I'm completely dissatisfied with the education ministry's decision to allow the Normal Academic students to forego the 'O' Levels supposedly at their fifth year and head straight for ITE after their fourth year.

Let me explain the darn system. I was from the Express stream where we take the O's after 4 years them move on to JC/Polytechnics/ITE. The weaker kids are in the NA stream and take 'N' lvls after 4 years. Ideally, they pass it and move on to the fifth year where they'll get to take the 'O's.

No disrespect to anyone, but as the whole country knows, Institute of Technical Ed is like the bottom of pre-U education routes after JC and polytechnic. I'm not proud of it but my fellow Malays invariably form the majority of ITE students. The sad thing is that these students have such misplaced pride in their position.

Don't tell me I'm wrong to say they shouldn't be proud. Don't try reminding me that some of the kids in ITE had perfect grades in their O/N Lvls. And don't even try giving me the crap about the ITE winning this-and-that award and is now labeled the jewel in Singapore's educational crown. Please don't kid yourself by thinking that these achievements were largely due to the Malays in the institutes.

Lets all be frank with ourselves - 95% of the Malays who got into ITE either (a) had shitty grades and had no damn choice on where to go after secondary school except ITE. or (b) they failed their fourth year's N Levels on purpose to get into the ITE where a purportedly cooler, less stressful education is visualized to be at. The plus point for them other than not having to study for the O's is that they get to meet other equally futureless flirts who think that the most important thing in a school is a boyfriend/girlfriend. The ITE is seriously made out to be something of a dating network. I'm speaking as a person who has a substantial lot of ITE buddies here, including a pretty close friend.

And now, the ministry's giving these N.A kids the choice of heading straight for ITE without having to opt out from/fail their final exams. What do you think these slackerheads will do?

Mr Minister, do you honestly feel for a second that the lot of them would even bloody think about studying for the damn O's when you're provided them with such a comfortable chocie?

Do you honestly think that they'll fulfill your expectation/anticipation and aspire for higher education after ITE? And yo, as if we don't know that these people are mostly Malays-- Malays who would take the easier way out of anything at the drop of a hat.

I can just imagine the various consequences :
-Higher unemployment rates for the Malay community..
-Lower income..
-Higher crime rates...
-More need to seek (financial) help from the governmental bodies... etc.

A fucking burden to society, that's what. And trust me when I say I predict "terrible family planning" to be slotted in somewhere in between the mess to add on to the problems. Soon, all KFC cashiers, Pizza Hut waiters & McD delivery men will be Malays.

Seriously, the ministry's not helping fuck by allowing such things. What exactly do you mean by expanding the whole education shit? You jolly well KNOW that the Malays will make up the huge majority of the people concerned, and you know darn well that like 60-70% of them will undoubtedly head for ITE. So what in hell are you trying to do, sir? Push us deeper into the mud?

Thanks. I didn't think that was possible. Silly me.

A couple of people have told me this thing shouldn't affect me since I'm in a JC and all. Sorry guys, but I just find it terribly sad that the future of my community is practically going to the dogs. I really hope we'll start using our brains for once and realize that we're not only living for today.

As Raf said, "It's amazing how many Malay students just don't think about their future."
Je sais.