The education system needs to evolve to ensure Singapore remains a fair and just society, said Minister of State for Education as well as Social and Family Development Sun Xueling on 3 September.
It must also always remain a social enabler so that everyone will have hope and confidence that they have equal access to opportunities to do well, achieve their aspirations and find happiness, she added.
Speaking in Parliament during the debate on the President’s Address, Ms Sun said: “I believe our social conscience tells us that we do not want to create a self-fulfilling class system in Singapore that is entrenched and segregates individuals, limiting them in their endeavours, and stifling hopes and dreams.”
The Government, she added, has made efforts towards increasing pre-school subsidies and the number of places in government-supported pre-schools. These are pre-schools where the Government provides funding to the operators to keep fees low.
She added that the Government should examine how it can further increase pre-school participation as there are still some children whose attendance is irregular, and a few who are not even enrolled.
She also called for more community partners to contribute to the KidStart programme – which helps children from low-income families up to age six – through the Growing Together with KidStart initiative.
Singapore also needs to move away from an overemphasis on grades, said Ms Sun.
“Not just within the school system, but also a broader mindset shift in society, including from among employers and parents. And we need to make real changes to some of the current ways of doing things, such as greater recognition of skills when evaluating someone for a job,” she said.
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Source: The Straits Times, 4 September 2020