Elitism in Singapore Education System

Elitism in the context of education is the practice of concentrating attention on or allocating funding to the students who rank highest in a particular field of endeavour, the other students being deemed less worthy of attention. Elitism in education could be based upon learning ability, knowledge, or other abilities. Profoundly gifted world renounced scientists including Stephen Hawking, Albert Einstein were late developers, will never make it under such an education system. Most often, such talents are usually mono-linguals. In our present day Singapore education system, certainly they are not qualified to be enrolled into the top tier schools like RJC, Hwa Chong JC, NJC or other schools that offer IP (integrated programme). Besides, how many among our cabinet ministers come from these top tier schools?

Our education system is such that the quest for knowledge feeds the competition for grades, which students partake in so that they can move on to next level of their education or secure a better paying job. Once attained, students tend to lose the motivation to upgrade themselves. Sadly, it is perhaps for this reason that the initiative to promote lifelong learning and inculcate it as an attitude and practice didn’t start in the schools but originated from the labour movement. Our education policy has undergone too many changes that may be in conflict with the ancient philosophical wisdom of "Bai Nian Shu Ren"( 百年树人 ).

Our education system is good at producing administrators that meets the competitive rules of a "POND" or "GARDEN". We lack the "dare to fail" spirits of entrepreneurships that can compete based on the rules of the "OCEAN" or "JUNGLE". The civil service takes in the most talented scholars who might not have had the exposure to or have ventured into business. Singapore is a country with good administrators but a society badly in need of entrepreneurs.

I share the same concern with Mr David Goh's view expressed in our local Forum (The Straits Times dated 15th September, 2009). Under our present streaming exercise, being a late developer myself, I will certainly not be able to be enrolled into Hwa Chong JC, and thereafter pursue my tertiary education.
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