2002 ~ 2006 |
THE PIONEERS
Ancora Imparo
Edwin Goh
Performing at a COSTA event (2007). ▶
32
I realized
that SASS
has a very
different, yet
refreshing,
concept
of what
education
should
be like.
I was a product of the Singapore education system.
It was a system that prided itself in being one of the
best in the world. There are those who would swear
by it, boasting that it made a difference in the lives
of Singapore’s youth. Upon closer scrutiny, however,
one would soon realize that the system was merely
about rewarding those capable of memorizing copious
amounts of information and regurgitating them
verbatim. Paradoxically, it also claimed to promote
creativity, so long as the creativity adhered strictly
to the statutes and guidelines stipulated by the
powers that be.
And then, I came to Monash University Malaysia,
pretty much against my will. I was initially destined
to join the National University of Singapore.
But complications in attaining my student visa
in Singapore meant that I had to “settle” for this
unassuming little institution, twinned (back then)
with Sunway College. In terms of prestige, grandeur
and rank (you know how rankings are soooooo
important to anyone who has lived in Singapore for
a considerable amount of time), Monash University
Malaysia seemed like a pale shadow in comparison to
what the high and mighty NUS had to offer.
My freshman year as a Bachelor of Communication
soon proved to be an engaging and entertaining one.
I count myself blessed to have
been under the tutelage of
some of the finest minds in
Malaysia. My lecturers (well,
a majority of them at least)
were knowledgeable, witty and
approachable. It made learning
fun, easy and perhaps, on
occasion, a tad bizarre. And
then there were my fellow
Educator! (2018). ▶
undergraduates – the Monash
Commies as we would call ourselves. Never have I
met such ragtag bunch of opinionated and
vocal individuals.
The next two years flew by quickly. Far too quickly.
Friendships were formed, romances (one-sided
ones for me) had blossomed, and knowledge
was dispensed – sometimes in the form of creepy
movies where people had their eyeballs sliced open.
Throughout these years, I realized that SASS has
a very different, yet refreshing, concept of what
education should be like. For someone who was far
too comfortable with having the answers spoon-fed
to him, I was in for a rude awakening. Every module
that I sat for was all about learning through discovery,
experience and making mistakes. The Singapore
education system taught me what to learn,
but SASS taught me how to learn.
Now, twelve years after graduating, I find myself back
in the Singapore education system once more. This
time, as an educator. My academic journey has come
full circle. And while I have yet to show my students
videos of sliced eyeballs, I would like to believe that
I am, in some way, continuing the fine SASS tradition
of teaching the next generation how to learn instead
of what to learn.
This is my story. This is my metamorphosis.
Edwin graduated with a Bachelor of Communication
in 2006. He works as an English Teacher and Choir
Conductor in a Secondary School in Singapore.