31 January 2019

More than 300 business undergraduates at the Singapore Management University wrote an essay for a capstone class in their final year, where they were permitted to choose any topic, including introspecting about their life in and beyond SMU.

They confirm the positive role that SMU (and other universities) plays in social mobility in Singapore. Students mentioned that the opportunities provided by SMU enhanced their preparation for work, attractiveness to employers and eventual climb up the income ladder.

A few contributors expressed reservations about meritocracy. Most accept the national and dominant family narrative — that success comes from doing well academically and working hard. A few question the societal and familial definition of success in purely material terms.

There is a keen sense of the opportunity cost of this success. Meritocracy does take a toll on family relationships. As some students see it, their parents work extremely hard and long hours, demanding and expecting in return only outstanding academic performance. To them, it seems that every resource, nearly every interpersonal interaction, is to ensure the material success of the next generation.

In many ways, undergraduates in Singapore exemplify the pragmatic bent of our society. On their part, young graduates — even as they struggle with achievement, success and stress in our hyper-competitive society — will find their own ways of making their own good sense of life as it unfolds for them.

10 January 2019

Education Minister Ong Ye Kung announced changes to Singapore’s education system last year. He called them calibrated moves which are deliberate and fairly significant.

“To send a strong signal that I think we are at a strong position of rigour, we can afford to unwind a bit without undermining the performance outcomes of our students,” he told reporters.

The changes to the education system include freeing up more time in schools to strengthen holistic development, self-discovery and engaged learning.

“These changes will provide more opportunities for student-centred teaching and learning approaches,” the Ministry of Education said.

MOE will conduct a separate review on how to reduce the emphasis on grades in junior colleges, said Mr Ong in a speech at the Schools Work Plan seminar.

“Our engagements with junior colleges tell us there is a more complex set of issues in JCs, one of which involves preparing students well for the A-Levels in order to enroll for universities,” he added.

09 January 2019

Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has urged parents to support the recent changes to the education system, which aim not just to equip students needed to earn a living, but also to develop character and values.

Mr Lee said that for the Republic to succeed, Singaporeans must not only be well-educated citizens and well-trained workers, they also need to have “intangible but essential values”.

He added that there is a need for students to understand the world, and to feel a sense of nationhood and community. They must also have the “resilience and determination to overcome adversity, defend ourselves, prosper and thrive in the world”.

Recent changes to the education system will make learning more meaningful for students. These include reducing the emphasis on academic results, dedicating more curriculum time to deeper learning, and helping students draw the link between textbook content and the real world.

03 January 2019

Educators say that more can be done to increase diversity in Singapore’s elite schools and make our education system more inclusive.

Already, the Ministry of Education has instituted the enhanced Independent School Bursary scheme, under which students at independent schools from low-or middle-income families will pay lower fees than what they are charged now.

Education Minister Ong Ye Kung said that the enhancements meant are to put students’ and parents’ minds at ease.

But aside from cost, there are other factors that parents from lower-income families would normally consider for their child’s choice of secondary school. These include distance from home, friendships and networking, as well as academic demands and rigour.

National University of Singapore economics lecturer Kelvin Seah explained that children from poor families may not be aware of the differences between an independent school and a government one – in terms of curriculum, environment, and resources – and thus “may not recognise the value in applying to such schools”.

The MOE said about 14 per cent of students across the eight independent schools and two specialised independent schools received bursaries this year.