MS YEO Boon Eng argues that our education system facilitates social mobility, and therefore should be maintained as it is ('Tough Singapore way works'; Wednesday).
I beg to differ.
I do not believe that any Singaporean is asking for our system to be dumbed down. What many parents want is a more balanced and rounded education that prepares our children effectively for the future, yet allows them time to play and develop holistically, and gives families time to bond.
The fact that a few exceptional students from lower-income families can succeed despite the current system is not proof that our education system facilitates social mobility.
How can we tell ourselves that all students stand an equal chance of moving up the social ladder, when success in our education system is highly dependent on the extra tuition and enrichment lessons that wealthier parents can afford and poorer parents cannot?
Because of the way our education system is structured and operated, students from lower-income families cannot compete equally with those from better-off families.
That, in principle, is unacceptable.
If our education system is as effective as we like to believe, then we might ask ourselves why so many children need so much extra tutoring at every level.
There is no point having 'free' education when families must spend thousands of dollars more to supplement what is being taught in school, so that their children can cope.
In fact, it would be interesting to find out how Singapore would fare in international educational rankings if we selected children who have not had the benefit of external tutoring to sit the ranking tests.
We must review how our education system operates.
As a nation, we need to be willing to spend more money on education.
We need to have smaller classes and more age-appropriate testing, and discourage the 'tuition' mindset and unhealthy competition, especially among primary schools, for the 'top school' label, as well as stop our obsession with international rankings.
Our schools and their top managements must refocus on the core purpose of education - to educate our children academically and as social beings, and to ensure that every Singaporean child has an equal shot at future success, regardless of whether his family can afford tuition.
Wily Wan (Ms)
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