MY SON IS STUPID OR THE ONES

WHO SET THOSE CONFUSING QUESTIONS?
Our education …. How up-to-date, substantial and flexible?

Written by Mrs. Money




30 years ago, my mom returned home told me a primary school teacher set a question to his students in this way:

Question: Can a bird sing?

Answer: (A) Yes ...................(B) No


According to my mom, she said those students who gave wrong answer of “Yes” argued with their teacher heatedly.

30 later, I bought my kids first time to visit Singapore National Bird Park, my kids and I were so amazed of those birds which could sing so many tunes, most surprising to me because those birds stayed on pitch better than some of our human voices!

"SINGAPURA…. SINGAPURA…..”

“KERR RENG DAO, KERR RENG DAO, MA MA BU ZAI JIA…”



Recently, I told myself that I wouldn’t mind my son gets the last in his class or even no number in his class is even better if all his teachers gave unreasonable confusing questions here and there after I gone through one of his wrongly answered question.

Question: An elephant needs:

Answer: (A) Bees and water

............(B) Fruit and bread

..............(C) leaves and water


My son gave the wrong answer of (B) fruit and bread, because that’s what he saw people throwing bread to the elephant when he visited the zoo.

I would think that it is much better for a book writer or a teacher to set answer clearly in this way for those very young kids

Question: An elephant needs:


Answer: (A)Bees and oil

..........................(B)Toys and insecticides

......................(C) Leaves and water


If such a writer or teacher wants their students to involve in critical thinking, I would suggest he sets his question and answer in this way

Question: A healthy elephant needs:

Answer: (A) Coca-cola and biscuits

...(B) Beer and pizza

......(C) leaves and water


Lastly I think it is always to get kids to involve in lateral thinking, this is a very popular question:

Question: When Polly saw two brown bags one with diamond and the other with bones, why she ran off happily with the bag that got bones?

Do you know the answer?

How long does it take you to figure out the answer?

This was the question given by Mr. Money’s specialist brother to test his two engineer brothers and his new sister-in-law.

So after I gave several barking someone still couldn’t give a correct answer! Then I only realised many profesionals lateral brains are inactive! May be those exposures I spent in two world class instituations did help me to develop my lateral thinking!


I remember when I was a teenager, my dad’s rich friend kept advising my poor dad not to send us to study in overseas but he sent all his kids, nieces and nephews to study in overseas!

Those elite rich and powerful families sent their kids since childhood years to study in overseas only in the best and most elite academies and they would speak perfect English (or Mandarin), to ensure their throne being succeeded one generation after another generation upon their returning to our country.

I think Darwin’s theory has exercised on in our educational system too, “survival of fittess!”