CNA | Don't Call Us Beaten | E02: Struggles In Class

FROM THE ARCHIVE: This series first aired on TV in 2015.
In an education system where academic success continues to matter, Don’t Call Us Beaten takes a frank look at what it is like to have failed that first and most crucial of education milestones in Singapore - the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE).
In this episode, we examine the learning struggles that NorthLight and Assumption Pathway students face in class. Weijian and Weikang are identical twins with identical problems in English. Writing is a constant struggle and so is reading. At NorthLight, Qaiser faces a double whammy: he is poor in both English and Maths. This episode examines their learning issues. How will they cope with the mid-year exams?
Subscribe to our channel here: cna.asia/youtu...
Subscribe to our news service:
WhatsApp: cna.asia/whatsapp
Telegram: t.me/cnalatest
Follow us:
CNA: cna.asia
CNA Lifestyle: www.cnalifestyl...
Facebook: / channelnewsasia
Instagram: / channelnews. .
Twitter: / channelnewsasia

[@SambaScramble]

Qaiser has got an amazing attitude! Hardworking and so positive too. My heart broke when he did not do well for his English but with such attitude, I'm very sure he's going to do very well in life. All the best, Qaiser! Keep working towards your dream 💪👍

[@cairene]

He could be dyslexic.

[@lyildrex7324]

@@cairene Dyslexic is not an excuse. I have dyslexia but i get more A's than "normal" people.

[@ezuutaa]

Im actually baffled by how he can communicate and speak so well and yet he has trouble with english.

[@FreedomValentine]

@@lyildrex7324 cool, you want standing ovation?

[@charlesmao7743]

So? You feel the need to be condescending because they are a slow leaner or might not have interest in certain subjects? It’s not a matter if u get A or a distinction. At the end of the day, it’s about what u learn and how that skill set able not just to help u, but also help others.

[@aphra9625]

Good that this mini documentary ended on the note of having a persevering attitude, rather than showing students ultimately passing their exams. Emphasizes that the ultimate goal is the attitude, which is more relevant to life's hurdles than academic tests.

[@apeiron1700]

it isnt all sunshine and rainbows. im 90% sure that the video ending on the note of having a persevering attitude is intentional just to get your hopes up.

[@francesahchong8684]

Love it!!!

[@nightbydays]

out of all the thumbnails they could've chosen why this one

[@MrYololololo]

ikr

[@contentdeleted4987]

ya loh

[@amiriri218]

Qaiser is such a hardworking kid ... I’m so proud of this boy he really did his best and his attitude is what makes him a better person than a lot of people. All the best to your future Qaiser ! ❤️

[@alexlun4464]

There are two types of schools, the ones that accept grades and the ones that accept wallets

[@rynning9581]

oOF

[@cassieang1601]

Or both

[@DC-ru5xz]

And some that demand both and way too much of their students

[@itsdark2507]

Sec school is determined by your PSLE score maybe by that money too

[@Silverhedgehog1000]

The ones that accept wallets are International Schools.. Compared to local schools, most of the Int. schools are a ripoff.

[@zanaszana5046]

Amazingly many of these students who struggled in their early years of education actually end up in universities. Some even graduated with honours and became a valedictorian at their graduation ceremony 😌

[@muhdyasierazmee637]

I teared up when I read this because I struggled during my early years of education :') I'm currently studying in a Uni. wish me luck!

[@RYULISTIC]

So ur saying people are smart can't go to uni Like that I kill myself and I will have another life

[@TATLIGTube]

@@RYULISTIC so you're basically saying you're smart? Ok then

[@savoryno4867]

Yea i agree, i was a very troubled kid during primary school and I remember skipping a few exams and ended up not doing that good during my PSLE. On top of that I never achieved any awards, any medals in those times, I was jealous that everyone got at least an award and everybody was applauded. I got into the NT stream and I really thought I was gonna stayed back at that time. Now I'm at my Sec 4 year, I've achieved a lot more, I'm a lot more better with my studies and I became more confident to take any opportunity I got.

[@frostbitepokin9520]

Savory No good luck for your n levels

[@harrywandi9829]

I'm impressed with these teachers' hardworking in teaching special kids so thay they can reach their stars, and contribute a good result for society and nation as well. Teachers from all over the world done so well in their job on shaping their nation's youngsters...well done teacher, thank you for your sacrifice...

[@izzahsalleh19]

qaiser singing story of my life HAHAH SO CUTe

[@austinsunjunheng3378]

IKR!

[@user-js4dp7uy9j]

Damn they work so much harder than me and they get lesser marks than me, I feel ashamed.

[@jus_t2309]

Ikr lol

[@apeiron1700]

lemme tell you the video only shows you what channel newsasia wants to show, and in this case, showing you that they are working hard.

[@nekonatsume3194]

:( I feel bad

[@kamsahakeonhee577]

Yep, in sg, sometime is on luck lah

[@doublestufforeo3282]

I feel motivated to study

[@yasirmummy]

Qaiser.. never give up ok. I pray you will succeed in life aamiin.

[@razaidahhussein2925]

amin Allahuma Amin

[@jingyun4323]

The teachers are a far cry from the ones I had in secondary school. My English teacher used to tell us that we'd amount to nothing, either be chicken rice sellers or chamber maids. Funnily enough, many of the girls in my class ended up with higher paying jobs than the girls in the express stream.

[@lcy3877]

Why are your teachers so mean??

[@bobatea5287]

My dad used to get bad scores at school, but he ended up becoming more successful than the ones that did better than him in school. So tbh it's not only grades that you need in the real world, you also need luck.

[@8214733939]

if your English teacher is still around, tell her: mark Zuckerberg did not finish his Harvard degree. The inventor of digital wallets are both Chinese (Jack and Pony Ma). They do not communicate in English when in China. with that kind of condescending attitude, I don't think she fits to be a teacher.

[@princesssupernova5300]

@@bobatea5287 well those in "better streams" get burnt out by the time they are 14-15 and spiral down. it's not always good to peak early, sometimes I wish I wasn't one of those that did......

[@1houroflove186]

I'm a backpacker in Singapore now. 2 weeks already. 2 more to go. Singapore is impressive. The children in Singapore's "special needs" are so lucky. Your country's got your back. In America? Not so much.

[@vkchaitanya2003]

Dude what are you even talking, I studied in Singapore and the USA. In America we get second chances not in Singapore.

[@vim92]

This is just the TIP of the iceberg, once you graduate and are an adult you are COMPLETELY on your own. In the states you have social security, welfare and all sorts of benefits. Your opinion is one-sided.

[@MsDil21]

That is not true at all...there is no safety net to fall back on for sick adults, disabled adults, senior citizens

[@claretheworm]

😅uh I beg to differ.

[@Mehrin31]

I’m extremely astonished by qaizer’s attitude, with such a healthy growth mindset and how he handle the situations he faced I truly think that he will excel and do well in the future regardless

[@nanayrosa2278]

Qaiser

[@mohdamin7270]

Omg wow I'm impressed of Qaiser.....He dealt with failure with such calm and positivity....Lord have mercy on u boy...U will shine like a diamond

[@zhibinliu7263]

I must say that the boys tried very hard and the teachers were awesome

[@atraps7882]

the modern education system is telling fishes to fly and birds to swim

[@pgeon2386]

If you work hard,you will be able to succeed.

[@lol...]

Looking at the penguins and the flying fish/stingrays

[@btsjiminismybias]

It saddens me.. For the fact that these kids must have already been struggling with the same problems since primary 2 or 3 but their teachers/parents continue to neglect it. Or simply not having enough awareness of how serious this can get if they don't intervene earlier. The teachers here are truly commendable , really not easy to be patient all the time and coming up with creative ways to engage their students. Really hope more gov resources can be directed to needy families who aren't able to give extra academic help to their kids.... :( please don't give up yet, continue to study hard :) you reap what you sow!! Hmm but it also got me thinking... Why am I expecting all the kids in Singapore to fit into the mainstream education system that we have? Some kids learn much slower than others while some other kids already know before you even teach them. Maybe deep down in my heart, I feel like every kid has the potential to become an "Express" student

[@beezlebub9]

I agree, if these kids had intervention much earlier; they would have been so much more better off and happier.

[@ewknees]

When I was a kid, I REALLY struggled with English - while my peers were passing and doing well in basic grammar, it was personally challenging to comprehend syntax. Luckily for me though, my mom noticed it early and hired a couple of English tutors to coach me and I improved over the course of 2 years - amounting to an A for PSLE English. Considering how it's much easier to acquire and master a language when you're young (due to brain plasticity), I feel sad for these kids, especially the twins. It's not entirely their parent's fault but maybe if they had paid more attention (not by reprimanding them) then the twins would probably have an easier time trying to master basic English.

[@dt4654]

Seems like you are good at talking, since oral exam was very hard for me to ace up til sec school...because I admit to not being good at socialising with people even after graduation.

[@ewknees]

@@dt4654 Well for oral, you had to describe a scene and narrate a passage, right? I struggled with the former because it wasn't natural that I had to talk about a picture in detail using certain directional cues (e.g. bottom left of the picture) - nobody talks like that irl, so I definitely had my struggles with oral too! Narration was my favourite because I personally just enjoy reading aloud but of course - I also had trouble enunciating my words :) To me, oral really isn't about socialising although if you're extremely outgoing to begin with, it may help to some extent but not significantly. I'm pretty withdrawn, and never initiate contact with others, but oral was one of those assessments where I felt that I could freely voice my opinions about society so at the end of the day, if you introspect enough, oral is really the time for you to shine despite not being completely proficient in English :)

[@chuavivian8801]

Bravos to all the students and teachers.. Never give up is the answer to having a bright future

[@youngfadula]

Qaiser’s so positive he’s so precious

[@toyoyoyo104]

Not everyone is cut out for studies. All of us have talents in different areas. If you expects a fish to be able to climb a tree, the fish will spend it's whole life thinking it's a failure. This won't work.

[@pgeon2386]

I do not agree. In fact ,everyone is cut out for studies. Just whether you are willing to work hard or not

[@lcy3877]

Got $ to develop other areas then say

[@Lina-cl7zt]

Fun fact: You do NEED money to develop in those other areas plus a rich family background which is not the common case as you can see.

[@bearbearcutecute]

By sending their kids for endless tuition, the rich will always be a step ahead, never mind the psychological damage caused to their kids with a lost childhood. This is skewed meritocracy taken to the extreme. If the government is looking at the "Comments" section here, please lower the class size and equalise the remuneration and prestige of the school teachers and private tutors in Singapore while at the same time, impose hefty "Tuition Tax" on the obnoxious billion-dollar tuition industry so as to divert more educators to return to schools.

[@mxyxm1]

Qaizer is so precious and inspiring, all the best to you young man! May you do well in life

[@FARID1870]

Wonder how these kids are now, especially Qaiser who displayed so much positive attitude. Believe he is a smart fella! Much respect to the dedicated teachers - life is not easy teaching in these schools!

[@name-gw2qm]

Qaiser is so inspiring I want to meet him and motivate him

[@amiriri218]

I wonder how is Qaiser doing now? This kid inspire me.

[@TeoJunHao]

riNa Shine probably in ITE I think, at least can still get into a poly and in a university

[@plumsweetplum]

my heart was breaking looking at qaiser's reaction when he realised he failed :'( im rooting for all the kids in this video!!!

[@syuky_wow554]

I still struggle with math :( but I passed my PSLE and I'm crying with tears when I came to Secondary school I still struggle but my teacher did praise me

[@waidahbruh]

:) keep trying and you'll do well

[@alialowais7817]

It’s only in Singapore where they focus on the students and look out for them.

[@VasReds]

I feel kids are unable to seek inspiration within themselves and from around them which impacts them massively. Also the pressure to get grades intimidated them a lot. This needs sorting at the elementary school, is it hard for the teachers to spot the learning disabilities of children. Appalling to see 10+ year olds having difficulties in counting which also means there’s a flaw in the system.

[@beezlebub9]

I’m wondering if some form of parental support or intervention would have helped. It’s looks like the parents did not know or did not know where and how to get help.

[@randomcat3854]

Qaiser has the spirit that i want.You go boy!!!! You know u can do it!!!

[@daisydove3336]

There are a lot of successful people who are dyslexic. Dont give up qaiser!

[@airis7046]

them: i can't speak, i can't read, sure i fail english me: i can kinda speak, i can kinda read, still gonna fail chinese

[@sweet813one]

Can relate

[@lcy3877]

For those who kept on saying they might not be cut out for studies and might be good at other areas, such areas like music or art requires good financial situation back home... Y'all realise that it's very costly to develop a person's artistic or musical abilities right? How to develop when some of them are not rich or comes from humble background?? U see those people who pursue arts or music are kids from rich families.... If the students are rich they could have just gone for those branded tuition right

[@chloe-gs6bq]

Qaiser is so pure and precious for this world ahhhh my heartt

[@seejasmine3837]

"Stop shouting got people filming" omg so got fac one so proud leh

[@nvraininasir]

Qaiser is one of the best exemplary student that have a mindset of being positive and confident in every situation. Keep up the good work👍🙌

[@ZameerHJ]

How can someone be in a high risk group for Dyslexia...? It’s not a condition you can catch like the cold. You either have it or you don’t. Just test the kid lah for dyslexia.

[@cc-nb5fb]

Mark Johnston it means they have one of the worst cases of dyslexia bodohhhhh

[@valumiya337]

18:08 Poor guy😂 he hit himself with the worksheet

[@rolnah]

“Stop shouting got people filming” I laughed so hard HAHA am I supposed to laugh even oof

[@afnansaid]

ty CNA for allowing viewers a glimpse into the lives of special needs students.

[@mervendurai3906]

Huge respect to my lad Qaiser his attitude and perseverance are highly commendable

[@gloom8439]

Wow this is amazing how many hours they put in their studies. Growing up in poor family need to wake up 4am to sell bread to make money for necessities. I don't have time to do my assignment. But love to learn more. English is second language to us , yes kind of hard if you don't use it everyday most especially your parents can't even speak it too.

[@fightingforce8498]

i have been there because of some job assignment. when I was eating my lunch at the canteen, i observe the teachers there so caring and nice to their students.. I can tell you during my time my teachers are biased, abusive, prejudicial and some are racist to me and yet i come from a normal school! keep it up north light teachers. I really feel proud of you. well done! 😊😊👍👍👍

[@adnansteady1259]

Qaiser talks really good and great personality

[@lis4394]

20:05 OHMYGOSH HE SANG STORY OF MY LIFE

[@elektrikbiru]

Awww. Qaiser is such a sweetheart. His tenacity will certainly bring him success in life!

[@HeidiMarrakesh]

Bless these teachers who have passion in uplifting these children....

[@franciskikocondejr.8031]

So inspired by Qaizer !!! He will come a long way , his very determined , for sure he will be successfull 👏👏👏

[@farhanaparven2510]

also I really admire and respect the teachers!

[@oovkajiv]

I'm sec 1 now and from Singapore. Until now, I don't even know what a noun is. But my marks are pretty good. I got an A for psle English. I guess it's because I talk to my family in English so I'm better at it. I think my tuition also helped a bit. Finding a good tuition is also important. It's also important that the teacher makes sure you understand what's being thought. Like I said, I don't even know what a noun is. You don't need to learn every single thing. Example: for editing, you don't need to know all the tips and tricks to finding the right answers. You should constantly speak good English with people. This way, you would easily be able to find the answers since when you put the words in the sentence, you know what sounds right and what sounds wrong.

[@ravenclawgal3104]

Potato Samlad Not everyone can afford tuition, you know.

[@sooaolongtian3710]

he never explain why the answer is remind instead of support, he just say the answer is remind

[@huangyiwensqps6560]

These teachers sure are working very hard for the students to improve! Also, I hope the students will do well too.

[@nursyazwani6300]

Qaiser has a bright future inshaAllah :)

[@aHopefulDream]

These kids are incredibly inspiring! They have an amazing attitude and are so very brave to overcome the fear of failure.

[@deadprankerandgamer9722]

Don’t shout, don’t shout got people filming 😂 I feel bad for the teachers

[@miohitos]

holy shit. qaiser’s my pri school mate. (qiaonan primary school)

[@effaarihanna1883]

0:25 boy on the left,he just a good model

[@nazreenbanu3322]

I love kyzer's attitude!! He's so hardworking yet so positive !! This boy will be successful in life for sure! 💛

[@TET2005]

These boys are the people who will excel in their area of work because they understood the meaning of failure and never keep trying...

[@miohitos]

usually other students see students from these schools as “dumb” “stupid” “lazy” but they’re actually hardworking asf

[@dragon-im6hx]

The boy in 12.02 looks like he is the actor for handsome in toggle kin

[@cristelle1471]

I think he is

[@amyang5622]

These kids have talent somewhere else. Not in studies, doesn’t matter. So many other things for them to choose from!

[@DC-ru5xz]

To help with your math, here is a simple phrase: 2+2 is 4,-1 is 3 quick maths

[@ch6201]

This students are so special...people just need to open their eyes

[@aquakey9834]

Obviously...thats y theyre caLord special needs students

[@beverlykorte8581]

Yes 👍

[@mihaiapostol7864]

nicely put!

[@jimmytan4209]

To Weikang, hopefully u see this. dont worry u are not alone. im 15 and i dont even know whats 11 plus 4....Keep going!! u can speak so well!!

[@Tomatofury]

I realised in all these documentaries, the malay individuals would tend to speak English even if they’re far superior in their native tongue, meanwhile the Chinese individuals would default to mandarin

[@Projectminecraftize]

Your point being?

[@itsdanihehe]

Same When I Primary 1 and 2 I bad at spelling now I Primary 5 I good Every word I get correct

[@nutshell_]

Damnn he said he had trouble spelling during primary 1 but look at him now man. He speaks in good english

[@jy.t519]

I feel. Bad becuz seeing them read english outload seems so diffcult for them while for prelim exam 29 out of 30 i shud feel better about myself

[@icturner23]

I am a teacher of English as an additional language and that class (making Weikand stand and read out loud) is inappropriate and disastrous.

[@jhwx88]

"It ain't about how hard you hit, it's about how hard you can get hit, and you keep moving forward. It's about how much you can take, and you keep moving... forward." - Rocky Balboa

[@Juz2yluv]

these teachers are so encouraging and helpful.They are really good.

[@FARID1870]

Inspiring teachers indeed!

[@aravinthsrisivasritharan4098]

We can all remember how einstein used to struggle like these kids so if u judge them , think of einstein

[@youngfadula]

10:18 LOLOLOLOL

[@joshuapayamel3022]

Megu X lmao hes still smiling too

[@nilmuhammadzakwanzukri3195]

Goodluck guys. Never give up because I believe all of you will be successful one day. Perseverance is the key.

[@100newkid]

Speaking from experience... Asian parents are probably the hardest on their kids. The stigma that comes with being Asian is that you are "automatically" smart and all you have to do is study and you'll understand it and succeed. I'm so glad that CNA has put this documentary together which in the end (ultimately) brings to light that Asians also suffer from learning disabilities. I am so glad that there are educational institutions in Asia that recognize the issue and are doing something about. Education and empowering is everything! :)

[@macyng844]

Oh god my heart melted at Qaiser...

[@zen2808]

I just want to salute all the teachers 💐and all the students are angels 💕

[@helens8935]

Coming from Malaysia and now living in Australia, I am in awe of how these children who are struggling are given special classes. The resources they've used for Qaiser, are they produced by the dedicated teachers themselves or are they uniformed across the board (ie a standardised govt initiative)?

[@nomadcooks4842]

May Allah protect you and bless you always Qaiser. You'll get there and be really successful with you attitude.

[@faizalridzwan2037]

Keep up the great work, teachers. We salute you:) Your patience and drive are most commendable. Kudos.

[@bchpls24]

Malays and Indians ... Most of them are the one that make the Chinese feel better.

[@lcy3877]

What do u mean??

[@arianrolex6456]

Bro i live next to Northlight, shoutout to some students there, STAWP SMOKING PLS

[@jplim8416]

Qaiser is failing but good if he try and try

[@jplim8416]

Lol

[@JustinRichards]

21:26 EXACTLY. Don't use vocabulary like 'fail' to students. They've given their best. Theres is no failure. They just haven't reached the required pass mark. Its semantics I know, but certain connotations can have massive effects on students who have applied themselves.

[@mihaiapostol7864]

yes, praise the effort. process > results :)

[@TheWorldInsider]

weikang and his brothjer. go watch the flash with mandarin subtitles after season 3 i can bet you your english vocab and confidence would've increased significantly

[@jujubaeeeee]

the teachers are the most loving, patient and caring people. I really admire them!

[@littlejourney3178]

But in reality of life math only needs addition, subtraction and division..you can't say to the store "can I buy an eggplant in square root of 2"..✌️✌️✌️.. Peace.. this is how I hate math😅😅😅

[@muhammedmishaal5882]

Dont give up boys! Life is a journey not a destination!

[@chanmyaehan8537]

6:13 NO WONDER THE KID’s English is bad Form teacher saying HE DON’t He doesn’t lah 🤦🏽‍♀️🤦🏽‍♀️🤦🏽‍♀️

[@oooguotang892]

Teacher : but when he COMING to reading , he DON’T .......

[@sofiaruss8958]

He said "they don't"..correct what🤔

[@chanmyaehan8537]

Sofia Roux he said ‘ he don’t ‘

[@user-pg5re1cg7d]

@@chanmyaehan8537 I also heard they don't

[@jus_t2309]

Hope they can pass their O levels

[@skraaapapakakaka145]

sqing _t i don’t think they take o levels

[@奶油饼干-c6j]

Most of the kids dread to even go ITE, while for children in these schools, these are their only hope

[@vatevor]

I feel extra bad for Qaiser. Dyslexia is already a pain but English's non phonetic spelling system just makes things 10 times worse for him. Imagine if he had to master a very structured spelling like korean or German instead

[@i_haz_no_comments4775]

Ok now tell them what they are actually studying for and how to apply *PSLE* in real life cos when i took psle i did not even know how is this gunna help me in real life

[@flypigeon8597]

Nah man I just finished o levels and i still have no idea how to apply it in real life hahaha.

[@i_haz_no_comments4775]

@@flypigeon8597 totally motivates me to study for my o levels

[@i_haz_no_comments4775]

@@flypigeon8597 no intention of going to harvard or alec i'm just 12 dis year psle soon.. my goals realistic get collegue degree diploma go work earn the amount of money retire with 2 kids

[@i_haz_no_comments4775]

@?RNDM? besides i am the hands on type so i couldn't be bothered with the psle

[@i_haz_no_comments4775]

@?RNDM? close still in sec

[@hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh888]

9:37 I wait eagerly for the day Qaiser opens his restaurant. Can't wait!

[@snarlc-ops1972]

Really independent tho, taking buses on their own at 12

[@contentdeleted4987]

Now even if I fail, I'll still be able to go to secondary. YAY.

[@saiskeletor]

Bruh I am from Victoria school and I feel stupid watching this video but I agree that I have failed once

[@mansoryO]

i struggled like that kids in the beggining then i learned that you can learn on your own in your own way through human practice with less stress.