Jonathan Koh
“Singapore penalises you if you are too weak or too strong,” said Dr. Roland Cheo, one of the 4 speakers, at the Workers’ Party YouthQuake Forum Series. The topic was on Singapore Education, and it marked the start of the second series of forums organized by the Workers’ Party Youth Wing.
Dr. Cheo, a visiting fellow with the Department of Economics at NUS, was rejected 4 times by the National Institute of Education after he graduated from an US university with a double degree at the tender age of 19. At his 4th rejection, he was told by an insider that “it’s because you did not do your A levels”. Disillusioned, he stopped applying after that. Speaking to an attentive crowd, he argued that outliers tend to get ignored in our system. While the norm tends to perform very well, the outliers are often left behind by the system.
It is a view that Miss Kuik Shiao Yin, creative director of a collective of social enterprises including the well-known education institution School of Thought, concurred with. She also believes that another problem with the education system is how too many students are afraid of failing – a problem perpetuated by a success-driven society and demanding parents. This has bred a generation of Singaporeans too scared of taking risks. Singaporeans are very exam-smart and have fared well consistently when it comes to international rankings of math and science, but generally, not enough focus is placed on providing a creative education. Teachers are constrained from teaching creatively, in part because they are taxed too heavily already, she said.
A more personal opinion was provided by Mr Bernard Chen, secretary of the Workers’ Party Youth Wing, who has experienced both JC and polytechnic education. He thinks that the academic benchmark of university admissions is placed too high for polytechnic students – with the average GPA (Grade Point Average) of polytechnic students who have gained entry into local universities at 3.5 to 4 (out of 4). Furthermore, the system seems to be biased – for polytechnic students, 20% of their O Level results determine whether they get into a local university, which seems to be “penalising late bloomers”. JC students’ admissions, on the other hand, depend entirely on A levels. Bernard considers himself fortunate that he’s been accepted into a local university as the top 10% in his cohort – but he believes more can be done for the other 90%, a group he said would be caught in the debt cycle – if they do not receive subsidised university education.
This intellectual forum had its fair share of fun and laughter. For example, when Mr Chia Yeow Tong, a Ph.D Candidate at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, shared his research dissertation on history education in Singapore, he mentioned how there used to be a subject called Education For Living (EFL). Miss Sylvia Lim, chairman of Workers’ Party, who was sitting in the audience appeared to be nodding. Mr. Chia later added that EFL is a subject that “most of us don’t know”, which triggered Miss Lim’s witty comment: “What are you implying?” The audience broke into laughter. Later on, in a response to a question an audience member posed, Mr. Chia also argued that citizenship education in Singapore typically does not have enough focus on teaching democratic principles and individual rights, unlike in Canada.
There were other relevant questions brought up by the audience too. One of them pointed out that some students who have been rejected by local law schools have gotten into top law schools overseas, and quizzed whether that particular acceptance letter from top law schools should be used to appeal for local entrance.
Another pointed out that perhaps Singapore lacks the critical mass and resources to cater to outliers. In response to this, Miss Kuik argued that the problem is not so much that, but that Singaporeans need to champion that it is okay if “you are outstanding beyond the pack” and it “is okay to stand out (in a different area). You can be the David Gan of dog grooming and claim that niche. The question is: do you have the guts?”
On the nature of holding such forums, Mr. Bernard Chen said that YouthQuake Forum Series is about “healthy and constructive policy discourse”, and is not politically motivated.
The next YouthQuake Forum will be held in late May or early June. The topic is on the Media. More information can be obtained from the Workers’ Party Youth Wing website.
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If Singapore is so reliance on America for our economy success, why not sponsor all our children to study in America,. I am sure many of our leaders did send their children to UK or American because our local univesity can only produce student capable of working in the stat board or civil services or at worst those jobs advertised in e2i for $2000 or lesser per month.
On the other hand, what choices do we have with our limited resources and small economy size, and if that is the case why are our minister paying themselves millions and losing our billions under their “incorrupted” hands.
Time to review why our first world local educations systems cannot produce talent and we need to import talents from other countries whose 3rd world schools we have never heard of.
I saw Jay Leno talk show recently and Jay mentioned that
the USA president has capped the CEO of USA to USD500K a year.
If people use this kind of benchmark, how should salaries be changed accordingly? Would USA collapse?
kekekeke
I hope to see more like Dr Cheo step forward and give them a good run for the money.
In a way, Singapore is no longer as competitive as a result… As a Chinese teacher with MOE momentarily, this system is infested with too many undesireables which in turn glorifies undesires as the banner of success.
Which is similar to the weird acceptance that office politics is the truth for success.
But it is a far-cry to say that the speakers are themselves strong or weak because of their thinking that they got the certs. Ironically speaking, Singapore is the one of the most religious folks after certs, and they are protesting against it based on their religion towards it. Hahahahahahahahahahaha…
This education system is being passed down by the older leaders in an antique time. Many dispicable people are produced, and many nosenses are unleashed into the society and crushing it along the way.
Education… It’s so important, so heavily invested, but so anyohow messed up over the years. Even the private education sector is now a well-known shame. Problem ah problem.
Singapore is losing in a scale never understood before.
What to do, you tell me.
In Singapore there are essentially only three universities that the authorities here recognized. And these are NUS, NTU and SMU. Although they say that they do recognized degrees awarded by some other Universities other than famous ones like Harward, Cambridge etc etc, the fact is, most MNCs, government agencies including GLCs and TLC do not take a second look at your degree/s if the degree/s is/are not from NUS, NTU and SMU. Even though everyone is encouraged to upgrade, degrees obtained through other universities often through part-time studies are often ignored. One of my niece obtained her degree from UOL through full time study in SIM, but her employer a government agency,does not recognised her degree but offer her the salary scale of a poly grad. What is the point of asking people to upgrade and waste money when the authorities don’t even recognised them.
The most important thing that the Singapore system produce is that the opposition give 50% walkovers and the people give 66% mandate to PAP. Plus through the PAP talent in the design of the electoral system, PAP got 98% of the seats. Every election!
And also people are educated enough not to protest in large numbers in the streets.
Once this is achieved, even if economy -10 % decline, investment losses in the billions, food poisoning, Mas Selamat escape, etc etc never mind. Still can collect million dollar salaries and bonuses. And the streets are so peaceful.
Don’t let NTU, NUS and SMU determine our Future.
Let the World determine (LG, Samsung, Asus, Acer, Creative, TSMC, CSM) are we relevent ? and let us determine whether this Gov who can’t provide solutions to our economic crises but retraining relevant in the next election.
Now that USA is gonna or already capped CEO pays to half a mil,
I wonder can the highest salary model last forever ?
Forever simply means forever as in eternally.
If cannot what does this mean?
If can, what does it mean?
regards
beginner of beginning to be Self-respectful.
any video links to the youthquake event?
Student tells mom: “Mom! There’s a YouthQuake forum, can I go? It’s at XXdate at XXtime at XXplace.”
Mom: “Hmm, okay. Who’s it hosted by?”
Student: “Workers’ Party Youth Wing, I think.”
Mom: “What! Opposition! Cannot!”
D=
Why work for the government when you can get better prospects in the private industry? It’s all about hierarachy in the government and it’s stifling. Look at what happened to Dr. Allan Ooi. Poor talent chap. Gone, just like that. And Dawn Yang was almost dragged into the mire by the MSM.
The sad truth about education is that the educators have nothing to teach. Most of them had never worked in the real world before. It just make me wonder how they prepare people to work in the real world. And this is not just in Singapore.
Lets not be too brainwashed and self binding to keep saying the Singapore is too small and have limited resources. How many country in the world have the kind of finicial reserves we have? when we look arround, is it true that there is land shortage in Singapore? There is so much empty land everywhere. Finally, most Nordic countries have tiny populations but they have Nokia and Ikea. So, I suggest that we stop giving ourselves excuses.
Sorry, just remember an extreme example about country size. The most respected famous power tools company is Hilti. Hilti is from Liechinstein, a country with a population of 18 000, about the size of ang mo kio.
to 1cent #11
Our govt kept telling our people that we have limited natural resources, limited talent, limited economy size as compare to other bigger continents, down to our limited hospital beds and they want you to believe it to be so.
I’ll be taking my local uni degree here and I don’t expect myself to be a good degree holder. In fact, all degree holders, regardless of which uni you go to, is the same. It’s just like most people will think NUS degree holders are better than NTU degree holders, which is not true exactly.
Leaders send their sons for education in US ahz……You have the leaders using the SAF as a vehicle to ship Lee Kuan Yew’s son, grandsons, grand-grand sons to top US universities paid by Singaporean taxpayers……
aiyoyo
why like that? elites got more privilege?
then man on the street how?
weak also cannot, too strong also cannot, then how want to be?
aiyoyo
The system demands conformity in behaviour as well as opinions. So for people who do things outside the education box, they are sidelined. Conformity stifles creativity.
#5) 66%
‘Plus through the PAP talent in the design of the electoral system, PAP got 98% of the seats. Every election!’
#11) 1cent
Finally, most Nordic countries have tiny populations but they have Nokia and Ikea. So, I suggest that we stop giving ourselves excuses.
#13) David
‘Our govt kept telling our people that we have limited natural resources, limited talent, ………………………….and they want you to believe it to be so.’
………………………………………………………….
FEAR, FEAR, FEAR. This is the Fear Factor the PAP uses to frighten the people into submitting to them. Let’s do our part to help our friends and neighbours to regain their self-respect and not be totally controlled by the PAP.
The Malays have an education system and it is to merantau or to travel, do odd jobs to survive and in the process learn and get educated. One of them said to me that he bumped here and there and finally met a woman in a village and married her and he stopped his merantau.
While in NZ I met some Kiwis who bumped around too and this can go on for many years. They have done all kinds of jobs and they have very good pairs of hands.
I met one with a masters in philosophy fro Otago Uni and he was a high level trade unionist with a freezing works and he is also a butcher with this outfit.
The list can go on and on and as a young man I was fascinated with them.
So, I mirrored them and I have all sorts of jobs in NZ and at uni I was in many of the clubs and societies. I was the secretary of the uni’s Maori club, I stood for election for the highest post of the students’ association and I was even placed third in the uni’s oratory contest.
The list can go on and it appears to me to be endless.
Relating to the straight Singapore education system then it appears that such people are mindless and crazy. Not so. I find Kiwis with such experiences (to reiterate) to be fascinating as they have a vast storehouse of practical knowledge and canny wisdom. I think I have them too and that I am a bit like them
To sum up there are other forms of alternative education systems and some of them are fascinating and most enjoyable to its participants and that includes my humble self and these ones are just as good or even better than the straight Singapore system
We certainly have serious educational drawbacks. Our system does not breed military leaders and this is seen in the batches of OCT officers who went through the military training for the last 40 years. Its just that the military trainers cannot talk about it.
For me to have gone through my own accidental alternative education system, fighting and dying in a war is sweet nothing. Going to war is ‘time to bat’ and if I die I will die with a smile on my face and that it is my karma.