Then they started expanding education to
increase and push the economy at an alarmingly fast rate. The country used education to better the job
market and push the economy. They made a huge transition from their old way of life. Now they have
prodigy children that learn and perform spectacularly. Many people say that Singapore is a great place for
education. Singapore seems to be a good breeding ground for prodigies, says the mother of a 13-year
old certified genius in Singapore. (The Asian Parent.com) Singapore is now a well known place for higher
education.
First, when they find teachers to mentor and guide these gifted children, they only use students
that came out of their high schools with straight As. As Mark Tucker said, they source their teachers
from among the best kids coming out of their high schools.(Tucker) These children are ensured the best
education in the world. All of the teachers have one common goal in mind: What do our children need to
be successful in tomorrows economy? This common goal helps prepare the children for the working and
thriving economy.
Although these extremely gifted children are placed into advanced programs, they are still
allowed to explore their interests and hobbies. In a quote from the mother of a 2-year-old genius in
Singapore she says, My challenge is to give him an environment that will motivate him to learn. Also

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when describing what her child does in their free-time she said, I let him do what hes interested in.
These children are encouraged to explore interests along with education. As Andreas Schliercher said,
The world economy no longer rewards people for what they know. Google knows everything. The world
economy rewards people for what they can do with what they know.(Schliercher) This means that not
only are the children being prepared inside of school by teaching them valuable skills, but outside of
school as well through hobbies and activities.

Today in Singapore, their economy requires a good education. Kids are told from a young
age in Singapore that education comes first. Their job market requires it. With todays fast-paced
economy, theres no choice but to hit the books. In a quote from Pao Uychiat, The uses of
education are greatly stressed in Asian cultures., But are those children being stressed too much
or too little? Stress is a necessary component of everyday life as an adult.
Some people would say that having a child that focuses on education primarily isnt
healthy. Stress is our minds way of motivating us to accomplish a certain task on time. Young
children shouldnt have the same stress level as college or high school kids. Maybe the
educators are intentionally subconsciously preparing the children for stress management
strategies in from adolescence to adult hood. Others oppose that and say that the current level of
academics of Singapores children is just right. Many would say that the children should be
pushed further and further and will put all of their last supplies and hopes into their childs
education.(Sealy) However, these people are wrong because a childs education should be
stressed but it shouldnt be all they think about. Every facet of their life shouldnt be ruled by
education. In order to succeed, the children need some form of free-time or relaxation. With all
the after school studying sessions and programs statistics have proven that Singapore is thriving
by the current level of education.

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Many countries are also following Singapores advanced and influential footsteps in education.
Asias determination to push their already thriving economy is very evident. (Swar) Singapore is setting
an example for the rest of Asia and maybe the rest of the world. Amin Swar says, The countrys
academic success has helped it become a thriving economy, and the way it has built its education system
could hold lessons for the rest of the world. He also states, It is through creativity and desire for
technological advancement that we see Singapore thriving today.
Education is the key to success in Singapore. Amanda Sealy, an international CNN writer who
attended UNC Chapel Hill, says, Currently they have the healthiest economy primarily from education
and experience. Its obvious that all the training and special programs all the parents and teacher are
putting their children through is proving to be very beneficial and fruitful not only to the child but to the
economy of Singapore also.
When I was picking my topic for my country I thought about a broad and vague topic first, then
did a little internet investigating and stumbled upon a CNN article about genius children in Singapore.
After that I picked it as my topic. I was drawn to the article at first because the title said Why Singapore
Has the Smartest Kids in The World, and I though thought it sounded pretty interesting. It was
fascinating to hear about children who have super intelligence and mathematical skills. I was interested in
learning about the education of other children in another nation and how fast-paced and progressive it
was. The main struggle I had with this assignment was the research process. There were a handful of web
pages that were goldmines for great information and quotes, but on the other hand, there were pages that
were either just copying the previous articles or they didnt have a credible source. I had to pull all my
research from just 5 sources. I couldnt find one of my sources to cite it. That was another struggle.My
successes with this assignment was the quoting. In all my sources I found a bunch of great quotes that I
just couldnt paraphrase because they were just so well-worded. I had a nice balance of successes and
struggles.

Works Cited

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"Child Prodigies and Geniuses from Singapore." Singapore Parenting Magazine for Baby Children

Kids

and Parents 13yr Old Boy Ready for University Comments. N.p., 11 Feb. 2010. Web. 06 Dec. 2015.
Sealy, Amanda. "Why Singapore Has the Smartest Kids in the World - CNN.com." CNN. Cable
News Network, n.d. Web. 06 Dec. 2015.
Teng, Amelia. "2-year-old with IQ of 142 Is Youngest Member of Mensa Singapore." The Straits

Times.

N.p., 07 May 2015. Web. 06 Dec. 2015.

Uchiyat, Pao. "Research Says Singaporean Kids Are the Smartest in the World." Food World News
N.p., 09 Oct. 2015. Web. 06 Dec. 2015.

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