Uniquely SingaporeEducationCourting the Tourist DollarYang Shuang

Yu TianTong Xueyin

Justinian Tnag

Meritocracy

• Definition:

‘Meritocracy is a fundamental ideology in Singapore and a fundamental principle in the education system which aims to identify and groom bright young students for positions of leadership.

The system places a great emphasis on academic performance in grading students and granting their admission to special programmes and universities.’

Meritocracy

• Basic guiding principle of Singapore’s governance as well as education

• Evidence:Various scholarships and bursaries - e.g. PSC scholarship; NUS- Singapore Lions' Club Bursary AwardDivide students into different streams since

secondary and even primary schools e.g. Express/normal streams

Meritocracy

• History of meritocracyOriginated from Ancient ChinaConfucianism: the first merit-based civil service

system existed in the imperial bureaucracy of China Spread from China to the West during the

Enlightenment

Meritocracy

• Why Singapore adopts meritocracyTraditional views of the founding fathers of

SingaporeEnsure social equality especially in a multi-racial

societyImportant in the building of nationEnsure fairness

Meritocracy

Merits• Efficient use of resources - Resources are given to people who have the ability to make best use of it• Ensure social mobility - Students from lower socio-economical backgrounds can improve their status through their own hard work

Meritocracy

Demerits• Statistics have show that it may actually reduce

social mobilityMore than half of the parents of students in RI have

university education， while the highest percentage in neighborhood school is 13.7%

May lead to social stratification

Meritocracy

• Meritocracy may not be just since:Different standards of merits are involved - Academic vs. LeadershipSome factors are out of our control (e.g. social

status, inherited wealth, etc.) - A study by Ghent University has even shown that Children who are first in birth order are more likely to be hard working

Elitism• Leading to elitismEvidence in Singapore: - Parents are willing to do community service and even move their homes in order to get their children into good primary schools - Concentration of educational resources in top schools such as RI - Special Programmes (such as SMTP)

Elitism

• Danger of elitism Branding of students Complacency and intellectual snobbery Lack of appreciation towards the society

A debatable case: the Wee Shu Min elitism controversy

Elitism

• The Wee Shu Min elitism controversy

On 21 Oct 2006, Wee Shu Min, the daughter of Ang Mo Kio GRC MP Wee Siew Kim, who was also a RJ graduates, was slammed by netizens for her elitist and naïve comments on the blog of Derek Wee who voiced his concerns on job security and age discrimination

Elitism• Wee Shu Min (left)called Derek a "stupid crackpot", belonging to "the sadder class" and overreliant on the government. Her post also called for Derek to "get out of my elite uncaring face”.

Pragmatism

• An important guiding principle in Singapore’s politics and education

• ‘Westerners value the freedoms and liberties of the individual. As an Asian of Chinese cultural background, my values are for a government which is honest, effective and efficient.’

- Lee Kuan Yew

Pragmatism

• Why Singapore adopts pragmatismLack of natural resourcesSocial and political needs to achieve rapid

economic growth in order to ensure stability

Therefore, Singapore government, ie the PAP, has always taken economic performance to be above other concerns such as human rights

Pragmatism

Pragmatism in education• Purpose of education: to equip students with

necessary skills to find jobs rather than to develop critical and creative thinking skills

• overbearing focus on grades and paper qualification

• Teaching-learning pedagogy

Pragmatism

Consequences• Credential-oriented systemOverly-focused on exam results and grades - Ubiquitous TYS and guidebooks - Students focus more on the results rather than the learning process

Pragmatism

The other extreme: many students blindly engage in a plethora of competitions, CIPs and commitments, for the mere sake of boosting their curriculum vitae and portfolios

Pragmatism

Proliferation of rote memorization - affectionately termed as “mugging” or “pure regurgitation”, as a must-do if a student wanted to excel in standardized exams - hones exam skills but does not develop creative and critical thinking skills

Bilingualism

• A cornerstone of the Singapore education system• While English is medium of instruction in schools,

most students are required to take a Mother Tongue subject, which could be one of the three official languages: Chinese, Malay or Tamil.

Bilingualism

• Changing objectives:First introduced in 1966 with the primary

objective of promoting English as the common language among the diverse ethnic groups in Singapore

Nowadays: to educate students with their mother tongues and impart traditional values

Conservative.. Or LIBERAL?

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EDUCATION

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Critical Thinking

0 Exams nowadays require more thinking skills

0 E.g. AQ question for GP, Planning questions for sciences, and essay questions for humanity subjects

0 Analytical and critical thinking0 room for self-expression and creativity0 Practical values of knowledge

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Alternative Pathways0Tendency to be less exam-oriented

0 e.g. Integrated Programme0That’s the reason why we are here :)

0 From 2012, seven new schools will offer the Integrated Programme, bringing the total to 18

0More depth and breath of knowledge0 E.g. deeper and broader subjects, enrichments, competitions,

etc

0Criticism of IP student disadvantage0 BUT, for the 1st batch of IP students, similar performance to the

previous cohort of non-IP students in the same schools

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Alternative Pathways0 E.g. Direct School Admission (DSA)

091 schools in the 2012 DSA-Sec Exercise015 government and government-aided JCs: 10%

four independent institutions: 20%0 Recognition of a diverse range of achievements

0 Include non-academic areas e.g. music, sportsSchool Niche

Canberra Secondary School Digital Media

Naval Base Secondary School Visual Arts

New Town Secondary School Uniformed Groups

Queenstown Secondary School Uniformed Groups

St Andrew’s Secondary School Military Band*

Teck Whye Secondary School Hockey

Unity Secondary School Uniformed Groups*

Woodgrove Secondary School Environmental Education

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Arts School

0 E.g. School of the Arts (SOTA)0 Singapore’s first national

pre-tertiary specialised arts school

0 AIMS of its education0creative thinking0expression and

communication in the arts0being in an arts community

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Education (liberal)

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Liberal Education0 E.g. Yale-NUS college (1st! :O)

0 Small size of college classes0 E.g. around 85% of all classes in Swarthmore College has less than 19

students per class. In addition, only one class has more than 100 students

0 More resources for undergraduates0more full time faculty with PhD degrees than a large

research university

Success story of LIBERAL ARTS COLLEGE• Liberal arts colleges produce nearly twice as many students who earn a

PhD in science as other institutions.• a fifth of all US presidents were liberal arts college graduates• Pulitzer Prize winners

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Benefits

0 Liberal Arts education0 Broad-based education

Skilled Singapore workforce that possesses intellectual curiosity, confidence, maturity and inclusiveness

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Conclusion

0Great emphasis on uniformity and conformity0Shifting towards liberal0useful to Singapore

0 enhances student learning0 produces college graduates well-equipped for the

economy

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Courting the Tourist Dollar

0 Tourism in Singapore:0 major industry and contributor to economy0 attracted 13,171,303 tourists in 2011

0 Why?0 cultural attraction 0 natural and heritage conservation programs0 Environmentally friendly0 Low crime rates0 Convenient transport system0 Common language: English

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Development of Singapore’s tourism industry

0 The Singapore Tourist Promotion Board:0 first established in 19640 promote Singapore as a tourist destination0 First used the Merlion as its logo

0 Post independence:0 tourism spurred on by technological improvements in

transportation and communications0 welcomed as a means to create employment and boost

the economy

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Development of Singapore’s tourism industry

0 Board actively encouraged investment in infrastructural development

0 such as the building of hotels 0 tourist attractions like the Jurong Bird Park 0 resort island of Sentosa.

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Development of Singapore’s tourism

industry0 1970s:

0 "garden attractions and modern hotels“0 “Instant Asia”, or a "melting pot" of Asian cultures

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0 Mid-1980s:0 weakness of infrastructure were identified for falling

tourism

0 heralded the implementation of a S$1 billion Tourism Product Development Plan0 the redevelopment of ethnic “enclaves” such as

Chinatown, Little India, Arab Street and Kampong Glam as well as historical sites like the Singapore River

Development of Singapore’s tourism industry

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Chinatown

1970s Today

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Development of Singapore’s tourism

industrystart of 21st century0 Uniquely Singapore Brand Campaign rolled out in 2004

0 11 January 20050 Minister for Trade and Industry, Mr Lim Hng Kiang,

unveiled the Board's bold targets0 triple Tourism Receipts to S$30 billion, double visitor

arrivals to 17 million, and create an additional 100,000 jobs in the services sector by 2015

0 catalysed by a S$2 billion Tourism Development Fund.

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2015 - Vision, Targets and Initiatives

0 Set against the backdrop of growing opportunities 0 ensure that the tourism sector in Singapore remains competitive0 three key areas of focus:

1. Strengthening Singapore’s position as a Leading Convention & Exhibition City in Asia with a strong and dynamic business environment

2. Developing Singapore as a leading Asian leisure destination by providing an enriching experience that is Uniquely Singapore.

3. Establishing Singapore as the Services Centre of Asia a place where visitors come to enjoy high-end quality services such as healthcare and education services.

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Recent Developments

Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay (2002)

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Recent Developments

Singapore Flyer (2008) Marina Barrage (2008)

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Recent Developments

F1 Grand Prix (2008-2011) Youth Olympic Games 2010

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Recent Developments

Marina Bay Sands Integrated Resorts

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Recent Developments

Resorts World Sentosa

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Recent Developments

Gardens by the Bay (29 June 2012)

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Observations0 Increasingly expanding its target to the global market

0 Begun hosting international events that garner a variety of supporters/tourists (eg. 2009 World Gourmet Summit, 2010 YOG, 20th International Orchid Convention[2011])

0 Increasing focuses on modernity and commercialism

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0 Marina Bay Sands and Resorts World Casinos0 Against traditional Asian values0 Despite an outcry from civic and religious groups

opposed to the project

The “all-evil” Casino

"A casino glorifies gambling. When you have a casino with the government fully endorsing it, that changes the perception of what gambling is all about," said Joanna Koh-Hoe, vice president of the social group Focus on the Family Singapore.

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Government’s Countermeasures

Casino Regulatory Authority of Singapore (2008)0 responsible for ensuring that the management and operation

of the casinos in Singapore remains free from criminal influence or exploitation

National Council on Problem Gambling 0 set up in Singapore in 2005 to address problem gamblingRestrictions0 steep entrance fee of S$100 per entry or S$2,000 per year 0 Exclusion order0 casinos would not be allowed to extend credit to the local

population

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Conservative0 Despite the ill construction of casinos, the

government adopts strict policies to protect locals from suffering its ill effects => “Father knows best”

0 “Integrated Resorts” not “Casino”0 RW Sentosa: inclusion of USS and other attractions

makes it a family destination, not a gathering ground for gamblers

0 Marina Bay Sands: Glamorous Hotels, Gardens by the Bay and other high-end leisure amenities seem to push it a notch up, rather than just a gambling facility

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Liberal0 developing attractions according to the tastes of the

tourists, despite threats to our traditional valuese.g. Merlion & Casino

0 Commercialisation of Singapore's traditional culturee.g. Reconstruction of Chinatown and other historical sites to attract more tourist results in the loss of original character and authentic element of the place.

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Conclusion0 In recent years, Singapore has started building more

attractions that are modern and luxurious, and have a smaller emphasis on cultural appeal(eg. USS, MBS). The construction of the 2 casinos was a great turning points as well. In this sense, we may be heading in a more liberal direction.

0 However, the Government still maintains its role as “Guardian”, and enforces certain rules and regulations so that our actions are kept in check.

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Take on Tourism

0What’s YOUR take on tourism?0Modern?0Traditional?0Boring?

0For us, it’s just a little HIDDEN.

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