GE Fever. And Cookies.

My poor hub's extremely upset with me for devoting every possible waking hour on the online campaign trail.

And I understand why.

Xian's mid-year exams are looming - in fact her first paper's on Cooling day i.e. Friday, 6 May 2011. Over the Labour Day weekend, I was supposed to be guiding her through revision but whenever there were "empty pockets" of breaks, I wasted no time in surfing the net for the latest election updates.

"I don't understand why you're spending so much time clicking away! You already know who you're going to vote for so why bother reading up? As if it's going to change your mind!"

As usual, I just kept my mouth shut because I didn't want to trigger off an argument that's not worth anyone's salt. I've learnt, over the years, that when he's in one of these moods, I should just back off and not engage in any verbal disagreement because it'll only serve to piss him off further.

Cue: cartoon thought bubble depicting me as the matador de toros flapping a red cape as my bull-headed hub charges directly at me in anger.

I'd love to explain why this year's General Election's got me all excited but I can't. Yes, I'd already made up my mind on Nomination Day itself so technically I shouldn't be spending such a ridiculously insane amount of time monitoring the coverage by the media (state-owned or otherwise).

Come on! The General Elections take place only once in 5 years! And this is the best opportunity for ordinary folks like myself to exercise our rights. Isn't this a "democratic society, based on justice and equality?" Not only is my future at stake, my kids' lives are too. Whatever policies the government pushes out concern all Singaporeans and it's therefore imperative that the people leading this country are the right ones: those who will listen to the people's issues with their hearts and not merely rationalise with their minds and implement changes purely on practicality and economic considerations.

My main gripe? Education.

Granted, Singapore's education is highly regarded and ranked among one of the top internationally. We're known for churning out Mathematical whizzes and we've got a reputable track record of cultivating academic brilliant students. Our eduction system is much like a well-oiled cookie-cutter machine, churning out perfectly shaped edible delights that will fit nicely into beautifully packaged boxes and displayed proudly on shelves.

But no matter how efficiently the cookie factory operates, there will bound to be "rejects" -cookies with defects which fail to meet the quality standards and hence discarded. Granted, these cookies can't make the cut and they will never get the chance to nestle cosily in the boxes. They may still taste just as good as the top grade ones, but nobody will ever know, will they? Because their fates have already been sealed the moment they don't pass the tests.

Think about the children who have learning disabilities, those who society dubs "slow learners" or those whose talents lie in other arenas not related to the academic field. Many of our young ones are continually suppressed because they've not be given the options to explore alternative routes. And these children are undeservedly "branded" with labels so it's not surprising that they will eventually fall through the cracks because nobody realises their potential.

As an educator and having experienced first hand the rigid rigour of the Singapore education system I can safely conclude that it's perfect for the brain-smarts. There is no room, however, for those with learning disabilities and difficulties to manoeuvre their way out of being stigmatised. Yes, the streaming system helps place students into classes which ideally suit their pace. Unfortunately, once they're allocated to the respective and appropriate levels, the categorisation leads to further alienating them from the so-called "expected" route.

And it doesn't help that most parents have fixed a mindset about what's deemed as "educational success" and add more pressure on their already suffering offspring. The stress takes a toll on the children mentally and emotionally as well. In fact, many of them try their darnest and when they're sent the signal that their best is not good enough, it's a huge blow to their self-esteem. Not surprisingly, many give up when they assume that their academic future is bleak. This may spark off a chain of events which sets their future spiraling, especially if they are not blessed with understanding parents to support and encourage them to persevere.

Honestly, can you blame these children if they give up? It's like forcing a physically disabled person to compete and complete in a 100m race TOGETHER with able-bodied athletes, expecting him to clock in a similar time. And when the disable athlete is last to cross the finishing line, not only are there no words of motivation but a torrent of abuse and taunts are rained on him. Is this even fair?

I'm sometimes guilty of pushing my poor dyslexic Xian to the limit - although some, including family members will beg to differ because by THEIR standards, I'm considered lax with her. Because she's got a learning disability, she can't be rushed. Her memory is like a goldfish and it can be frustrating revising work with her because she forgets the minute you finishing explaining. I'm just taking it day-by-day and I'm certainly not harbouring any illusion of grandeur that she'll go to an ivy-league university. At this stage, I'll be satisfied that she passes all her examination papers!

I know for a fact that Xian may never achieve in the academic arena but I'm determined to save this cookie at all cost. She has a natural inclination to sports; she's agile, lithe, fast and flexible. I enrolled her in modern jazz dance classes and every week she'll show me new dance moves. I choose to recognise her talents in other areas and I'm trying to create opportunities for her to carve a niche for herself so that she will realise that there's more to life than getting good grades!

What has all this got to do with the General Elections, you say? Plenty. Take a look at all the cabinet ministers and the people legislating policies. Many are trail-blazers who're armed with luminous academic track records and credible career paths. I doubt if they can ever understand the issues ordinary citizens face on the ground. Of course, one can always argue that many of these politicians also rose from the ranks of nobodies to become the somebodies they are today, and they have not entirely forgotten their roots. But times have changed and the issues we face today are different.

What we need are people in the government who WILL listen and who WILL understand and emphasise with the citizens, and be willing to ride out the tough times together, not just the good ones.

We need people who've bumped their heads against the ceiling, taken a tumble from the stairs or failed a test at least once in their lives. In other words, people who'll embraced failure as a learning journey and not accept it as a defeat that marks the end of the world.

We need people who realise that you can't win all the time and even if you lose, it'll only make you a stronger person and you'll be back for a fight next round.

That's why it's such a crucial choice for citizens to make. To elect the candidates who will not only have the brains to run the country, but humility, passion and heart to guide us.

And whatever you do on 6 May 2011, Saturday, DON'T SPOIL YOUR VOTE because every single vote counts.