subject: New pathways of learning prove exciting [print this page] That's the real strength of our system compared to most others-committed to spread across our schools, so we can uplift every student. Doing excellent in the basics, however, is no longer good enough. They are the ones who think in original ways, do things differently, and who keep the leading cities spinning differently. Giving all our students the chance to stretch their abilities, move on to a good post-secondary education and keep upgrading once they enter the workforce. What we are doing is to open up new pathways and different approaches to learning, around a well-functioning mainstream system. We need these new and different pathways , because if we do everything the same way in education, we will not produce the individuals who are capable of breakthroughs. We will not be capable of peak performance as a savvy technology. The real aim will be to nurture students with inventive minds, people who keep looking for a different way of doing things. The new schools of science and technology will, become another peak in our landscape. Students definitely become more open-minded and learning to look at things from different viewpoints.
When students had to excel an experiment to test a leaf for starch in her biology lesson, he/she had to do more than just read up on how to do it. Students class was given an example of an experiment that failed and was asked to figure out why it did not work, before coming up with one that did. In secondary schools, students were spoon-fed a lot, it's not about how well you memorize, but about how hard you think. The tests also do not require her/him to regurgitate facts she/he read in books. To determine part of her/him grade for philosophy, she/he and others will have to present their arguments on a topic of their choice in an Internet chatroom. How well they express themselves and argue their points will determine their marks. For integrated humanities class, a group of eight schoolmates will perform a ten minute skit they wrote and directed on how the Sydney's Opera House builded. It has been more exciting than she/he envisioned when she/he plumped for the new programme, because of the new ways of learning.
