Since I am in the business of education policy, and education issues preoccupies my mind most of the time now, I thought I would just take some time to reflect on what I felt my own education had or had not prepared me for my current job.
Looking back at the 16 years of formal education I had, I suppose I am lucky to be one of those who excelled and benefited in our current system. I grasp concepts quickly and that allowed me to coast through most of the major exams. That was especially evident during Uni years. Those who had relied on drills and practise during 'O' and 'A' level to achieve academic success now finds that formula hard to follow in Uni as the semester quickly fly by amidst a flurry of projects and assignments leaving little time for rote learning.
That convinced me that I had developed the right intellectual capacity, that I had developed the skills to excel in any jobs in the 21st century.
But I was wrong. Public policy makers faces tough and challenging issues. We recognise the world is rapidly changing and there is a need for public policies to keep pace with the changing world view. However, decisions are not easily made. There are considerations which the private sector doesnt need to worry themselves with.
For one, public policies needs to ensure that all segment of the population are catered for. The government does not have the luxury of focusing on a niche market. Two, public policies are planned for the long term. In order for minimal disruption to the lives of people and strategic planning for companies' business plans, we cannot flip flop on our policies. There is also the need to document, rationalise and account for all our decisions since we are using public monies.
There is thus a tension between the need to deliberate on our policies and playing catch up with the rapidly changing global landscape. Innovative solutions are called for, as well as clarity in thought leadership.
This is where I am struggling with the education I had. I find it tough to venture into the unknown. It is also difficult to innovate and find creative solutions. I thus realise my education had prepared me to be a first class follower. I am exceedingly good at understanding and executing instructions, but terribly poor at innovating and offering new solutions. Now, everyday is an attempt to fill the gap of my formal education.
And I believe this is a gap which our education system needs to address and is, I believe, being addressed at MOE HQ. Our education system needs to produce more people who are able to create and innovate and not a group of uninspired followers. The industrial age had already gone by, and in the next 10 years, that fact will become painfully obvious if we do not change.
How was your own education when you look back? I would like to hear you views.
Indeed, my education has also made me into more of a follower than a thinker, at many stages in my education, now looking back on hindsight, I did things the way I did simply because the book says so. However, in the workplace, this formula doesn’t work anymore, there’s no longer a step by step guide to teach you how to solve a problem you encounter with a new technology node, simply because there isn’t any to begin with. You will need to innovate and think out of the box to come up with an original solution, that’s where a lot got stuck.
ReplyDeleteWhat do you think are some of the ways that the education system could change, in order to produce more creative people into the workforce?
Also, I feel that the education system shouldn’t only focus on imparting knowledge and preparing the people for the workforce, values should also be a concern; teaching people to be a better person should be helpful to the nation in the long run.
There are alot of white papers being studied at Snr Management level on what are the essential skills for thriving in the 21st century and how we can go about assessing them. While some of these issues are notoriously difficult to answer, I am at least assured that it has received its needed attention.
ReplyDeleteThe 2nd concern you highlighted is something which I muse about from time to time as well. I remember a quote saying imparting knowledge to our young without moral cultivation is simply nurturing 1st class criminals. While it might seems far fetched to assume everyone will turn out to be morally corrupt without formal moral education, I do think the mainstream education system can do more to instill such values in our student.
Then again, I think the societal values which we prioritise in Singapore have a part to play as well. How that will change, I am not sure.