I feel very fortunate to be part of such a safe yet subtly dynamic community. I was discussing hard domestic and regional politics with my father and god-uncles. One of them, who was an Indonesian turned SG citizen was strongly in favor of SG's system of governance. They compared SG to Indonesia when we were under British rule where bribery, extortion and corruption to even survive was part and parcel of life.
I can agree no more with this if not considering two points of my personal interest: education and how we live everyday.
Singapore's education system is roughly based on the 6-4-2 British system. And this model was crafted in the late 19th century where industrialization was kicking off. The sciences and mathematics were the most essential in the hierarchical order, followed by languages and the humanities subjects. The sciences and Mathematics were useful to train better industrial workers to maximise productivity. The languages are important in terms of communications. The feasibility of humanities at the time were almost negligible. IN THAT ERA.
Now, SG is cosmopolitan and a financially thriving metropolis, where ideas from all over the world are interchanged. We now have more room for the Arts.
Just look at the Singapore Symphony Orchestra. All the past and present music directors and principal conductors originate from China. The current principal guest is Finnish. We only have a Singaporean young associate conductor and a pinky-full of (old) Singaporean players. Out of a population of 4 million, is it really impossible to establish a world-class body of 100? Even with musicians from all over the world to make SSO worthy to be considered a world-recognised orchestra, it is still short of becoming one which is deeply rooted in tradition and soul, like the Wiener Philharmoniker and the premiere British orchestras.
This also applies to the better schools in SG> Perhaps the bottom of the top 20% and the top of the bottom 80% of the student population. They may take the best and produce the best academically but they lack the development of heart-ware, as compared to the independent schools run like British boarding schools. They produce scholars who will turn into office workers, engineers, researchers and bankers; but rarely officers, gentlemen and let alone leaders( be it of corporations or society). This kind of people make up 90% of the population. This is worrying figure.
Another thing is the Gifted Education Programme (GEP). To begin with, do you think that a gifted scientist like Albert Einstein will ever be recognised as gifted through the education system here? He would spend most of his time in detention or counseling. Not that he was not despised by teachers durng his time, but the word "gifted" is simply not correct and has been misused here. By the way, kids grow up mentally at different rates at different times of their adolescence. And the above-mentioned gifted people specialise in only one or two fields of their interest. To be gifted in SG would mean to score well in English, Mathematics and Science. Furthermore, how can you be gifted when you actually need to be sent to Kumon to score well? Nonsense, right?
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Now onto the second aspect of contention. For example, in Singapore, when it is said that the train departs at 1100, it means that the train will START TO ENTER at 1100. By the time everyone's on board and the door closes, it's already 1101.
In Japan, when it is said that the train departs at 1100, it means that the train will disappear from sight at the station BY 1100. The train comes at around 1058. People get ready at 1058.
ANYWAY, PROSIT NEUJAHR! (Cheers! New Year!)
