Elite Education

Hello readers, I am back to post again. Today, I am like over the moon. It really feels great to receive great results. I got back my history, maths, and Chinese tests results. I scored an A1 for both my Chinese and maths test and a B3 for my history test. This is considered quite good results among our class. Well, can say that it’s above average. But at the same time, I do see a lot of people, crying over their results. But why? I feel that this question somehow relates to the topic on elite education for the principal’s dialogue during my Level Assembly held today.
There is a difference between an elite education and an elitist education. HCI offers the former because the HCI education framework aims to support holistic development of students.

An elite education means providing the best (facilities, education, teachers) to groom the best. Intense competition may be one major mode of sharpening the skills of the members in such a community.

Collectively, the best efforts of the students can move the organisation forward as well as benefit the students in achieving their goals. But would such intense competitions create blind spots for the people in the competition such that while they succeed in their endeavours, they don’t know how to connect with people beyond their communities? If that is the case, how can HCI students overcome such blind spots?

While holistic education is offered as in HCI, students may not leverage on the provisions. Instead they narrow their own options especially when their career aspirations have been preset by their parents. It will be good for HCI students to reflect on how they can make use of these provisions for growing up to be true leaders instead of putting blame on parents and systems.
And thus, the pressure from the parents, the intense competition, I think it is one of the causes that made one cry over their results. Well, is this a good thing or a bad thing? People always say ‘you only grow when you experience failure’, and in this case, failure is referred to failing your tests, losing to the ‘competition’, how far do you agree? Share with me your views.