Anybody with children studying in a Buddhist primary school like Maha Bodhi, Mee Toh? Does Buddhist school focus more on moral/religious education rather than competition and examination?

Hey there everyone (:

I was a graduate from Manjusri Secondary School by the Singapore Buddhist Federation 6 years ago (:

From my 4 years there, I could say that the school focuses more on moral and religious education than competition and examination.

I remember that every morning, Buddhist students would recite this and it's not compulsory for all students..

"We wholeheartedly take refuge in the Buddha, and respect the Buddha as our teacher. We wholeheartedly take refuge in the Dharma and practise the noble teaching. We wholeheartedly take refuge in the Sangha and accept the guidance of the Sangha. We pledge ourselves to cultivate kindness, to keep right speech and to do good deeds. With the blessings of the Triple Gem, may our wisdom grow for the betterment of our conduct and studies. May our deeds be filled with loving kindness and compassions. May all beings attain the state of calmness, peace, prosperity and happiness.

Every Monday, Dharma teachers would be invited to teach during our first lesson of the day. Students are not obliged to listen to whatever the Dharma teachers, but out of respect most students would participate.

We have Vesak Day celebration to commemorate the Birth, Death and the Nirvana of the Buddha. We have the showering of the Prince Siddhartha ceremony in school and invites our school supervisor to be part of the celebration as well. (:

Originally posted by TIB744U:

Hey there everyone (:

 

I was a graduate from Manjusri Secondary School by the Singapore Buddhist Federation 6 years ago (:

 

From my 4 years there, I could say that the school focuses more on moral and religious education than competition and examination.

 

I remember that every morning, Buddhist students would recite this and it's not compulsory for all students..

 

"We wholeheartedly take refuge in the Buddha, and respect the Buddha as our teacher. We wholeheartedly take refuge in the Dharma and practise the noble teaching. We wholeheartedly take refuge in the Sangha and accept the guidance of the Sangha. We pledge ourselves to cultivate kindness, to keep right speech and to do good deeds. With the blessings of the Triple Gem, may our wisdom grow for the betterment of our conduct and studies. May our deeds be filled with loving kindness and compassions. May all beings attain the state of calmness, peace, prosperity and happiness.

 

Every Monday, Dharma teachers would be invited to teach during our first lesson of the day. Students are not obliged to listen to whatever the Dharma teachers, but out of respect most students would participate.

 

We have Vesak Day celebration to commemorate the Birth, Death and the Nirvana of the Buddha. We have the showering of the Prince Siddhartha ceremony in school and invites our school supervisor to be part of the celebration as well. (:

Its a pity we have so few Buddhists schools in Singapore. Only three (? Maha Bodhi, Mee Toh and Manjushri) in a country where 42% of its population are Buddhists

I would like to enrol my children in Buddhist schools, but the Buddhists schools are simply too few and far between.

Manjusri Secondary School is a result of great effort by many Buddhists such as 李木源居士:

这样的事例太多了，不胜枚举。我其实很惭愧，因为这些居士老菩萨，好多我并不认得，我想，她们这么发心，是因为她们真心真意、全心全意地信奉佛法，这些普通的信众，她（他）们才是所有佛教团体的中坚力量。

Does the canteen sell only vegeterian food or got meat as well?

me sister from Mee Toh at the old campus at race course road
(fann wong sister oso from Mee Toh)
btw, affiliated to manjusri

one level oni 3 classes... bcos the sch damn small

vesak day celebration is more happening than any other festivals
their students take PSLE in the hall of the temple next door, which i think is kind cool...

other than tt, they don't enforce or have compulsory lessons on buddhist studies or wat... everything else the same as any other mainstream sec sch

Originally posted by TIB744U:

Hey there everyone (:

I was a graduate from Manjusri Secondary School by the Singapore Buddhist Federation 6 years ago (:

From my 4 years there, I could say that the school focuses more on moral and religious education than competition and examination.

I remember that every morning, Buddhist students would recite this and it's not compulsory for all students..

"We wholeheartedly take refuge in the Buddha, and respect the Buddha as our teacher. We wholeheartedly take refuge in the Dharma and practise the noble teaching. We wholeheartedly take refuge in the Sangha and accept the guidance of the Sangha. We pledge ourselves to cultivate kindness, to keep right speech and to do good deeds. With the blessings of the Triple Gem, may our wisdom grow for the betterment of our conduct and studies. May our deeds be filled with loving kindness and compassions. May all beings attain the state of calmness, peace, prosperity and happiness.

Every Monday, Dharma teachers would be invited to teach during our first lesson of the day. Students are not obliged to listen to whatever the Dharma teachers, but out of respect most students would participate.

We have Vesak Day celebration to commemorate the Birth, Death and the Nirvana of the Buddha. We have the showering of the Prince Siddhartha ceremony in school and invites our school supervisor to be part of the celebration as well. (:

Glad to know that. I think focus on moral before focus on competition and examination is a good approach for students. If one doesn't have good moral, having competition skill and knowledge can be a liability to a company and whole society.

Originally posted by Beyond Religion:

Its a pity we have so few Buddhists schools in Singapore. Only three (? Maha Bodhi, Mee Toh and Manjushri) in a country where 42% of its population are Buddhists

I would like to enrol my children in Buddhist schools, but the Buddhists schools are simply too few and far between.

If really no chance to get in, then you do something to ensure he on buddhism path lor. Probably teach him on your own or help him get the right companion.

he relationship between teacher and student in Singapore makes me worried about our education system....

1. Our education is too exam-oriented... in such an environment, moral education takes a backseat

The 1st day entering school, teacher will 1st classify students according to "those who attends tuition and those who do not".

2. Parents are not teaching kids to respect teachers in school ... blow up cases are common today ... students use handphone to take teacher's. Teachers in turn, become unforgiving.

See blog by a teacher Wu Pei Qi (published in MyPaper today) at http://blog.sina.com.cn/s/blog_4cab83a601008gzj.html

Her teacher is really forgiving and obviously some teachers in Singapore are not so forgiving now !!

3. Teachers, giving up students perform poorly in exams even in primary one

Example: my colleague's son entered primary one (not top schools), recently, a teacher called my colleague to schoool and said "your kid's result is too poor,  I give up and there is nothing I can do liao" .... imagine just primary one and the son is an obedient, kind-hearted kid.

Originally posted by JitKiat:

Manjusri Secondary School is a result of great effort by many Buddhists such as 李木源居士:

"距今 二十一年前，也就是1982年吧，为了筹建佛教文殊中学，我作为总务，带领六十多组两百多个人，跑中元会，那时情形非常困难，很难进去。我运用自己交游广阔的优势，发动那些出租桌子椅子的朋友公司，哪里有中元会通知我，还跑到负责申办执照的部门，谁来申请，我就在一边抄录。与此同时，我在居士林大殿宣布，你们邻居有中元会请通知我，我就去。一时之间，消息从四面八方传来。

从六月三十开始，我就驾着自己新买的车开始跑，晚上跑到半夜两点，早上六点睁开眼睛又再跑。如此这般，跑到十五，我就开始累得吐血了。结果宏船法师、常凯法师他们出来，叫我不可以跑，必须要停。我说，正在做的时候，半途不做，怎么行呢？不可以停的！六十多个组两百多人，我要指挥，我要去招，每天都是我招的，我停下来钱就没有了，一定要做。结果还是跑足了一个月。后来医生查出我肺上长瘤，说是一吐血就要动手术，明确就是癌症。那是后话，这里就不多说了－－事实上，那以后的我在陈笃生医院出出进进八年，最后我那个瘤反而照不到了，只剩下一点痕迹而已。我的态度是，不管它，没什么了不起。我要说的是，真正了不起的，不是我们个人，是广大普通的信众。

就是在那次跑中元会的日子里，在女皇镇菜市场，有一天，我去招中元会，遇到一个管事的，胖胖的男人，我跟他说，我是佛教总会的代表，我们要建文殊中学，要在这边募捐。没想到这个胖男人大吼一声“走开！”手上还拿着杀猪刀，态度非常凶。那我说，我们真的是为了学校，他根本不买我的帐，说：“你跟我叫李木源来！”糟糕！我跟他又没有冤仇为什么讲话这么凶，还拿杀猪刀一指？我就照实跟他说，我就是李木源，哪知道人家一听，马上就变了一个人似地热情：“你是李先生？坐、坐、坐！要不要喝咖啡？”为什么变得这么快？我问他，他爽直得很，告诉我说“我母亲是你们的会员，她老人家交代我，谁来都拒绝，只有你来可以接受。”

这样的事例太多了，不胜枚举。我其实很惭愧，因为这些居士老菩萨，好多我并不认得，我想，她们这么发心，是因为她们真心真意、全心全意地信奉佛法，这些普通的信众，她（他）们才是所有佛教团体的中坚力量。

 

Very touching. 真的要感谢四重恩。

however, there are too little buddhist pri sch...

and they are in the east side...

some parents who wanted to send their children to the buddhist sch will find it not practical to do so as the sch is really too far...

take for example, if staying in woodlands, yishun, chua chu kang, jurong area...

Can also consider sending children to attend some buddhist's classes (typically weekly) like Tzu Chi Foundation children classes (in Pasir Ris), AMTB's 弟子规 class etc

hi everyone, i m an ex-mahabodhian and currently in Manjusri sec school =D

I m proud of my current school though it don't really have gd reputation.

My school focus on moral education and some monks will come and give a speech(recently, ajahn brahm has came to give us a speech)

I have been in two buddist schools and it really teaches us the moral values.

My school have vegetarian food stall but there's only one. There are muslim food stall available for muslims and hindus, chicken rice stall and chinese cooked food stall.. and many others so it did not only serve vegetables -__-".

I love my school ~

Originally posted by AsimpleKid:

hi everyone, i m an ex-mahabodhian and currently in Manjusri sec school =D

I m proud of my current school though it don't really have gd reputation.

My school focus on moral education and some monks will come and give a speech(recently, ajahn brahm has came to give us a speech)

I have been in two buddist schools and it really teaches us the moral values.

My school have vegetarian food stall but there's only one. There are muslim food stall available for muslims and hindus, chicken rice stall and chinese cooked food stall.. and many others so it did not only serve vegetables -__-".

I love my school ~

Welcome to the forum :) Interesting Ajahn Brahm also teaching there... that's great.

How old are you now btw?

Originally posted by AsimpleKid:

hi everyone, i m an ex-mahabodhian and currently in Manjusri sec school =D

I m proud of my current school though it don't really have gd reputation.

My school focus on moral education and some monks will come and give a speech(recently, ajahn brahm has came to give us a speech)

I have been in two buddist schools and it really teaches us the moral values.

My school have vegetarian food stall but there's only one. There are muslim food stall available for muslims and hindus, chicken rice stall and chinese cooked food stall.. and many others so it did not only serve vegetables -__-".

I love my school ~

Wow you are really blessed to be in not one, but two Buddhist schools... To top it up you also get to hear Ajahn Brahm. He is an excellent speaker.

and red swastika!

Haha, he just came for 1 hour to give a talk and left.

I am 15 yrs old this year.

Originally posted by AsimpleKid:

Haha, he just came for 1 hour to give a talk and left.

I am 15 yrs old this year.

Wow great! Gd you are beginning interest and practice in Buddhism at such an early age...

p.s. me too hehe... in fact I took over this forum as owner when I was 14. Now I just turned 18 ;)

Oh that means you are still studying ... =D haha.. It is very Gd of you to manage this forum and studying at the same time.. You have potential as a great leader.

Do u intend to be a monk/nun ?( curious)..

Originally posted by AsimpleKid:

Oh that means you are still studying ... =D haha.. It is very Gd of you to manage this forum and studying at the same time.. You have potential as a great leader.

Do u intend to be a monk/nun ?( curious)..

Erm... no intentions to be a monk nor a "great leader".

Just an ordinary practitioner.. lol

Originally posted by An Eternal Now:

Wow great! Gd you are beginning interest and practice in Buddhism at such an early age...

p.s. me too hehe... in fact I took over this forum as owner when I was 14. Now I just turned 18 ;)

buddy ,u r so young ,good .bless u