Yourself?

"Singapore's education system is near perfect"? give me a break. if you're talking about being flexible, and welcoming and embracing change, our system certainly isn't that. sure, they identify trends, like now it's creativity and life sciences, but at the same time they cling on to the old system when what it really needs is a rehaul. i mean, look at project work. we're doing it on -top- of completing the o'levels, not in the place of it. the trouble is the ministry is afraid of taking risks, when that is precisely what they need to encourage now. they don't realise that the previous revolution, the shift to industrialisation, is different from the current shift to an information-based economy. you cannot be creative by following a set of rules in a fixed system; in fact the very definition of creativity is to break out of the current frameworks, and to fail to conform.

what's worse about our system, the competitiveness, is not because of some intrinsic evil in singaporeans which makes us dissatisfied. it is the outward manifestation of an unforgiving system. our system does not allow for room for failure. if you're not in EM1 in primary school, it's difficult for you to get into the Special stream. if you're in EM3, you can forget about being streamed into express. and this is just at the primary school level, before late developers have time to reach their potential. even later, say entering university, if you don't get the course you want, that's it. if you have the money you go overseas, if not you get channeled into something that doesn't interest you, and then once you're in the work place, you can forget about going back to study. my mother is in australia now, and she says that half the graduates there are over 40 - people whom have had their second, sometimes even third chance. just think how much human resources being unforgiving is making singapore lose? here we can't even think that the little old ladies we see tottering in the bus as anything but useless and, at best, to be respected because of their age and nothing else. our system has a long way to go, and what's more, it doesn't seem keen on changing for the better. this is worrying because given the current trends, it can only get worse.

posted by Yincertus @ 6:01 pm