In the past, I’ve been rather vocal about Singapore’s destructive education system … from the government’s policies … to the Universities ego … through to the attitude of many of the current students.
Of course I was generalising because I’ve met and dealt with many people [in each group] whose attitude is counter to what I’ve written about … and whilst it could be argued that in all cases, the actions being adopted are being done with ‘good intentions’, the reality is there’s too much focus on getting the best grades and salaries than on educating and inspiring the next generation to make a difference … a difference that can be measured in more ways than just the level of material possession.
Look, there’s nothing wrong with making money and there’s nothing wrong with acquiring tons of ‘stuff’ … however when that is the end goal of somebody’s actions/focus rather than it being the byproduct of what they’ve achieved, then I worry about where the future is heading for them, us and everyone.
But there is hope … oh yes … because I recently got sent a little clip by a student currently studying at SMU, a student who hates the way the system is heading and is trying to do something about it, and I hope they get supported by the powers-that-be rather than silenced, because if Government and Universities continue on this path, then as much as they think they’re doing the right thing, they may realise they’ve actually investing in their own longer-term irrelevance and/or incompatibility.
