MOE Faces Challenges

Elitism in the education system triggers competition at all levels – among pupils, classes, teachers, principals, schools and parents. Elitism identifies and picks the best. However, not everyone can be the best. For some to be the best, others would have to settle for second, third or even fourth place. This quest to be the best inevitably results in an over emphasis on ranking. Instead of teaching and learning, schools are focused on comparing and competing. Aggressive streaming done at too young an age kill alot of late developers and potential talents.

Elitism breeds elitism. A good PSLE score is needed to get into a top secondary school. Good “O” Level examination scores are needed to get it a top Junior College or popular courses in the polytechnics. Excellent “A” Level or diploma results are needed to get into the local universities. Everyone wants only top results. Many in this society only narrowly focus on getting these results at the expense of learning. This is competition in a well.
The system is overly focused on performance ranking, academic achievement and the acquisition of skills to prepare students for the rat race and paper chase. Moral education and character developments seem lacking, if the increasing reports on teenage suicide and sex are anything to go by. Have we done enough to get to the root causes of these social problems? The current system of school ranking and teacher performance appraisals need to be reviewed.
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 ).

The heavy price we are paying for due to agressive streaming, ranking and branding in our schools are as follow. The youths these days are apolitical and self-centred. Compared with the youths in Hong Kong and Taiwan , the typical Singaporean youth does not have a sense of entrepreneurship, much less to ever aspire to become an entrepreneur. Can this be attributed to the dominance of civil service jobs and the presence of multi-national corporations? 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. Instead of bi-lingual, today Singapore pupils speak only Singlish. Singapore is fast becoming a mono-lingual society. Our next generation has lost the cultural heritage in their ability to speak our dialects.

小六定终身, 天生我材必有用， 拒绝分流！
http://tankinlian.blogspot.com/
http://geraldgiam.sg/
http://www.beyondsg.typepad.com/
http://www.avatarimage.net/news/Chiam-See-Tong.html
http://singaporemind.blogspot.com/2009/12/alex-tan-barred-by-ypap.html
http://theonlinecitizen.com/
http://www.temasekreview.com/
http://www.gov.sg/
Lee Hsien Loong
Goh Chok Tong
Ho Ching
Mah Bow Tan
http://www.cabinet.gov.sg/CabinetAppointments/Mr+Mah+Bow+Tan.htm
Lee Kuan Yew
Wong Kan Seng