Singpore Poster

Pre-Trip Task: Exploring China's Education System

1) Suzhou's education system is based on the national system for the public education, which includes primary schools, middle schools, and universities. Nine years of education is compulsory for all students.


2) We are currently unsure of the school we are visiting. However, we think that there is a high possibility of our class going to Lida Middle School, In 1978, the school became the first school to restore one of the key secondary schools.

The Vulture and the Girl

During the lesson, Mr Wong showed us a picture of a girl who was about to die of hunger. There was a vulture behind her, and it was waiting for her to die so it could make her its prey. When we first saw this picture, we felt very shocked. This picture was very saddening, as the vulture could sense that the child was going to die from starvation soon, yet the child is helpless, and the vulture would get its meal in the end.

From what we know, the photographer, Kevin Carter, has committed suicide as he was very guilty of not helping the little girl escape from the vulture. This made us realize how fortunate we are to be living in Singapore where we have plenty of food to fill our stomachs, and do not need to worry about food or being preyed on. Furthermore, in Singapore, we are experiencing problems like food wastage. We should not be so ignorant to what is happening to other people. Besides that, we also should spare a thought for those people or children less fortunate than we are. Quoted from Wikipedia, Kevin Carter also said," I'm really, really sorry. The pain of life overrides the joy to the point that joy does not exist... depressed ... without phone ... money for rent ... money for child support ... money for debts ... money!!! I am haunted by the vivid memories of killings and corpses and anger and pain ... of starving or wounded children, of trigger-happy madmen, often police, of killer executioners ..." This shows that guilt of not helping the child had overwhelmed him, thus deciding to commit suicide. He was told not to pick the child up, in fear that she might carry diseases. This shows how selfish we humans can be sometimes. Even if he could not pick up the child, he could have did something to help other children in the same state, by doing something that would help them long term, such as donating money. Perhaps he could have done something to help the children.