Education

Education can solve all problems

Take the issue of gender inequality for example. Studies conducted in
developing countries have shown that women who have been educated
are half as likely to undergo harmful cultural practices such as female
genital mutilation (FGM) and four times as likely to protect their daughters
to protect their daughters from it. With education, women in developing
countries thus realize that that they have the right to speak up and
defend themselves from harm and abuse. With education, the possibility
of leading a more normal life is suddenly within reach. Alternatively,
consider the recent educational package by UKs Department for Culture,
Media and Sport which seeks to tackle caste prejudice and discrimination
by educating employers, schools, colleges and community groups so as to
raise awareness of the issue and hence help to resolve it. there is also the
international effort to combat racism and intolerance in schools by the
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
This project, titled Teaching Respect for All, was designed to develop
curriculum for use across the globe to promote tolerance and respect for
all people. Proponents of education thus agree that since many problems
such as discrimination are born from learned behavior, education is the
one force that can help individuals to un-learn such behavior and learn to
adopt new mind-sets and perspectives, thus effectively resolving such
problems.
Education levels the playing field for many disadvantaged individuals and
hence provides them with the necessary opportunities to resolve any
problems. With education, people are better equipped with the skills
necessary to find employment and to make themselves relevant to society
education thus levels the playing field for everyone in society as it gives
every individual equal chances and opportunities to compete, especially in
todays society where an individuals level of educational attainment is
increasingly a key factor in deciding how far an individual can go in life. A
research paper by Professor Hanushek of Stanford University published in
2009 evaluated the economic value of education in todays world and
showed that the average income of workers with high school education
remain significantly higher than those of the less educated. He also had
substantial evidence showing that the average income of workers with a
college education now dwarfs those of the high-school educated. This
report thus suggests that with more years of education, individuals are
more likely to enjoy a better life and hence it appears that education is

indeed the key to bridging income gaps and that if more individuals could
attain a higher level of education, problems such as income inequity
would cease to exist.

EDUCATION:
Purpose
Skilled
workforce

Equip students with necessary skills for them to compete in the global
marketplace/ prepare youths for workforce (technical skills/practical
knowledge)
Laos Revolutionary Youth Unions vocation program that targets rural
youth and teaches them skills such as baking, hairdressing that can be
applied to various industries.
Barefoot College in Tilonia: Social work & research centre in India has
trained 2 generations of uneducated villagers to become health workers,
mechanics and more.
Sweden has one of the highest spending on Research Development in
higher education sector at 0.9% of GDP More access to education
In UK, the Higher Education Innovation Fund (HELF) is vital in
encouraging the higher education sector to increase their capability to
respond to needs of business and the wider community. The long term
aim of this funding is to improve Northern Irelands innovation
performance as a key element in raising productivity and delivering
economic growth / vital in building capacity in English universities for
knowledge transfer, knowledge exchange and commercialization
activities that will ultimately benefit Englands economic and social
standing.

Character
Building

In 2002, UNESCO began a worldwide initiative to promote SEL (Social

Emotional Learning), sending a statement of ten basic principles for
implementing SEL in 140 countries.
In Texass public schools, character education helps 45% of surveyed
distinct to have improved grades, and 66% less disciplinary referrals.
In Kansas, number of students setting educational goals increases from
50% to 95%. Positive effects on students academic achievement,
responsibility and pro-social behavior.
Character Education Program in Washington infuses character
development into curriculum, nurturing students to be morally upright
citizens. Dramatic transformation: Pro-social behavior (cooperation,
compassion, respect) replaces negative behavior such as violence,
apathy and disrespect.
Singapore: Character & Citizenship Education (CCE), Temasek
Polytechnic introduced YouthMax develop strong character and
positive self-image
In Argentina, producing radio programmes and magazines is a wellestablished activity in their education system.
In the child journalist scheme, the process whereby children
investigate, discuss, defend their opinions and listen to others, is more

Cultural
Literacy

important than the end product, whether it be a newspaper, a video, or a

radio programme.
In other words, the school is given the key task of training citizens
who can think critically about the world they live in.
Such programmes is also a good way of fostering childrens verbal
and writing skills since it does not involve reciting a lesson from memory
but getting across personal ideas and opinions clearly and effectively so
that readers and listeners outside the classroom can grasp them.
Allows one to accept other traditions & belief systems while valuing their
own
English Access Microscholarship Program 2-year, 360 hour course of
teaching American culture, allowing students to be more familiar with
their culture. General knowledge about the world is also taught.
allows students to be more informed about cultures around them, &
become more accepting of culture act appropriately in society peace
& stability

Functions
Social Mobility

Political
development of
country

Climb up the social ladder regardless of socio-economic

background
In Canada, for people whose parents did not graduate from
university, the probability of holding a degree doubled from 12% to
23% intergenerational education mobility diminished
Finlands intergenerational income mobility: 0.147. If
intergenerational income mobility were to be 1, it means children
from a poor family would remain poor.
Vietnams Education for all action plan:
Aims to improve access to education for ethnic minority &
disadvantaged groups by 2015.
So far, poverty reduction from 58% to 16% in 2006.
Build primary schools in rural areas and provide alternate
learning opportunities for out-of-school children
Malaysias Vision 2020 national development plan where former
prime minister Mahathir Mohamad called for an education
revolution to prepare young Malaysians for a competitive global
economy.
1 in 3 Raffles Institution students who scored 6 As and above in
GSCE A Level Examinations were from a home were both parents
were non-graduates.
PISA 2009 by Organisation for Economic Cooperation and
Development noted Singapore was one of the higher proportion of
students from the lower socio-economical background that did
better that what their circumstances would otherwise expect.
Leadership skills are gained through education, allowing them to
step out to voice out opinions that will contribute to the development
of the country politically.
Portland State University, USA the student government group
advocates for and represents the students of Portland State
University before internal and external organizations. This provides
a formal means of communication and interaction between students

and organizations.
Characteristics of education systems (flaws)
Elitism

France Of the 350,000 students

graduating from French high schools,
only about 100 are accepted into top
French universities, virtually all of
whom come from a handful of elite
preparatory schools
Singapore More than half of the
students from top schools like Raffles
Institution and Nanyang Girls High
had fathers who were degree-holders
a stark contrast as compare to
13.1% at Chai Chee Secondary
School.

Qualifications

SUPPORTING:
Britain In managing their number
one risk, 72% of employers believe
skills and experience were critical,
whereas only 36% believed formal
qualifications were a critical control
measure.
Over 95% of the wealthy in the world
admitted to having abandoned their
education in order to make it in the
real world of business.

Stress

Those who make it into an esteemed

institution promote the prestige of
their family, where those that fail to
do so often sink into depression.
Korea - 33.5 people out of 100,000 in
Korea commit suicide, highest in
OECD 8 year running
A typical Japanese student reaches
home at midnight after an 18-hour
work day. He attends school in the
morning before proceeding with Juku
(cramming schools)
16 per day commits suicide due to
exam stress in India
UNICEF survey in 2001 revealed
exam anxiety as one of the main
cause of unhappiness in Singapore.
36% - fail test biggest fear
VS
17%: parents/guardians dying as
biggest fear
Towering degree of unhappiness
among Asian kids. Schools are
th

OPPOSING:
Britain Employers
differentiated importance of
qualifications for different
categories, and 89% of
respondents classified formal
qualifications as essential for
technicians, professionals &
managerial staff.

suddenly plagued with record levels

of violent crime and sky-high suicide
rates. In Hong Kong, one in three
teens has had suicidal thoughts. The
number of teenagers between the
ages of 15 and 19 in Thailand who
commit suicide is second only to
adult workers
Fairness

SUPPORTING
Singapore - Top 5% of PSLE
students consistently come from 95%
of primary schools, not just from a
few prestigious schools
Financial assistance schemes such
as Edusave Merit Bursary and
Opportunity Funds are critical in
ensuring students are not denied
opportunities in progress due to
financial circumstances.
-

OPPOSING
America:
A study was shown that
the gap in standardized test
scores between affluent and
low income students have
grown by about 40%.
The imbalance between
the rich and the poor children
in college completion has
grown about 50%.
Wealthy elites pay
exorbitantly high prices and
rely on informal personal
connections to send their
children to Ivy League
institutes
UK Poorest children do
much worst at school on
average as compared to
better off classmates. 27% of
poor children get 5 or more
good GCSE passes as
compared to 55% from better
off families.

Females in
education
system

EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN
Mothers are primary socialization
agents: an educated mother is more
likely to instill a thirst for education in
her children, setting up a positive
cycle of education for generations to
come
Rajasthan, India With a low female
literacy rate, Rajasthan is burdened
with widespread practices like child
marriage, female feticide, rape, and
sati (rite where women burn
themselves at their husbands
funeral)
On the other hand, Kelaya, India with
high female literacy rate is devoid of
such rampant social norms.

GENDER DISCRIMINATION
In South Asia, women only
have half as many schooling
years as men
Of 130 million uneducated
African children, 60% are girls
In Afghanistan, certain cultural
norms only allow female
students to be taught by
female teachers. Due to the
lack of qualifies female
teachers, many girls in
Afghanistan remain
uneducated.
In Iran, about 77 university
courses are exclusive to men
only. The government also has

Educated females are likely to

receive 3x more of her potential
income.

Exams

Taipei to axe senior high entry

exams: Effectively guarantee every
student three more years of
education. Aimed at boosting the
duration of compulsory education,
and reducing exam pressure on
young people.
Singapore: Taking away year-end
examinations for Primary 1 & 2
children
In South Korea, up to a third of
incoming college students will be
picked not for their test scores but for
their unique talents.
Surveys show that while East Asian
pupils top worldwide academic tests,
they retain the information for the
least amount of time, believing there
is little utility in what they learn in the
classroom. Those educated overseas
are more independent, more
aggressive and more proactive when
tackling problems.
Asian students scored second-lowest
in enjoyment of math and science,

agenda of reducing proportion

of education women from 65%
to 50%
Girls crowd the ranks of outof-school children
disproportionately,
representing nearly two of
every three children in the
developing world who do not
receive a primary education,
according to UNICEF.
These inequalities at the
primary level naturally go on
to swell illiteracy rates, with
over half the female
population over 15 years of
age being illiterate in areas
such as South Asia and subSaharan Africa.
This situation has particularly
critical implications for human
development given the
beneficial impact of several
years of primary education on
decreasing infant mortality
and reducing fertility rates.

even though they placed first in

understanding of these subjects
Homework

Educators tend to defend homework

by saying it builds study habits, selfdiscipline and time-management
skills. But there is also evidence that
homework sours kids attitudes
toward school.
American The amount of time
spent on homework has doubled
since the 1980s, even though a
review by Duke University concludes
that homework does not measurably
improve academic achievement for
kids in grade school.
Teachers in nations that outperform
the US on student achievement tests
such as Japan and Denmark
tend to assign less homework than
American teachers, but instructors in
low-scoring countries like Greece
and Iran tend to pile it on.

Budget on
education

Australias Grattan Institute conducted a study that shows it is not

tiger mothers, strict discipline or Confucianism that dictates high
student scores, but national focus on education spending.
Top 4 of the 5 best test performers in the study from East Asia:
Singapore, South Korea, Hong Kong and Shanghai.
By age 15, students in Shanghai were found to be two or three
years ahead of their Western counterparts, while South Korea
spends double the U.S. amount in its primary education.
South Korean college matriculation rate, 80%, is higher than the
American one for high school.

Overemphasis on
education

A typical East Asian high school student often must follow a 5 a.m.
to midnight compressed schedule, filled with class instruction
followed by private institute courses, for up to six days a week.
Asian parents, nearly without exception, demand that their children
attend an elite university. Parents are typically involved in the
smallest minutiae of their childrens education. The goal of this
parental fervor is not simply to guarantee their child a good job and
economic security, but also to gain them entrance into an elite
educated class with better marriage prospects and prestige. An
invisible caste system still prevails.
In Korea, as in many East Asian countries, the greatest determinant
of elite university acceptance falls on one test on one day the
national university entrance exam. On this day, the country
effectively comes to a grinding halt. Subways are mandated to run
more frequently, aircraft are restricted from flying over test centers,

workers are told to begin their day later and late exam takers can
call a special number for a police escort to take the student directly
to the testing site.
10% of married couples now live apart. Families who separate for
the sake of education have become so commonplace, to the extent
that the phenomenon has bequeaths those families with a title of
their own goose families, because they must migrate to reunite.
Making
changes to
society

Education leads to an increased awareness on the part of the

individual to see what is wrong in his society. When the educated
populace is disenfranchised due to the inability of the government
to provide the needs of the people, its people do not remain
obedient and pliant.
The Arab Spring revolts are testament to the potential of education
in overturning current structures. Research has shown that many of
those who revolted in the streets and attempted to topple
autocracies are educated youth who are unemployed. They were
exposed to radical ideologies in their schooling years and
understood what good governance means. Yet, they did not see
this translating into everyday life. The failures of governance were
made more stark in contrast to the alternative systems in the US
where freedom was allowed to flourish their horizons and led to
greater pent-up dissent.

What is Elitism?
The interpretation of Elitism can be as follows: feeling that oneself is superior than others
in terms of academic, physical
capability etc than other people. People who are elitist often have a narrow and warped
mindset that they themselves are better than others just because they may be superior
in one aspect of life. This is apparent in Singapore, especially in the academics, which
can be seen in the evidences substantiated.
1. Newspaper article by Sandra Leong, an ex-Raffles student
In this newspaper article, it exemplifies how Raffles Junior College students, who never
get a chance to mix with others may
start to develop cynical views on those who may not be well-off in studies or have a
good job. This article highlights that those
from elite schools may start to develop an 'exclusionary attitude' and may feel that those
who attain less than what is viewed to be
good may be ostracized.
2. Wee Shu Min incident
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Wee Shu Min elitism controversy occurred in October 2006. Wee Shu Min,
daughter of parliament member Wee Siew Kim and a then-eighteen year-old student on
Raffles Junior College's scholarship programme, found herself in controversy after

posting on her blog what were viewed by some Singaporeans to be elitist, nave, and
insensitive statements against heartlanders.
Dismissing the views of Derek Wee who voiced concerns on job security and age
discrimination on his blog, she shot back with a take-no-prisoners diatribe, calling 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". Her response
triggered an avalanche of criticism, as it came on the heels of the sensational suicide of
an individual (said to be facing financial difficulties) at Chinese Garden MRT Station. As
a result, her name topped Technorati's search terms for a week. She has since
appeared to have apologised on another blog and shut down her own.
Response
In response to the scandal, Wee Siew Kim stated that he supported Shu Min's point in
principle and that "people cannot take the brutal truth," but he and Shu Min's college
principal also expressed disappointment and counselled her to be more sensitive
towards others. Wee also claimed that his daughter's privacy had been violated. Critics
pointed out however, that he appeared to have endorsed her elitist remarks and failed to
address values such as empathy and humility, and that he was apologising for the tone,
but not the content of his daughter's response. Furthermore, the government had
previously made it clear that there was no such thing as Internet privacy with the
imprisonment of bloggers under the Sedition Act just over than a year earlier, and that
Wee Shu Min should be old enough to take responsibility for the consequences of her
statements.
Scholarly paper
Examining Meritocracy and Elitism in Singapore
INTRODUCTION
Singapore has always taken pride in being a meritocracy and its embrace of meritocracy
has been the cornerstone of the nations success story. Over the years, Singapores
meritocracy has emphasised on equality of opportunity over equality of outcomes;
shaping a relatively level playing field where the most capable and hardworking
individuals regardless of ethnicity or social classes have an equal opportunity to rise to
the top. While the State has always heralded the success of meritocracy, the systemic
flaws and failures that were once side-lined in the public eye are becoming increasingly
prevalent and visible today.
The central research question is how meritocracy shapes the Singapore elite and in turn
how the elite shapes meritocracy in the country. In this paper, the elite is defined as the
class of English-educated Singaporeans who subsequently rises to the top as the
political and bureaucratic elite, unless otherwise specified.
II.
MERITOCRACY AND ITS DANGERS
Those individuals who possess merit are identified at an early age, selected for an
intensive education and prepared for their future roles. Beyond differentiating social
roles, a meritocracy also entails a system of rewarding merit and positive results with
incentives and rewards. However, the greatest virtue of meritocracy is its idea of equality
of opportunity. According to John E Roemer, there are two prevailing conceptions of
equality of opportunity today. The first argues for society to level the playing field so
that the disadvantaged could compete on fair grounds with the rest. The second is the
non-discrimination principle where all individuals who have the required attributes
relevant for a job should be judged on an equal footing along with the rest with respect to
the relevant attributes.
III.
THE SINGAPORE ELITE

Adhering to Hayes Principle of Difference, Lees firm belief in eugenics meant he saw
the elite as the product of genetic ordering and unequal distribution of talents within
society.
As Singaporeans move up the education system into secondary schools and junior
colleges, the scholars are continuously sorted from the commoners and the would-be
future elite are herded together into a small number of elite institutions. The best are
offered the coveted Public Service Commission Scholarships, Singapore Armed Forces
Scholarships and those at the top of the pyramid of public service would then be
absorbed into the elite Administrative Service and made mandarins.
IV.
SOCIAL IMMOBILITY WHITHER THY SINGAPORE DREAM?
Rags-to-success stories are becoming increasingly rare. When based solely on income
from work per household member and after accounting for government transfers,
Singapores GINI coefficient has progressively risen from 0.425 in 2000 to 0.446 in 2010.
Feeling the impact of these figures on the ground, 70 percent of 400 respondents in a
Straits Times survey stated they were concerned about the income gap between the rich
and the poor and an even larger 83 percent agreed that the income gap affects social
mobility. In todays society stratified by meritocracy, globalization and economic forces,
the Singapore Dream has become an increasingly elusive concept that is often beyond
reach of Singaporeans from the lower strata of society.
V.
FAMILY PEDIGREE AND EDUCATION PERFORMANCE
The ability to achieve success in todays world is no longer dependent on an individuals
sole merit but is increasingly path-dependent on an individuals family background which
has a high correlation with his educational attainment. Then Minister Mentor Lee Kuan
Yew once shared some glaring statistics where more than half of students studying in
top schools like Raffles Institution, Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) and Nanyang
Girls High had fathers who were degree holders a stark contrast as compared to
13.1% at Chai Chee Secondary (which had the highest percentage amongst four
schools where data was obtained). Lee attributed this phenomenon to the more
favourable learning environment at home shaped by better-educated parents,
highlighting the increasing deficiency of the system in ensuring and realising
meritocracy.
Apart from Lees eugenics argument, naturally students with better-educated parents
were also bound to come from families with better socio-economic backgrounds. Bettereducated parents would have a higher earning capacity that accompanies their jobs and
qualifications. The higher earning capacity also translates into higher amounts of
disposable income that could be channeled into their childrens education and
development enrolling in tuition, paying for premium co-curricular activities (CCA) and
enrichment courses. According to a 2012 survey published by Blackbox Research, 67
percent of Singaporeans have had children enrolled in tuition at some point in time while
only 20 percent in the lowest monthly household income bracket of $4,000 and below
have had their children enrolled in tuition.The disparity is a clear reflection of the lesser
accessibility to tuition for households without financial means. For respondents with
children enrolled in tuition, an alarming 51 percent spend more than $500 a month per
child.
Based on Professor Changhui Kangs research findings, a 10 percent increase in private
tuition expenditure would translate to an improved test result of 0.56 percentile.[31] [32]
In a nutshell, the inequality of resources and access to resources has meant that a
disproportionate number of people have unequal ability to benefit from the supposed
equal opportunities associated with a meritocracy, thereby leading to the unequal
outcomes.
VII.

RECOGNISING THE FLAWS OF MERITOCRACY

The worrying social phenomenon of education reinforcing the social divide instead of
functioning as a social leveller did not go unnoticed by the Prime Minister when he
acknowledged the growing stratification of Singapore society in Parliament during the
debate on the Presidents Address in 2011. He recognised that the children of
successful people are doing better, the children of less successful people are doing less
well. When Lee Kuan Yew openly acknowledged that an individuals pedigree and
network were now the keys to success in Singapore, he also indirectly admitted the
systemic flaws of meritocracy and that the egalitarian society he had sought to build had
reached a tipping point. The entrenchment of the elite, growing social immobility and
increasing distance of the less well-to-do from achieving the Singapore Dream was not a
perception but a true reality when the Prime Minister openly admitted that fewer children
from lower-income families are rising to the top of the heap.
X.
CONCLUSION
The very success of the meritocratic system has led it to abandon its original egalitarian
ideals. The Iron Law of Meritocracy has set in Singapore where the growing social
inequality and the entrenched elite have successfully subverted the mechanisms of
mobility. Instead of traditionally moving up the ladder by merit, family pedigree and elite
socialisation are now the game changers that concentrated influence and consolidate
the elites power for perpetuity. Against the backdrop of widening social divide, if this
tension between the elite and non-elite, rich and poor, English-educated and Chineseeducated becomes mismanaged, we edge closer towards Youngs apoloclapytic vision
and the Occupy Wall Street movement could well be a harbinger of the social unrest
that is going to befall Singapore.

EDUCATION
HOOKS
1. The function of education is to think intensively and to think critically.
The most dangerous criminal may be the man gifted with reason but no
morals. We must remember that intelligence is not enough, intelligence
plus character - that is the goal of true education. Martin Luther King
Jr, speech at Morehouse College, 1948
2. In todays world, education has taken on greater significance,
particularly as our global economy continues in its metamorphosis into
a knowledge-based one.
3. More often than not, education has also been lauded by world leaders
as the single most important solution to the multitudes of problems we
face as a global community.
4. Education is the vehicle of knowledge, self-preservation and success.
Education not only gives a platform to succeed, but also the knowledge
of social conduct, strength, character and self respect.
5. No matter what global problem you are dreading, whether it's the
elimination of poverty, whether it's the creation of peace, whether its
solving environmental energy problems, the solution whatever it is
multiple solutions, the solution always include education, never is it
without an education component and sometimes cannot be done
without education. Nicholas Negroponte, well-known professor and
visionary scholar.
OPPOSING VIEWS
Main purpose of education is to be rich in the future. DISAGREE.

There are two views to this statement. The first view considers the purpose of
education to equip students with the necessary academic qualifications and
skills which would aid students in earning more money. In this fast paced
society, many working people undergo tremendous amount of stress to
pursue higher standards of living. Many think that having a good education
would guarantee a high paying job and wealth. Pragmatic people will
certainly see becoming rich as one reason why they need to study hard. With
rising cost of living, people see the need to earn more money in order to
make ends meet. Some would like to reward themselves for studying so hard
and thus tangible rewards can only be bought with money. Many people see
education as a means to enable them to get their hands on such luxury
goods/ live comfortably.
Eg: Across Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)
countries, men with university level degrees are 18% more likely to find jobs
than those with only a secondary school diploma. Lifetime earnings also
increase with each level of education attained. People who are more
pragmatic, they invest heavily in education hoping that they will be able to
secure high paying jobs see the sciences and maths subjects as a mean to
get into prestigious courses etc
Evaluation (oppose opposing view): Education plays a key role in
providing individuals with the knowledge, skills and competences needed to
participate effectively in the workforce training students for high-demand
jobs. Workforce of today require higher skill level not just technical skills
but strong communication and problem-solving problems which are acquired
through education. Specialized knowledge gained through education in a
better position to take up intellect jobs more opportunities for high-paying
jobs which requires individuals to have the requisite skill. The problem with
this view is the it creates a false dichotomy, that being rich should be the sole
and most important purpose of education without acknowledging that there
are greater purposes in education. Being rich shouldn't be the purpose of
education, although I acknowledge that education does help students to earn
more money. However, in the long run, the need to instill the right moral
values is more important than earning more money proper means to earn
the money high flyers may misuse the money earned. The ability to earn
more money isn't what the society needs, the society requires intellects that
have the correct sets of values create a better world make the right
positive choice and even contribute back to society. One may succeed in life
but if one has a flaw in his character, it might lead to your downfall. It might
be the more pragmatic purpose of education but wealth does not guarantee
you success or happiness in life.
PURPOSE OF EDUCATION
1.
Point 1: Education allows one to climb the social ladder
Elaboration: In an open system, a society with mobility between different
social classes, individuals can move up or down in the social rankings.
Eg: Wages and earnings tend to correlate with the amount of education a
person obtained. With a university degree, one is more likely to attain a
professional-level job in which one may earn a higher salary in comparison
to someone working in a secondary, service-based job. Workers in servicebased or labor intensive areas are deemed unskilled because a great
amount of education is not required in order to perform these jobs. Since
white collar jobs seem to necessitate more human capital and knowledge,

they therefore require greater education and produce higher earnings,

allowing people to ascent to social ladder quite quickly.
Eg: Students from disadvantaged homes or lower socioeconomic groups
are still able to move up in Singapore. The recent Programme for
International Student Assessment (PISA) 2009 administered by the
Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) noted
that Singapore had one of the highest proportion of students from lower
social economic backgrounds who did better than what their
circumstances would otherwise predict. There are many good primary
schools in neighbourhood estates that provide universal access to high
quality education. The top 5% of PSLE students consistently come from
95% of primary schools and not just from a few prestigious primary
schools. Also, entry into secondary schools and institutions are entirely
meritbased. Differentiated teaching has enabled more students to go
further as schools can cater to different learning needs and abilities. More
than 90% of each cohort now progress to publiclyfunded postsecondary
institutes one of the highest in the world. Almost half of the students
who lived in 1 to 3room HDB flats are admitted to universities and
polytechnics and this ratio has remained stable over the past decade.
Financial assistance schemes, such as the MOE Financial Assistance
Scheme, Edusave Merit Bursaries and Opportunity Fund, are critical to
ensure that students are not denied opportunities to progress due to their
financial circumstances.
Evaluation: education empowers one with the knowledge and
competency to climb the corporate ladder and in doing so, elevate their
social ladder.
2.
Education elevates living standards by narrowing the rich-poor
divide (economic equality)
As people learn technical and cognitive skills through education, they are
better equipped to gain access to productive employment. For society as a
whole, this elevates living standards, closing the gap between the rich and
the poor.
Eg: Japan, one of the most developed nations now, had its rapid economic
transformation premised upon widespread access to education during the
Meiji Restoration. Now on par with many Western nations, Japan had
emphasized that there was to be no illiterate person in any family.
Eg: Likewise, since instituting compulsory primary education in the 1980s,
China has seen millions of rural poor taking advantage of the employment
opportunities opened by Chinas liberalization, allowing Chinese to acquire
better standards of living, and equalizing Chinas living standards with the
rest of the worlds to a greater degree.
Evaluation:
3.
Education allows people to fight for their rights
Education allows individuals to seek equality where previously people
were marginalised. In African nations, countless women remain
oppressed by males in society partly because of their illiteracy; theyre
unable to even read books that stipulate what rights they as women are
entitled to, much less exercise their rights. The education of women can
allow women greater equality with men in the household as they begin to

advance their interests in decision making, which can in turn generate

more economic equality by the pressures of overly large families that
tend to result when women are unable to enact a limit on procreation. In
Kerala in India, for instance, fertility rates are a fifth lower than in other
states, to a significant extent due to female education. Thus, education
can allow people to move into gainful employment and also exercise their
rights, leading to greater equality in terms of economic standards and
gender.
4. Education drives the economy
Education plays a crucial role in a nations economic progress, especially
so for countries, which unfortunately, are not blessed with natural
endowments unlike their counterparts. With education, cognitive skills and
critical thinking skills are emphasised and taught. Therefore, a skilled
workforce and a bigger talent pool will be produced, where people have
the ability to quickly adapt to the ever-changing economy. In addition,
there will be more people who are equipped with a variety of skills picked
up in school. This creates a more versatile workforce, such that the
country does not depend on one industry to survive. With a variety of
human resources at hand, potential investors will then be willing to invest
in Singapore, driving the nation forward in the economic field. A classic
example to illustrate this point is one that is close to home- Singapores
tremendous economic development. Singapore, once a fishing village with
no natural resources, is now a first world country. By solely relying on
human resources, Singapore has made great economic improvements
throughout the years. This shows the importance of human resources,
which are only available with education, which is why it drives the
economy.
Eg: Social Work and research Centre (India) unemployment rural youths
Instill and maintain solar electricity systems, hand pumps and tanks for
drinking tanks Upgrade local skills acquired through generations use
traditional knowledge as a tool to teach the goals that the conventional
government policies often have unable to achieve use local wisdom
before involve expertise from outside
Eg: Basic Education for Hard to Reach Urban Working Children Project
(Bangladesh) provide vulnerable child labourers in Bangladesh with a
basic primary school education while they continue to work Goal:
Eradication of child labour vocational training in a trade or livelihood
skill
5. Education imparts the right values
Education is pivotal in the character building and value-learning of
students. It teaches the qualities of good conduct, self-confidence and
high values that students should acquire in life to earn a significant place
in society. Character building is equally important as career building, and
other aspects of education such as academics. With a good academic
portfolio but without good values, it will lead to a persons downfall.
Eg: An example of how education imparts the right values is Character
and Citizenship Education (CCE). It focuses on relationships; specifically
with friends, the school and the community. Students learn to value
relationships through a variety of teaching approaches which include
classroom lessons as well as experiential programmes. In their CCE

lessons, students are explicitly taught the values of respect and care in
their daily interactions with others. They are also taught to appreciate the
diverse strengths and abilities of the members of their community.
Students are guided to take multiple perspectives and learn to respond to
the needs of people around them.
Eg: Another example is Values in Action (VIA) and Co-Curricular Activities
(CCA). They further provide students with opportunities to engage and
interact with people of different backgrounds and abilities. Through VIA,
students are encouraged to initiate collective action among their peers to
improve the lives of others in school and the community. They learn to
appreciate diversity in the community and respect for each others
strengths and abilities.
Evaluation: Education is therefore important in the shaping of a students
character. Through the activities that students go through in school, they
are able to learn values that they have to acquire to be able to succeed in
life.
6. Education can solve major problems and affect a change in
society
Major problems in the world today include social inequality, hunger and
poverty, poor governance, and global warming. Education can provide
people with the knowledge and skills to solve these problems and
therefore affect a change in society.
Eg: An example is the Litre of Light Project, which benefited thousands of
impoverished families in the Philippines. This project was started by
student Illac Diaz, who gained knowledge in school that equipped him with
the skills to come up with this project. The project involves an old plastic
bottle filled with water, that could provide many poor families in
Philippines with light, uplifting their quality of life as many of them do not
have money for electricity, and used dangerous kerosene lamps indoors.
These makeshift solar lamps basically act as skylights, and reflect and
amplify the rays of the sun during daylight hours effectively performing
the work of indoor light bulbs but without using any electricity at all.
Eg: Vocational education in Vietnam and India --> gets poor families out
of the vicious poverty cycle. Rural youths are not confined to working in
the fields.
Eg: Lao Revolutionary Youth Unions vocation programme targets rural
youths Practical skills (IT, beauty Care) graduate with a certificate
ability to have the skills required for a job take charge of own future
Eg: Social Work and research Centre (India) unemployment rural youths
Instill and maintain solar electricity systems, hand pumps and tanks for
drinking tanks Upgrade local skills acquired through generations use
traditional knowledge as a tool to teach the goals that the conventional
government policies often have unable to achieve use local wisdom
before involve expertise from outside
Eg: Basic Education for Hard to Reach Urban Working Children Project
(Bangladesh) provide vulnerable child labourers in Bangladesh with a
basic primary school education while they continue to work Goal:

Eradication of child labour vocational training in a trade or livelihood

skill
Evaluation: A country plagued with problems will not enjoy social and
political stability and peace. Riots and mass demonstrations that will arise
due to disagreements and poor governance, will bring the economy to a
standstill. This will affect the livelihood of the people. Education is therefore
important for addressing and tackling these problems, and can liberate
people as they become more aware of their rights, and can work towards
fighting for other peoples rights.