Kiasuism?

When I arrived in the shore of Singapore 9yrs ago, I didn't feel to much of the kiasuism. Well not until I had a Singaporean boyfriend. It was a rather big adventure & experience. That's when I had personal encounter of Singapore's infamous Kiasuism. After that, I had all the visions of their Kiasuism. Call me racist, call me pessimist. But I'm really afraid of thise specific culture. I don't find it the least healthy.

I recently found out that a friend (who always complain she 'has no money') sends her only son, 5yrs old, to an extremely reputable childplay/nursery school. It costs a good price of just a little 1000S$.
My husband's friend sends his 3year-old daughter to another reputable playhouse/nursery at over S$500 per month.
I met a colleague who did the same, sent his youngest son to a kinderdargen costing over S$1100 per term.

WE joked that this cost more than our university under-grad tuition per year.

All these 'reputable' nurseries/playhouses are what they called top schools. They said that these age are the most important in fundamental education.

Now, what will happened to the children who are late bloomers? Or those not-as-well-off?
Are they doomed to be 'stupid'?

I remember I only entered formal education at the age of 6, into kindergarden. Oh yes, I was a lost kid. Didn't know what I was learning, didn't know what I was speaking. I seriously do not know if that makes any difference. (But frankly, I believe that lies more in my upbringing. My parent believed that if I want to, I would put in full effort) Yes, there were children much 'faster' than me. But after all these years, I did earn a good job, & my degree after all. I attained a degree late not because I was slow, but because I had to earn my tuition funds first.

Has society change so much to be so demanding? Where are all the fun in being a child? Where are the fun in growing up? In being mischievous? Having so much free time that you start doin nonsensical things or learning other things that aren't in the school syllables at all?
I was so free during my childhood days, I spent the days counting the countries in atlas & learned all the countries. Until today, I can place where each country is in the continent or which city belongs to which state/country. (I stopped Geography lessons at 16yrs).

While Malaysia refuse to do 'class streaming' at all, Singapore starts from as early as primary 4. It sounds as though you need to know what you want to do in life from as young as 9! (Streaming is based on previous year's performance)
I wish they could strike a balance.

I have always wanted to go back to Malaysia to raise my children simply for this reason. I remember my care-free childhood days. Or at least, it wasn't as stressful as what I'm hearing. It may so silly to think about avoiding all this by 'abandoning' my husband in Singapore just so that my children would live a 'normal childhood' lives.
People say I'm crazy because "Singapore has the best education system". However, I've come to believe that education does not lie only in the school, but at home too. I have met many well-educated & well-qualified people. No offence but, I'm afraid their parents might have forget to instill manners & humanity in their characters. Moreover, it's proven that well-educated/well-qualifed isn't necessarily intelligent. They just do well in examinations. Some may even have zero knowledge in areas out of their formal qualification, but they believe this is perfectly normal. I find it rather shocking. It's as though engineers will never know anything about accounting. And that, bankers will never know anything about aviation. They're too busy for hobbies.

I do find it sad that society is showing that education & manners have a negative correlation.

Competition is so stiff in Singapore. They have 'express stream' secondary education & 'normal stream'. My poor ex-boyfriend hid the fact that his was in normal stream until much later when I found out by doing all the mathematics. He was so ashamed by the fact that he wasn't in the express stream.

Society can be very judgemental, yes. However, I do not see being average as a crime. Because, brain & intelligence is defined in many, many different ways.

I've observed that society has mellowed down about this matter. But that's because this has become norm. Not a big deal anymore. But people work so hard to pay for such prices. They sometimes do not see the day outside the office. All just to earn the big bucks to pay all this price. So that their children can deserve the best. But is this truly the best? They spent weekends together shopping, holiday far away to luxuriously location & have the latest technology of toys & gadgets. But is this the best upbringing? I do not mean to judge this. I deal with public very widely. I've seen so many sort of upbringing (& behaviour). Some, I find are empty. Some, I find, are sad. Some, I find, are the pride of the nation. Some, I find, are heart-breaking.
Some are great, some are terrifying. It gives me a whole load of ideas of what sort of parent I wish to become.

Whether I can achieve it or not, I do not know. But I only hope for the best & joy in my children. That they would live life without regret or lost hope.

I do have my fear. I am afraid if my children will ever blame me for not sending them to better schools, or to less-stressed schools. I have no idea. I do not if Malaysia will also be entirely a safe place for children, given all the crime reports everyday in Malaysia.

That's why I'm delaying parenthood.