Meritocracy In Singapore Schools: Can It Breed Inequality? | Measuring Meritocracy | Full Episode

This episode examines the impact of meritocracy on Singapore's education system, delving into its origins, evolution and current state. It explores the positive and negative aspects of meritocracy, how it has contributed to the nation's success, but also how it has led to division, resentment, and inequality among citizens.

We examine the specific challenges and issues that have arisen as a result of meritocracy in the education system, such as parentocracy and streaming, and how they affect students' opportunities and lives. It also looks at the impact of meritocracy on different groups of students. We offer potential solutions to address these issues and make the education system more fair, inclusive, and equal, while also addressing the need for reform to prevent further division and resentment.

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0:00 Introduction
1:52 What's meritocracy to you?
2:25 Rise of Singaporean meritocracy
9:32 How meritocracy can breed inequality: parentocracy
18:11 Education in Singapore: an arms race?
22:44 Streaming: a meritocratic sorting system?
34:49 Why meritocracy is a conflicting issue
35:30 Meritocracy and the common good

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About the show: Measuring Meritocracy examines meritocracy in Singapore, and globally, and its impact on education and the workplace. It explores challenges and solutions for creating a fairer and inclusive system.
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#CNA #MeasuringMeritocracyCNA #Singapore #Meritocracy

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[MilkPudding]

The catch 22 here is the conditions of someone's birth DO determine the outcome of one's life regardless of the system as humans are different. We are predisposed to certain things. The real challenge here is not to eliminate this but to make as many outcomes as fulfilling as possible.

[abdullahulwanammar]

Can't imagine how many hours were taken to produce this top notch quality and insightful discussion. Good job CNA Insider!

[eileenstacie]

I love how this documentary subtly points out the discrepancy between what the government hopes to achieve - redefining meritocracy and how laypeople Singaporeans (like the mother) rigidity prefer to stick to the old system and perpetuate the problems of the meritocracy the government tries to rectify. LOL.

[ijhtlie]

Thanks and kudos to CNA, for inviting all these experts, for putting together old video footages of schools, very sentimental. Overall an excellent production.

[raym.d.]

I don't know how many non-Singaporeans watched this, but I as a Westerner found it very interesting. No system is perfect, but what Singapore built in a generation is nothing short of miraculous. Happiness, social inclusion, diversity, tolerance and mental wellbeing are all incredible important virtues. However, I must point out that our countries in Europe and North America started their precipitous decline when the pendulum swung from celebrating excellence, academic achievement and social conformity to mostly caring about people's feelings. Fast forward half a century, we have fallen behind the Four Asian Tigers in many respects while being more afflicted by mental health issues than ever in our history. I would caution Singapore about going down that route. Of course, culture and family structures are very different in the East and the West which is undoubtedly also a factor.

[tocino]

PSLE is a huge machine... The top secondary schools are largely affiliated with primary schools embedded in affluent communities. As a foreigner here, i find it very odd why local Singaporeans simply assent to having 70-80-90% of affiliated primary school students automatically receive a leg-up into affiliated secondary schools thtough lower PSLE score cut offs. If this were a true meritocratic society, then the PSLE cutoffs should be the same between affiliated and non-affiliated schools. If these faith based schools argue that perhaps they need the ability to continue to nurture the character of the child, would 6 years of primary schooling not have been sufficient? And should they not open their secondary school doors to nuturing beyond a limited social circle? Do note that the Singapore population is very, very small therefore every small exception or advantage carries a huge ripple effect in the stitching of the fabric of this nation.

[DevinTey]

Thumb up for another high-quality documentary,

[martinarchie]

Perera also highlighted the issue of inequality in Singapore society, particularly among the younger age groups. He cited a survey by OPPI that showed that while Singaporeans overwhelmingly believed in meritocracy, younger Singaporeans, especially those aged between 18 and 25, have a lower belief that Singapore society is equal and fair compared to the older age groups.

He explained that many younger Singaporeans are struggling to live a holistically meaningful and purposeful life due to the intense competitiveness in Singapore, both at work and in academia, coupled with the high cost of living and housing.

In addressing the need for a new kind of meritocracy in Singapore, Mr Perera acknowledged that jobs should go to people with the best ability, but he questioned whether gaps in income and economic security need to be so large to achieve a high-productivity, innovative economy.

[leehyunsong]

Summary: is the meritocracy real when you have resourceful and rich parents.

[martinarchie]

To be sure, meritocracy has its merits. Jobs should go to people with the best ability. Ours should not be a society where we punish those who can invent, lead, create, take responsible risks, inspire others, even as we strive to uplift the least advantaged. We need a high-productivity, innovative economy to grow the pie. If we fail in this, the poor will be hardest hit.” Leon Perera

[__squeeze]

Curious to understand - why do parent's need to volunteer to a particular school to enhance the odds of their child entry into the school?
Shouldn't those parents' whose child are already enrolled into the school be the ones volunteering since they or their child are reaping the benefits from the school? Hmmm...

[winnielee]

When the school starts to emphasize "Parental Involvement" in the kids studies and education, that's where Meritocracy totally ends. Parents with the resources (time, money and social status) will ultimately win the race. I know of a particular rich kid who scored badly in PSLE, but managed to get into ACSI purely becoz his father's social status - a businessman. Then I also know a few kids, whose parents are in and out of jail and obviously couldn't afford to teach the kids or send them for tuition, ultimately dropped out of school in their teens. There is absolutely NO meritocracy when the responsibility of basic education is pushed to parents. I deplore our Singapore ministry for pushing parents to be so-called "allied educators", coz NOT all parents can afford to be one. Education should be left primarily on the shoulders of educators and teachers, and not parents. Parents could then spend their time more on teaching their kids other skills such as resilience and gratefulness instead of tutoring them in their studies and both end up getting stressed up over exams, which explains why there is a higher rate of mental breakdowns in our kids these days.

[ijhtlie]

Help every child reach their potentials, through various paths. Academic achievement should NOT be the only primary measurement of a child’s abilities.

[jeromemendiogarin]

People will never be equal that's a fact, that is why we need leadership..Whatever forms of Government people can never be attain equality, people can succeed if they're Hardworking and Resourceful...

[JianfaTsai]

Everybody wants everything, but few truly realise that our time, resources and life are limited and there is only so much we can do in one day until something unexpected hits us.

[pubor]

Meritocracy has undoubtedly benefited Singapore overall since independence. However, it has also created a very select group of people who reap the greatest benefits from the continued pursuit of 'excellence' If meritocracy is co-related to academic excellence, those with far greater wealth and resources can equip their children. Not only are the elites firmly entrenched in their ivory towers, they are disconnected from the rest of society and more calibrated to mingle amongst themselves. This is where the cronyism breeds, where power and wealth is kept 'amongst themselves' To look into the issue of inequality, we need to address the root of inequality brought about by the creation of this select group of people, along with the problems that come along with it. If powers are retained and allowed to perpetuate without mitigation, the rich-poor rift will deepen and be passed from generation to generation.

[martinlee]

Leon Perera acknowledged that it is important to ensure a more level playing field and social mobility but argued that this alone does not justify the vast and ever-increasing gaps in income, economic security, and social respect between those who do well in the academic and job arenas and those who don’t. He proposed a meritocracy that strives for both equality of opportunity and social mobility, while also ensuring a decent standard of living and societal respect for those who are less successful in conventional terms.

[smonyboy]

The supposed "good" primary schools are all located in affluent areas. A truly meritocratic system would be all primary schools being equal. Like equal equal. All primary schools have the same quality facilities - swimming pools, computer rooms, libraries, lesson programmes, etc. Don't tell us we live in a meritocratic system, when it's easier for more affluent folks can get their children into "top" schools through means such as donations, and by virtue of their postal code. Dont get me started with affiliation of top secondary schools to primary schools.

[xxx-spfh]

Theres no such a thing like equality. Life is not fair. Some people are prettier, smarter, stronger than the others. Asking smarter people to slow down so the less intelligent can catch up with them is ridiculous.

[Jinkypigs]

The question is, without meritocracy, how much more unequal it will be. And while it is true that we should keep tweaking the system, they are attributing the blame in the wrong place.

Ultimately, quality of school matters and making acces to good educations are still a keystone of any meritocratic system