9/22/2014
More reasons not to have a degree
Since Hsien Loong and his ministers commented that there was really no need to have a degree to get promoted or to be successful in life, there have been a lot of discussions on this issue. Of course many were simply cheeky and hilarious.
I would like to join the fun on a Monday morning with a few unconventional reasons for not having a degree. The first consideration of getting a degree today is all about cost. And the next is about the time wasted, 3 to 4 years in acquiring a degree that may not be of any use commercially. This is particularly true when one has decided to make hawking a career or sell pork in the market. So why waste time and money when the alternative is so much easier and more attractive? Just go to the degree mills or even a roadside stall and buy one. A PhD is also available though a bit more expensive. And a genuine honorary one would cost several thousand dollars.
The govt too has no fear of not having enough Sinkies with degrees to form a Sinkie core. Like what Tharman recommended, bring in the foreign talents and issued them a pink IC and we have instant Sinkies with instant degrees, and very likely very talented ones, good enough to run for Premiership as well. Many are already on the right path, starting with being MPs. Some are starting as grassloot leaders. Oops, my auto spelling check not working again. Must be a fake one. I meant to write grassroot leaders.
Success in Singapore is all about money. The more money one has, the more successful one is seen to be, and it comes with a lot of dignity. No worry how the money is made. There are many roads to instant success in Singapore. Please don’t include the road of being a tour guide.
Many are working very hard at it to be instant success. Spend a night in one of the two casinos and one can possibly walk out a successful man the next morning with a few millions in the pocket. This kind of success formula surely does not need a degree. Another alternative is the Singapore Pools. This one also no need for a degree.
Success can come in many ways. And definitely a degree is not needed. The practical part is that in most cases a degree will not bring any success but a debt of a few hundred thousand bucks and a waste of time. Some ended with their parents losing their homes to get the money for an overseas degree.
No one is going to know what you have stored inside your head from the degree. People are more interested in what you have in your pockets. That is real success, the Singapore way.
Kopi Level - Red
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44 comments:
I have already predicted long time ago, PAP want us to be Dalits. This system is being copied from India. Long time ago, the Dravidians were the smartest people on the planet. Then came the fucking Aryans, who were the ancestors of our FT fucking high caste Indians.
They enslave the Dravidians and called them Dalits. They tell the Dalits that they have commited sins in their past life and now they must serve as shit collector and prostitute to redeem themselves. Today the Dalits are the most stupid people in this planet, after believe the BS of Aryan peddling ass for 3000 years.
Similar for SG, PAP tell us we are stupid, and non-cognitive job is good for us.
If we believe in their shit, today we still can clean the floor or wipe toilet bowl. Tomorrow PAP will say toilet cleaner is not a good career or we do not have qualification to clean toilet bowl.
The next available career for us is to peddle ass.
How about Degree from University of Financial Trade?
How about Degree from University of Financial Trade?
How about Degree from University of Financial Trade?
"People are more interested in what you have in your pockets. That is real success, the Singapore way."
RB
Tiok. Or rather how to get lots of money into your pockets. And that's exactly why smart Sinkies and foreigners are very successful, the Sinkie way.
And for being smart, foreigners are of course rewarded by being given PRs or even made citizens very fast.
And when they become citizens, there u are, PAP will get more votes. Because smart citizens are also rich and happy and so of course will vote PAP lah.
And through more and majority votes, PAP will remain in power lah. And hence a winning cycle for PAP.
So how can opposition win? How can daft and poor Sinkies not continue to suffer, u tell me lah?
The foreigners after 20 years of stay will start to think like a Singaporeans, especially after they are naturalize. FT who converted will be discriminated by newer FT.
Today, PAP can import 100,000 a year and that has a big dilution effect. When SG population get bigger and bigger, land get smaller and smaller, PAP can only import less and less.
As new citizen stay longer and longer, they get more and more piss. Next their angry children will also grow up and start voting.
For every passing years, PAP FT policy get less and less effect. Eventually Singaporeans will rid PAP within 20 years latest. It can be as early as 2016.
Not to forget if a terrible economic crash occur today, PAP will not only have a lot of jobless Singaporeans but also a lot of jobless FT. A crash today will prevent them from getting FT in.
I suspect PAP plan is to remain in power until the LKY and LHL died. Everyone know FT policy is transient and at a point of time, it got to stop. LKY and LHL must have hope at that time, they already see God.
Daft Sinkies already gone case lah, due to numbers no enough, talents no enough, voting power no enough, etc etc.
And hence I think PAP has already given up on daft Sinkies, and so telling them no need degree is just one more nail to their coffin lah.
Tio bo, u tell me lah?
No need degree,
can buy degree,
can con pap mp's
can con pm
can con rich old lady.
No need degree.
Do what you think is best for yourself and your family.
- Just don't blindly believe and follow everything that Yew have been told by PAP
Tiok, sinkies no need to try anymore. Just go be hawkers and taxi drivers. Why waste time getting degrees and not employable, not competitive, worse than 3rd world foreigners from no universities?
I still want my children to have a university qualification. The day the MPs children go to ITEs and polytechnics, then that will be the day my children follow, not until then.
@ cold hard truth redbean:
»»Success in Singapore is all about money. The more money one has, the more successful one is seen to be, and it comes with a lot of dignity. ««
Yep. Singaporeans do enjoy their material comforts. It is a materialistic society. Once you accept that, you are at peace, and can get on with doing whatever is required.
Singapore is not a kind nor forgiving place if you do not ave enough money, or worse still are POOR.
You can complain all you like, but this is the REALITY -- the "nature" of things. If you are to remain in Singapore:
1. Make sure you have enough money to live, and to keep on living.
2. Never, never, ever allow yourself to become poor.
3. Once you've "mastered" points 1 & 2 -- you can virtually do anything you like...
Aiyoh, why resort to hawking, driving taxis, pushing trolleys or cleaning toilets and tables.
Just collect rent and shake legs. Yes. buy a flat, live with parents or in-laws and rent the flat out, and you can shake legs. Forget about getting a degree or even a diploma or going to ITE. And you do not even have to worry about losing your job because of your low productivity.
This way of earning a living is as simple as issuing COEs.
Think out of the box, please! Like the Bumis up north. We think they are lazy, but they are smarter than we give them credit for. The Government is giving us all the ways and means, so just take it. As I say, forget about hawking and smell the roses.
Anon 11:11, wisdom can be elusive to the smart ones. When a Chinaman came and said 'can I work on your land and pay you a rent'?
The landowner said, why yes, go ahead. And the landowner spend his time enjoying his life without having to work. The Chinaman is happy working for him.
Singaporeans like to work and enjoying working until they die even if they have millions and millions in the pocket, or money not enough. Got dignity.
Who is wiser? What if life if it is nothing but work and work?
I want to make a difference. So?
Part 1:
Rb: // Since Hsien Loong and his ministers commented that there was really no need to have a degree to get promoted or to be successful in life, there have been a lot of discussions on this issue. Of course many were simply cheeky and hilarious. //
RB, from data and chart obtained from MAS ( Monetary Authority of Singapore ), the trajectory of the monthly income of "Tertiary" and "Primary" educated workers DIVERGES in each passing year of employment.
In the first year of work, the gap is about $2,000/= per month in terms of wages. By the 11th year, the gap is about $3,500/=. By the 21st year, the gap is almost $5,000/=. From 31st year onwards, the gap is ABOUT $6,000/= and onwards per month. On every 10 year basis, the gap on average in terms of wages alone over a 30 to 40 year career life span ( not including bonuses and other perks/ benefits etc ) is about $600,000. When investment in properties and other instruments are included, the gap is many times more. From day one of work, on average statistically across the entire population over say a 40 to 50 year period, the remuneration and financial profiles between tertiary educated and primary level educated workers DIVERGE like two rockets on different trajectories.
On individual basis, it may be true that success does not depend on a degree or a prestigious one, just like the case illustrated by Jack Ma, Alibaba Holdings executive chairman. He failed his college entrance exam twice and on his third try, was admitted to the "worst" college in Hang Zhou. Across the whole China, his college probably is not in the top 200. Across the world, likely it is ranked outside the top 600.
Part 2:
But across the entire section of the population, the statistics from MAS speaks for ITSELF.
WHY?
As spoken directly from the horse mouth (马云) , Jack Ma stated CATEGORICALLY that out of 100 budding entrepreneurs on the starting board, 95 "died" by the 5th year, the 96th to 99th budding entrepreneur "died" agonisingly between the 6th to 10th year as the world watch on. The 100th guy succeeded NOT because he was more hard working, cleverer or has more capital than the rest! Success ultimately needs a confluence of factors.
Why buy insurance if it is NOT necessary?
Why are motorists mandated by law to buy INSURANCE?
Why would Singaporeans be made to buy MEDISHIELD LIFE ( medical insurance ) by 2016 when it comes into force?
What did Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Larry Ellison, Michael Dell ( all college drop-outs but multi-billionaires) and Jack Ma ( now the richest man in China after listing of Alibaba Holding ) said about EDUCATION?
SIMPLE!
EDUCATION is a form of "INSURANCE".
Part 3:
In population of 340 million, there is only one Bill Gate, One Steve Job, One Larry Ellison, One Michael Dell and a handful of others.
In a population of 1.4 billion, there is only one Jack Ma, one Ma Hua Teng ( Baidu and TenCent founder ) and a handful of others.
The probability of becoming one of them is probably and even actually lower than striking 4D 1st prize or toto 1st prize.
No?
Does that mean not nurturing an entrepreneurial culture?
No!
One can try but education is a fall back, an insurance because the success rate just to be an ordinary businessman is 1%.
The chances of becoming a billionaire like Bill Gate, Jack Ma is lesser than striking 4D 1st prize or toto?
No?
Education is one word, is about being educated. Of course education has a lot of other important benefits, commercially.
Try imagine a nation of non grads.
But of course a balance view is that people are gifted differently and people are best to pursue their gifts and endowment instead of just thinking of getting that degree. But it is still good to have that tertiary education to cultivate the mind and the self intellectually, minus the encumbrance of making a living.
In a society, there will be those who will excel in the academic world and those that don't need the academic training.
Rb: // In a society, there will be those who will excel in the academic world and those that don't need the academic training.//
Rb, for your children, what advice would YEW give?
Oops, both your kids are graduates and especially your son, who supposedly is an overseas scholar in Engineering with a Master degree?
How about your grandchildren or future grandchildren and great grandchildren?
What advice would YEW give?
How about your children?
Especially your scholar son?
What advice do YEW think he will give to his children and grandchildren?
Can rest the case?
Pls kee chiu!
Rb,
Even Jack Ma openly admitted he sent his son to one of the best and relatively expensive universities in the US.
Asia richest man ( for now ) Li Ka Shing sent both his son Victor and Richard to Ivy League universities in the US though he himself is educated till secondary one ONLY when he was raised in Southern China and has a vast business empire and fortune to bequeath his children.
Wee Cho Yaw, one of the shrewdest bankers in the world only has O Level but he sent his children to universities.
What do all these tell the daft sinkies?
"To be or not to be?" Shakespeare's Hamlet
So to go for a degree or not to?
Follow the path of successful people? YEW are seldom wrong?
Some are starting as grassloot leaders. Oops, my auto spelling check not working again. Must be a fake one. I meant to write grassroot leaders....by RB aka Chua Chin Leng
RB hs a good sense of humour and creativity. He has coined a new phase called grassloot leaders. How appropriate.
I would translate the PAP Millionaires as follows;
When Yew join the "correct" party, Yew don't really need a degree to succeed in Singapore. If Yew don't belong to the "correct" party, no number of degrees can save you from a lifetime of working for an alien manager in Singapore.
Don't believe me?
Please ask Chen Show Mao.
@ everyone:
Getting a degree (or whatever form of paper accreditation) and getting properly EDUCATED are no necessarily the same thing.
Obtaining employment is about having marketable skills -- i.e. personal abilities and attributes which are able to answer the call of market demand.
If what you do can create VALUE in the market, then you will have a job. If not, fuck spider lah.
Given a choice, give your children a good education, the best money can buy.
But if they are not gifted for an academic path, it is not the end of the world. Many are blessed differently. Some are gifted in the arts, in sports, in business, in politics etc etc. And many are more successful in life and are very happy as they are.
There are many roads to Rome and many ways to success and happiness.
Love Yourself and Be Kind To Others
Love Yourself and Be Kind To Others
Love Yourself and Be Kind To Others
Rb // Chua Chin Leng aka redbeanSeptember 22, 2014 2:06 pm
Given a choice, give your children a good education, the best money can buy.
But if they are not gifted for an academic path, it is not the end of the world. Many are blessed differently. Some are gifted in the arts, in sports, in business, in politics etc etc. And many are more successful in life and are very happy as they are.
There are many roads to Rome and many ways to success and happiness.//
Rb, ty for your reply?
YEW have, more or less, sum up the stand for society to adopt in regards to education?
As regards to getting an education with marketable skills, engineering, sciences, medicine etc do have relatively good market values?
However, market values and personal interests or strengths may not necessarily coincide for some individuals?
If YEW don't find joy in what YEW are doing, often it is not easy to do it over a substantially long period? Life might be miserable?
If there is joy and satisfaction, being a politician, a professor, a manager, a craftsman, businessman, technician, engineer etc does not matter.? To each his own?
But a highly paid LEEDER must minced his words carefully and NOT AMBIGUOUSLY when dishing out advice such as education and not "ai hum, mai hum, ai hum, mai hum, ai hum, mai hum"?
For some daft sinkies, especially the 60%, it may mislead some to a life long inevitable and irreversible mistake?
Just look at the queues on the road, traffic junctions, carparks entrances etc and YEW might be able to sense the daft mentalities of the 60%?
It is no wonder some people can do whatever they want ( like paying themselves millions but performing pathetically and dismayly ) and yet the daft still continue voting such people because kiasiness is prevalent in many?
It is an enslaving tactics lah. No degree more difficult to migrate. No degree means slave for pap for the rest of your live here. Will the pap tell this to the people? They not so stupid lah.
Hi anon 2:59, what b said is a separate thing. But yes, the unthinking masses can easily be misled. Many often just listen to what the leaders said and act accordingly.
Leaders must be careful in what they said especially when it is meant to be good advice for the people to act on.
An advice that no need to get a degree could end up ruining the lives of many young people.
stop causing confusions among our youths....
just simplified the education system....
do away with A level...
from O level straight to diploma....
those wish to proceed and selected will do the degrees...
diploma graduates can choose part-time degrees....
ite graduates can join Diploma....
@ Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...
/// Hi anon 2:59, what b said is a separate thing. But yes, the unthinking masses can easily be misled. Many often just listen to what the leaders said and act accordingly.
Leaders must be careful in what they said especially when it is meant to be good advice for the people to act on.
An advice that no need to get a degree could end up ruining the lives of many young people.///
September 22, 2014 3:15 pm
RB, the Chinese has a saying:
" 好人做到底，送佛送到西 "?
In order for many sinkies to "survive" under such a "LEEDER" of "ambiguity" and not end up in the trash bin, YEW may wish to write a thread to set the issue "STRAIGHT" once and for all?
In case "it's ai hum" so stand by a uni or at least poly certificate. In case "it's mai hum and also can become pee am", then stand by PSLE certificate and submit to them?
This implies if YEW are the hawker and knowing this "LEEDER" ambiguous pattern, he order mee siam then YEW prepare 2 bowls of mee siam, one "ai hum" and the other "mai hum" and carry on your right and left hands?
So if YEW give him the "mai hum" mee siam ( no degree ) and he said "ai hum" ( need degree ), then YEW quickly change to the other plate of mee siam with "ai hum" ( got degree ) ......?
So if he ("LEEDER") does a "ai hum, mai hum, ai hum, mai hum" on the spot, then YEW just need switch from one plate ( no hum ) to the other plate ( have hum )continuously to suit what he wants every other second. At least YEW won't get caught with this "ai hum, mai hum, ai hum, mai hum" conundrum and end up in the trash bin?
It's a bit tiring ( understatement ) but what to do?
60% voted for such "LEEDER"?
40% have to live with it?
If YEW want stay in business and encounter such a customer as a hawker, what other option do YEW have?
"Throw the whole plate of mee siam on his face?"
But that means most likely your hawker license will kena "Kan Tong" for picking up a fight with patron, albeit an ambiguous "ai hum, mai hum, ai hum, mai hum" "trouble-maker" type?
Why bother getting a degree when you can have access to $40 million by being a tour guide and godson?
The 4.17pm pls note......
not godson but grandson.....
also note that the $40,000,000.00 is Tax-free (ie. net net).......
cheers.....
"There are many roads to Rome and many ways to success and happiness."
@ redbean @ September 22, 2014 2:06 pm
No lah.
This is Singapore lah!
There is only one "correct" road.
If Yew don't choose the "correct" road, Yew will repent.
The Americans are setting the agenda for the world. They want to export everything they want and cooking up all kinds of jargons to con the unthinking world leaders to submit to their wills. Globalisation, free exchange of talents,... the TPP is one of these things and some silly countries are joining without knowing how they could be castrated by it.
Part 2:
In the financial market, so called price arbitrages are "exploited" across boundaries in different countries.
Technically, in the financial market, if it is efficient, prices should be uniform and no difference should exist.
However, when this concept is used in the labour market paradigm, it takes on a "frightening" dimension.
In the free flow of labour, some silly leaders would sell out their countries and people without knowing what is happening.
They are rightly called traitors.
Part 3:
Under globalization, prices in the financial markets are supposed to be uniform. As very miniscule inefficiency exists, tiny price differences result between different financial markets across boundaries. So arbitrage comes into the picture and the inefficiency is exploited and traders make a miniscule profit out of it but in big volumes.
How does arbitrage get "play out " in the labour market under globalization?
In fact, under globalization, if there is total free trade and no restrictions or trade barriers, technically all prices should "EQUALIZE" in the goods market as well as in the factors market, just like in the financial market. For example, one would expect the price of spot gold to be fairly similar in different financial markets, otherwise arbitrage would be rampant as huge profits could be made.
When arbitrage concept is "applied" to the labour market, "factor prices " which in this case is "wages or labour costs " should "EQUALIZE" if the concepts of globalization and market efficiency and free trade hold. In other words, the "price of labour " in one country technically should "EQUALIZE" that in another country like the price of spot gold?
Without explicit reference to it, "LABOUR ARBITRAGE " seems to be practiced by businesses and the rich to widen their "profit margin " or for countries to invite MNCs to bring in FDIs "incentivize" via certain " labour arbitrage arrangements ".
Part 4:
In this respect, a society should reflect whether globalization has been beneficial to its people. Or whether the gains from globalization are uneven and benefited only the very few rich. And on the whole reduced the real income of the masses.
Has globalisation increased income inequality in society generally?
If free trade and in particular free flow of labour must be practised, it should be fair amd across the board. It MUST NOT only be that barriers for lower level jobs are removed or reduced to "equalize" labour cost differences between different countries or reduce the price gap. It MUST BE applied to all JOBS. So in the name of free trade and globalization, remunerations between leaders should be "equalized" too otherwise THEY WILL BE PROTECTING THEMSELVES but NOT THE MASSES THEY are supposed to REPRESENT.
Part 5:
In the legal realm, there is this highly regarded and closely upheld principle known as "NATURAL JUSTICE".
But is it not "NATURAL JUSTICE" equally applicable in "implementing" rules and regulations, laws, trade barriers etc to govern and regulate the labour market whether blue or white collar jobs?
Why should blue collar workers or lower level jobs or certain professions get "UNFAIR TREATMENT OR PUNISHMENT"?
Shouldn't "NATURAL JUSTICE" be practised across the board?
In other words, is income inequality merely due to differences in individual abilities and attributes or to a large extent discriminations and biases in some forms are significant contributory factors?
Hi PSS, thank you for your detailed treatment of globalisation. In a perfectly free market, the price of labour will find its natural level like water. But because of different states and sovereignity, because of selfish vested interests, it would not be that way. Everything will be skewed to serve the interest of some quarters.
And as usual, they would not tell you the ill effects of globalisation. Globalisation is like the law of the jungle where the fittest survives. In the animal kingdom, it is nature's law and interest for that to be.
In the human world, this law is not always applicable as the strong will help and protect the weak of its own kind.
The advocates of globalisation will only tell one side of the coin. Like arbitrage to make a miniscule gain, even in big volumes, not necessarily there, they can't make very much to cover the huge capital expense on super computers and super talented computer engineers and sofeware engineers.
They are bullshiting everything by saying the gains were from arbitrage. Super computers are more deadly than they would want the masses to know. They need big returns to justify the big capex on computers.
See the picture? There are more than meet the eyes which the big players are not telling. Arbitrage is only a disguise to cover the big harm they are doing from the big profits they are making.
Just to add another point, if they brought in computers that cost hundreds of millions, and the operating cost is hundreds of millions, they need to make more than these costs to be profitable.
Otherwise they would not be in the market wasting their time and money.
Part 6:
Rb // And as usual, they would not tell you the ill effects of globalisation. Globalisation is like the law of the jungle where the fittest survives. In the animal kingdom, it is nature's law and interest for that to be. //
Rb, in a way you are right. That kind of sum up the other side of the coin of globalization assiduously being "hidden" from the masses or outright "pretending" that the "BIG ELEPHANT" is transparent and not in the room.
In this world, almost everything cuts both sides or is double-edged.
A firearm in the enforcement possession protects and upholds law and order. A firearm in the wrong hand means "armed robbery, homicide, what have you ...... ".
Globalization practised properly benefits mankind. In the wrong hand, it is postulated by some quarters that it will bring the curtain down on global capitalism and "MARX & LENIN" might have their last laugh, albeit in their "resting place".
The whole objective of this comment is that at the end of the day, bloggers can make arguments till the snail crawled across the GREAT WALL IN CHINA but if the cow does not want to listen or drink water, it will not budge. At most, cosmetic tweaks are done to appease the masses without much real signifcant change to balance the act.
Part 7 ( final ):
As Jack Ma said, at most he will have seven companies under his umbrella.
Anymore and either they will be merged or sold off.
His reasoning is that seven is the right figure, just like many references in the ancient sword fighting series he likes to read such as " 江南七怪", "武当七侠" etc etc.
As such, his reasoning shall be borrowed here and this Part 7 comment shall serve as a conclusion to this commenter's discussion in this RB's post.
The gist of this whole discussion is that at the end of the day, some if not many workers likely would not be "protected" by those who are elected to do so.
Therefore, the masses must "protect" themselves against "unfair free trade regulations" that disadvantaged them.
As it is, the world's population is a pyramid with the tip at the top and the masses at the bottom.
Education, proven statistically, does provide upward mobility to a certain extent. It may not be the panacea to ultimate success but having a degree generally does open many more doors and is at least some form of insurance in one's career. Without a degree, for many, life would be that much harder.
In international globalisation, labour arbitrage are being practised without being realised or acknowledged.
Blue collar workers' or lower level employment workers' wages are generally "BEING EQUALIZED" due to labour arbitrage practices without being made known.
Without a degree, workers' wages are potentially open to being "EQUALIZED" with the global bottom of the human race populatikn pyramid of more than seven billions. In this process called globalization, the masses are subjected to politicians opening the flood gates and exposing the lower level workers unarmed against hyenas. The outcome can only be tragic to almost a 100% extent.
Thus, trust with your eyes as much as you listen with your ears.
The Chinese has a saying:
凡事必三思而后行,
一失足成千古恨,
回头已是百年深。
Under Bing translate, it means:
" Everything must look before it leaps,
Regret,
Coming back to me is a century-old deep".
Not exactly a perfect translation for the above Chinese saying but the meaning is there, good enough.
Think THRICE before forsaking a higher education in this "ruthless" drive for "globalisation" by politicians.
You won't want your salary to be potentially "EQUALIZED" with another 6.5 billions mankind at the bottom of the human pyramid, do you?
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