I refer to a letter in The Straits Times by Ms Vivienne Yeo.
She talked about how the label of "branded schools" is "loaded with snobbery and hardly neutral" and suggested that "the Education Ministry could fashion an equivalent term to 'Ivy League'." I would like to say that while these terms may help, they will not solve the underlying problem- that people will discriminate no matter what and even if such loaed terms and labels are abolished a seemingly innocuous term hat steps up to take its place would be associated in much the same manner, and ultimate the effect is to make such a mindset more prevalent and the association of the new label with certain schools to be an unspoken rule. As what has been suggested in the debate on school branding, what needs to change is ultimately the mindset of Singaporeans, and the provision of more and better facilities to schools that aren't as well known now aids in this change in mindset significantly.
Also, she stated that "intelletual arrogance is a deplorable attitude, and how too many Singaporeans place undue stress on academic performance, job status, appearance and presentation". This may be true, but there is logic behind this, and as usual,the pragmatism that us Singaporeans are known for. To be honest, I detest the fact that academic performance and credentials are paramount to getting a job, an internship. But this is the way of the world, since companies would much rather hire someone who knows his stuff that one who is a complete greenhorn in the area, or at least has been proven to so far not display any sign of leadership or stellar grades. It is much more cost effective to simply get a more experienced, capable person - appearance and presentation certainly do matter, to the job interviewers, to portray a sense of professionalism, to bring across a point more effectively. Perhaps she meant that all of these are important, but there are other things to be taken into account, such as character.
But unfortunately, the real world does not work this way. It has its own rules and reglations and those who do not comply are often booted out. The rule has been set in place for so long that people take it as social convention and blindly, or otherwise, follow. To change all of these requires people who are determined and have the courage to be game-changers. More would then start following, and hopefully, there would be significant results. And yet, for one to survive in this sort of world, one has to play be the rules and be a nice obedient person, at least in the eyes of those who make the rules. Quiet dissent will simmer, but ultimately people will not go to extremes and challenge the status quo. Such is the world we live in today.
I do agree that intellectual arrogance is a deplorable attitude as put by Ms Yeo. When one states with some satisfaction that he or she is a Master's in some field or whatever, always remember that there are things that others know that they don't. Real-life skills on how to cook? To clean? Older people have more experience. One of a lower income and academic qualification may have a unique take that nobody else has. And so in this way, we are all made different and so we should respect others for their uniqueness; academic qualifications often mean nothing if the privileged bearer doesn't know how to apply the knowledge to real life, to benefit others in some way, to flaunt it, or is completely clueless as to why he or she is working as such, purely for money, and deriving absolutely no satisfaction whatsoever from the job.
This links to whatever was going through my head. I became quite stressed out yesterday and was fretting on lots of things. What is the point of education, then? What's going to happen to me? In degree-hungry Singapore, where such academic qualifications are of paramount importance to securing a job? What's going to happen to my university choices? What course should I take? Will the university even accept me based on my dismal scores? My sad, sad B for Chinese, even after retaking it? The point in memorising songs at home and not through singing and loving the song in preparation for auditions to go to an overseas competition? The tons and tons of homework that I haven't finished? The guilt that came from reading a storybook while all these pieces of work waited for me and kept growing in their ranks?
I broke down somewhere. I felt like a man in his mid-life crisis, stuck, with nowhere to go, nobody to turn to. Abosolutely alone. Like nobody would care even if I disappeared off the face of the earth, right now.
(some more explanation of this is in another post, but that one's in a much more personal diary that nobody but me will ever look at, at least not in full, unless someone breaks the last wall of defence that I have erected around my heart - that everyone has erected around their hearts. )
She talked about how the label of "branded schools" is "loaded with snobbery and hardly neutral" and suggested that "the Education Ministry could fashion an equivalent term to 'Ivy League'." I would like to say that while these terms may help, they will not solve the underlying problem- that people will discriminate no matter what and even if such loaed terms and labels are abolished a seemingly innocuous term hat steps up to take its place would be associated in much the same manner, and ultimate the effect is to make such a mindset more prevalent and the association of the new label with certain schools to be an unspoken rule. As what has been suggested in the debate on school branding, what needs to change is ultimately the mindset of Singaporeans, and the provision of more and better facilities to schools that aren't as well known now aids in this change in mindset significantly.
Also, she stated that "intelletual arrogance is a deplorable attitude, and how too many Singaporeans place undue stress on academic performance, job status, appearance and presentation". This may be true, but there is logic behind this, and as usual,the pragmatism that us Singaporeans are known for. To be honest, I detest the fact that academic performance and credentials are paramount to getting a job, an internship. But this is the way of the world, since companies would much rather hire someone who knows his stuff that one who is a complete greenhorn in the area, or at least has been proven to so far not display any sign of leadership or stellar grades. It is much more cost effective to simply get a more experienced, capable person - appearance and presentation certainly do matter, to the job interviewers, to portray a sense of professionalism, to bring across a point more effectively. Perhaps she meant that all of these are important, but there are other things to be taken into account, such as character.
But unfortunately, the real world does not work this way. It has its own rules and reglations and those who do not comply are often booted out. The rule has been set in place for so long that people take it as social convention and blindly, or otherwise, follow. To change all of these requires people who are determined and have the courage to be game-changers. More would then start following, and hopefully, there would be significant results. And yet, for one to survive in this sort of world, one has to play be the rules and be a nice obedient person, at least in the eyes of those who make the rules. Quiet dissent will simmer, but ultimately people will not go to extremes and challenge the status quo. Such is the world we live in today.
I do agree that intellectual arrogance is a deplorable attitude as put by Ms Yeo. When one states with some satisfaction that he or she is a Master's in some field or whatever, always remember that there are things that others know that they don't. Real-life skills on how to cook? To clean? Older people have more experience. One of a lower income and academic qualification may have a unique take that nobody else has. And so in this way, we are all made different and so we should respect others for their uniqueness; academic qualifications often mean nothing if the privileged bearer doesn't know how to apply the knowledge to real life, to benefit others in some way, to flaunt it, or is completely clueless as to why he or she is working as such, purely for money, and deriving absolutely no satisfaction whatsoever from the job.
This links to whatever was going through my head. I became quite stressed out yesterday and was fretting on lots of things. What is the point of education, then? What's going to happen to me? In degree-hungry Singapore, where such academic qualifications are of paramount importance to securing a job? What's going to happen to my university choices? What course should I take? Will the university even accept me based on my dismal scores? My sad, sad B for Chinese, even after retaking it? The point in memorising songs at home and not through singing and loving the song in preparation for auditions to go to an overseas competition? The tons and tons of homework that I haven't finished? The guilt that came from reading a storybook while all these pieces of work waited for me and kept growing in their ranks?
I broke down somewhere. I felt like a man in his mid-life crisis, stuck, with nowhere to go, nobody to turn to. Abosolutely alone. Like nobody would care even if I disappeared off the face of the earth, right now.
(some more explanation of this is in another post, but that one's in a much more personal diary that nobody but me will ever look at, at least not in full, unless someone breaks the last wall of defence that I have erected around my heart - that everyone has erected around their hearts. )
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