Education is important for the development and progess of a nation and as a country, how we manage it is important. Every country has its own education system to meet its specific needs and that of the global community for which every nation is a part of. When Singapore first gained our independence in 1965, we were just a small island nation who had to fend for ourselves amidst stronger neighbouring nations surrounding us, which were blessed with ample natural resources. People (the human resource) are literally all that we have as Singapore has no such natural resources to speak of, nor enough arable land to grow enough food to feed a burgeoning population. Yet even so, the population back then was simply too small to make an impact in the world. We had to find a way to make every individual count. The only way to achieve that was to provide the necessary education, so that people could possibly take on higher-skilled jobs in the newly formed technologically advanced industries that could propel the nation forward. Singapore had to design our own educational framework and curriculum, invite the necessary foreign expertise to coach us and even send delegations overseas to learn. There was much to achieve in a relatively short span of time, given that there was too much stake as well.
Since then, Singapore's educational framework has evolved, though the basic structure is similar to that internationally in order to compete on the global stage. We will not be talking about infant-care or kindergarten (nursery) education as there are a wide variety of programmes out there, where modern day parents jostle over, in the hope that their child can gain a good headstart in life. Starting at age 6, a child would be enrolled in a primary school. Primary education lasts for 6 years and serves as a broad foundation. The curriculum includes basic English language (the common language used in our daily dealings), basic mother tongue language (usually that of your ethnic origin), fundamental mathematics and a general appreciation of the science and arts (to whet your appetite to want to know more). At this age where kids are easily influenced, it is the best time to inculcate important moral values that our nation stand for, including integrity, understanding and embracing diversity of people from different cultures and religious backgrounds to live together peacefully and harmoniously. Many modern day parents (and sadly some teachers too) focus too much on the academics and neglect the moral aspect, expecting the school to take care of it, when they forget that parents are responsible to be the primary educators of their own children (since the tendency is for the kids to mimic their parents' behaviours).
After primary school, the children progress on to secondary school. Secondary education as the name implies, takes the broad education a step further. At this stage, subjects like the languages, mathematics and science will be covered more in-depth. Science will be categorised into topics like physics, chemistry and biology. Humanities like history, geography and literature (that's how they have been classified) will also be introduced. With the new government initiative, there will be a reduction of tests for the primary levels, since at the rate parents push their kids these days, it totally defeats the whole purpose of a primary education when the kids lose interest in learning. However at a secondary level, examinations (especially those that are similar to international standards) are necessary as a means to verify understanding in the subject. Students shouldn't be too averse to examinations and make use of the examinations to test their own proficiency as well as to discover their own interests which will aid them in their career choices.
After secondary education, it starts to get interesting as one moves on to tertiary education. There are those who struggle with written examinations but perform well in certain hands-on skills. The Institute of Technical Education or ITE as it's called provide several specialised professional certificates for technical skills. For someone interested in F&B or hotel industry, SHATEC (Singapore Hotel and Tourism Education Centre) offers the necessary skills and entry into a service industry that builds a vibrant Singapore society. For those in the arts (visual, musical or otherwise), there are a number of good schools to further your craft. There are a number of polytechnics and schools that offer diploma and higher diploma courses (for those already with a base diploma). Diploma courses should maintain their emphasis on practical skills; Singapore's society in general and employers should recognise and value diploma graduates, instead of viewing them as inferior to degree holders. Currently, practical hands-on skills are viewed as somewhat lower level but such jobs requiring these skills actually form the base of sustaining our economy; the resultant shift to rely on foreign labour is detrimental to society in the longer term.
For those who have the aptitude in written academics, then they would choose to enter pre-university (junior colleges) and head on to universities to earn their bachelor's degrees. At a degree level, students will have to grasp fundamental theories and be able to apply them effectively in their field of study. Definitely there are a number of jobs that require such knowledge and understanding including lawyers and certain engineers. There's less emphasis on practicum as compared to a diploma. Majority of jobs that make up society should only require either a degree, a diploma or some professional certificate. Some people may choose to further their education and embark on a master's degree. A lot of people have a misunderstanding that the master's is just an extension of the degree course and is a paper qualification that gives you an edge over someone who only has a degree. Such misguided expectations have inevitably shaped and de-valued the degree. A master's degree, as my professor puts it aptly, is one where it's assumed you already know and are proficient in fundamentally accepted theories from your degree course, such that you can put forth convincing arguments for and against these theories (or even controversial unproven theories) including identifying limitations of their application that can display your mastery of the subject. A lot of master's programs waste a great deal of effort revisiting topics that should have been well understood at a degree level. Last but not least, doctorates shall be discussed. Apart from the clear-cut case of medical doctors, at a doctoral level which is one level deeper of understanding from the master's, one has to come up with a new and original thesis or a significant finding or discovery that can help in the advancement of the scientific community at large. What that simply means is, the master's and doctoral degrees are in general more suited for people who desire to be academics or researchers in their respective fields.
Above is only a very brief overview of the education framework in Singapore (or what it should be). Modern societal norms like bad habits have begun to creep in and corrupt people's mindsets as well as the education system (which have damaging effects in the long run). While education standards in Singapore seem to have improved over the years, one major area of concern is how divergent the mismatch between the education system and the job market has become. Education is more than just a paper chase; it is an essential element in shaping our society for generations to come and we need to ensure it's done right, just as how it was in the beginning. People need to be educated about education; learning that transcends paper qualifications and encompasses human values.
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