Speaking to CNA in an interview reviewing education policies from the current term of government, Mr Chan highlighted that his ministry is tracking key outcomes of subject-based banding, such as changing mindsets and nurturing a love for learning – beyond just academic performance....
The goal is to move away from a culture of "comparing ourselves with one another", he said.
"The results are not for comparison. The results are more for us to better understand ourselves, so that in the next step of our learning journey, we are sited in a more appropriate environment." CNA
The above quotes give the impression of a very caring and well meaning education system, taking care of the needs of students of all abilities and letting them enjoy education as a pleasant passage in life, learn whatever they can, do not compare with those that are doing better or doing worse, just be happy with who and what they are. This kind of attitude towards education is a luxury only for a rich country like Singapore and western first world countries. Just like the western bourgeoisie and aristocrats, life is about enjoyment and be happy. Education should also be viewed in the same light. Why put so much pressure on the students to excel, to get all the A stars? When they could not do so, the students would be unduly stressed and so would be their parents. And some very negative consequences could occur.
It is always welcomed by the parents when all the students passed and passed with good grades. Never mind when their abilities or grades were questionable. The foreign talents with their funny degrees but with excellent grades is a good example. No one cares about what is real as long as they see all the A's in the certificate. Never mind if the professionals, eg doctors, engineers, architects etc etc would not be trusted to do their respective jobs and it becomes a norm to depend only on those from reputable universities.
Across the world, competition is very keen. Only the best survived. The world of artificial intelligence, high tech, satellite communication, space exploration, the making of the best mobile phones, best EVs, chips etc etc would not be kind or generous to the happy go lucking type that takes education as a pleasure pursuit, to be happy and learn at your own time, without or little pressure. Competition in the 4th Industrial Revolution is fierce and unkind and waits for no one.
Can Singapore survive in a highly competitive world where only the best survives with the present education policy and thinking? The Americans are the pioneers of relax education where everyone will pass and even get a good pass with little effort, and with a little effort would be bestowed with top educational honours and awards. Caveat, the really top students were reserved for foreigners, hungry foreigners that want to be the best they can be.
America is now paying a very expensive price for being heavily dependent on foreign talents to do the hard stuff while the white Americans enjoy life aplenty doing sweet nothing. Oops, they can all become politicians, lawyers and fund managers gambling in the stock market. Let the foreigners do all the heavy lifting in high tech and artificial intelligence. Money can buy all the foreign talents needed to make America great again. Singapore can just follow the American example.
Is Singapore, the miniature America, facing the same problems, with happy Singaporeans with no talents and needing mass injection of foreign talents to keep the economy moving? Is Singapore also paying the price, like the Americans, with a relax and every very happy education system producing happy graduates but unable to compete against the best from the rest of the world? Singaporeans today are even unable to compete with fake talents from third world countries for jobs in Singapore. And these foreign suspicious talents did not graduate from world class universities like NUS and NTU, but from their village universities where verification of their academic qualifications is difficult.
A happy education system that seeks to make everyone happy, doing away with high stress and pressure, is unlikely to produce the top talents needed by a modern world economy where only the best is needed for the 4th Industrial Revolution. Is the Singapore education system becoming obsolete for a highly competitive world? Or the children of natural aristocrats and the old and new rich can rest on their laurels and wealth and do not need to compete, and can enjoy education for fun, for pleasure at a more leisure pace, education for the sake of education? Can the children of HDB flats enjoy the same privilege without the wealth to let them live a comfortable life? Caveat, unless they are happy to be jig workers or flaunt their degrees as hawkers.
What do you think? Why is Singapore so desperate for foreign talents? Why is there a dearth of Singaporean talents?
PS. Today it is taboo or a 'crime' to talk about being top students.
3 comments:
Good morning All
Sinking or Sinkieland is on the path of DEMISE.
All still on stupor and dreamland just like those decadence thought that they had arrived countries.
LKY in all his years even when he knew that Singapore is doing well aways used to exhort Singaporeans NOT to be complacent and always strived to be the best and do one time right and correct.
No wishy-washy and many said that he is too Authoritian.
No slaps on the wrists especially those on the Top and in charge of any Government Agencies or Departments.
That's why the Heads of every Civil Service are always on their Toes and are in fears and stress not to make any mistakes.
Countries that are complacent like in the West are all collapsing like nine pins one by one.
Sinkeland still socks and leaned to these useless going to be Papuers soon countries.
Leaders like GKS, HSS, LKS etc are men of visions.
They made sure that the Populace of Masses especially the young generation must be geared to be educated and learned the REAL useful studies and their Courses in the higher levels of Institutions
must reflect the World of Revelance and Applications.
One time they disbanded those stupid Degrees of what's Arts and Social Studies which are only good for those of Soft Subjects and Learnings just for a Prestigious Degrees for the Prestige.
Only useful in the Dormant Office Clerical Works or as Insurance and Property Agents. Just as Administrators.
GKS encouraged Science and Engineering and Research of these tough real World Realities of Innovations and Intelligence.
Matland had thousands of their Bumis with their privileges of low standard qualification for their Unis and they churned out useless graduates of useless Soft Learnings that are NOT revelant to the Real World of Businesses and Technologies.
Sinkeland now following their same paths.
Education Minister Kee Chew cannot even give an impromptu off the cuff simple speech and must referred to scripts and promoter.
This are the Graduates now we are churning out in our Unis.
China, their Leaders and Entrepreneurs always encouraged and push their Masses to even better themselves even though they knew had already arrived.
They had the mind-sets that others are going to beat them and must be a step ahead of them.
That's the way to survive and be the TOP of the Heap.
Sinkeland gone case only encourages hawkers, delivery of food and parcels grab men and women.
On Servile industries of Tourism and Logitsics that's all we knew.
Like Thailand and those States in Matland that have no real economy.
Even Vietnam and soon Indonesia be industrialisation power houses and shall surpassed Sinking Land.
Mo Gan.Thye
Yes, you are right that we are actually following the American system. It all started when the G think that they should be paid like the top CEO of big multi MNC. Followed by privatising some of the G function to make more money. The skill upgrading initiative is just a wayang to show sillyporean that they are actually doing something to make sillyporean more employable. The import of more foreigner already tell you that local are as dumb as before.
US, Russia seek to eliminate Biden-era ‘barriers’ as relations thaw
Lavrov and Rubio in a call agreed to maintain contacts to resolve problems in bilateral relations, “in the interests of removing the unilateral barriers to mutually beneficial trade, economic and investment cooperation inherited from the previous administration,” Russia’s foreign ministry said in a statement.
So now, punch-above-its-weight little Singapore's unilateral sanctions on Russia look like cock . ..
Post a Comment