Responding to effects of Globalization in Singapores Education System

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nIntroduction

nBased on the arguments from different scholars, globalization has produced a broad range of effects on the education policy in Singapore. The country has exhibited both success and failures in responding to effects of globalization in its education system. In fact, Singapore has demonstrated its flexibility and nimbleness in adapting to these challenges. From these lessons, it is clear that globalization has influenced the policy makers in the country to develop new curriculum that restructures post-colonial schooling and curriculum. Although there are challenges in meeting intended goals, the country is on the right path to respond to new needs in the education sector.

nSince 1987-2010, the state has reacted positively in order to deal with challenges emerging from modernization (Gopinathan & Mardiana, 2013, p.4). For instance, I learnt that globalization has strengthened the culture of performance and accountability in schools. Similarly, the reforms in the education sector have enabled the economy to embrace knowledge-driven industries, which are able to produce competitive products in the international market. Furthermore, the restructuring of Singaporean curriculum system was meant to support value-added production to establish functional sectors such as pharmaceuticals and biotechnology (Gopinathan & Mardiana, 2013, p.8). Globalization has also encouraged Singapore to introduce syllabi that does not concentrate on exam success. In so doing, the countrys pedagogy pays close attention on problem solving, entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation. Lee Kuan Yew advised that the best education seek to exploit the talent of a learner as opposed to just knowing how to pass examination, write or read. There should infrastructures such as school hall, gymnasium and a playing field in every school to ensure that all services are available that can shape a complete citizen (Lee, 1966, p.19).

nIt is also apparent from lessons, that the effects of globalization have stimulated the Ministry of Education to embrace better administration mechanism in school. For instance, since 2010, most functions have been decentralized, hence, school managers have more autonomy. Through initiative such as Teach Less, Learn More (TLLM), there is more pedagogic freedom (Gopinathan & Mardiana, 2013, p.9). Besides, they have prepared administrators for swift local responsiveness. Lee Kuan Yew argued that such systems are able to produce school principals and teachers who are always dedicated to mould appropriate characters from children. In addition, through decentralization school managers should be able to make time and appropriate decisions to facilitate quality education (Lee, 1966, p.19).

nMoreover, I learnt that Singapore education sector has also benefited from opportunities created through globalization as it has enable sharing of social values, technology and knowledge. For instance, the country has integrated information technology aimed at moulding students that are more independent. The curriculum is also designed to uphold creative and critical thinking in the real world. Yew advocated for a curriculum that entrenched social attitudes and values in order to strengthen community survival rather than individual survival (Lee, 1966, p.9). In this respect, reforms have set to nurture self-respect, national pride and identity. More importantly, the new syllabi focus on teaching the logic of socio-economic strategy and for learners to appreciate special developmental vulnerabilities, constraints, and challenges in the country (Gopinathan & Mardiana, 2013, p.10).

nI also learnt that the new education policy has special mechanism to cater for students who are less talented in academics. In this regard, the system seeks to offer bridges, pathways and flexibility for these students. There is need for curricular options from students who have weaker cognitive capacity (Gopinathan, 2007, p.67). Currently, more diversification in Singaporean education helps learners with lower grades that benefit from flexible choices and pathways. For instance, Subject-based Banding policy has played a crucial part in disassembling the old system by offering them at least seventeen options of subject combinations (Gopinathan & Mardiana, 2013, p.10).

nAlthough education policy in Singapore has reacted positively to globalization, it has however, failed to address key national interests such as patriotism and culture. In this regard, globalization has encouraged negative effects in Singaporean society. Gonathans arguments suggest that globalization has adversely affected the education policy in the country leading to economic and political challenges. More importantly, educational reforms due to internationalisation have enhanced conflicts and inequalities between cultures in the country (Gopinathan, 2007, p.56). Lee Kuan Yew recommended that education in Singapore should promote social discipline. In this regard, the country continues to suffer from lack of cohesiveness because it does not have a common tradition, history, patriotism and loyalty. Unlike social discipline of the British or the French, Singapore is missing a shared national principle, philosophy or value that can be ingrained into our society, which can drive the whole society to act and react in unison (Lee, 1966, p.3). For this reason, globalization is damaging the education system, which ultimately destroys the cohesive action of the people. Consequently, the new education system is producing divided and multi-ethnic communities in Singapore who are unable to nurture faster economic transformation. Similarly, such challenges also have led to weak political legitimacy and fragile social cohesion (Gopinathan & Mardiana, 2013, p.1).

nThe aim of the education policy in Singapore was to strengthen the social solidarity. However, the public education institutions have terribly failed to reinforce and maintain interethnic relationships in schools subsequently causing social disintegration (Gopinathan, 2007, p.59). More significantly, these challenges have been attributed to internationalisation as the country has embraced policies that encourage inequalities and individualism. Lee Kuan Yew proposed that the academic system in the country must ensure that the needs of all kinds of learners with diverse endowment are protected and nurtured. He acknowledged that students have different talents hence the learning institution must promote their wholesomeness, which he refers to as ‘true education (Lee, 1966, p.19).

nFrom the lessons, it is clear that universalism of the education system in Singapore has compromised on the quality and standards of academics especially in the state-run schools. I also learnt that the current challenge in the countrys education system lies on sustaining the high quality of education. In most cases, the academic system continue to exhibit challenges in preparing learners who are creative and innovative in order to drive desirable social and economic transformations in the nation (Gopinathan, 2007, p.61). The challenge is even compounded because the effectiveness and dedication of teachers are not guaranteed. Due to the type of recruitment that the country has embraced over the years, many teachers are discouraged to put more efforts in their work. Furthermore, globalization has encouraged the rise of international bodies such as the World Bank and demands to reduce the power and control of governments in key areas such as education and economy (Gopinathan & Mardiana, 2013, p.8). Therefore, privatization of schools has sprouted which has encouraged the movements towards academic marketization. However, this development has affected Singapores ability to promote a schooling system that relevant to the socio-economic growth.

nBased on the evidence from the report, it is apparent the Singapore education System is concentrating on economy discourse as opposed to humanity discourse. For this reason, they have abandoned social and humanity discourse, which are critical to quality education. In fact, Nussbaum (2010) in “Not for Profit” asserted that the teachers increasingly consider education as if its main objective is to teach learners to be economically productive instead of encouraging critical thinking and encourage empathetic and knowledgeable citizens. Due to globalization, I concur with her that Singapore education system currently pays more attention on profitability, which has completely ignored the capability to deliver criticisms to the authority, decreased our sympathy and spoiled out skill to handle sophisticated global problems. Most importantly, according to American scholar Nel Noddings, schools must not operate as mere factories, which concentrate on mass production of workforce. Instead of focussing on professional achievements, learning institutions must equip learners with skills they require to succeed in life as well-rounded compassionate humans (Noddings, 2014).

nEmbracing a framework formulated by UNESCO for learning on transversal competency in the Asia-Pacific Region it is obvious that the demand for soft skills is not interlinked to employability but it traverses other paths such as the humanity, the social, and the economic discourses and different perspectives including the personal, national and global ones. Occasionally, the drivers for the incorporation of soft skills into the learning system are designed upon a mixture of these perspectives and discourses. Nonetheless, researches and schools primarily concentrate on economic discourse (2013 APERI-Net, 2015).

nConclusion

nThe reaction paper demonstrates that although Singapore has done a lot in its attempt to enacting policies that respond to effects of globalization, more needs to be done to provide a curriculum that meets the market demands. For instance, it should ensure that the education system promote a sense of self-identity and nationhood which eventually leads to cohesiveness. In addition, it should continue to emphasize on a syllabi that promote entrepreneurship, innovation and creativity so that it can spur future socio-economic needs.

nReferences

n2013 Asia-Pacific Education Research Institutes Network (ERI-Net) Regional Study on Transversal Competencies In Education Policy And Practice (2015). Retrieved from http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0023/002319/231907E.pdf

nGopinathan, S. (2007). Globalisation, the Singapore developmental state and education policy: A thesis revisited. Globalisation, Societies and Education, 5(1), 53-70.

nGopinathan, S., & Mardiana, A. B. (2013). Globalization, the state and curriculum reform. In Globalization and the Singapore Curriculum (pp. 15-32). Springer Singapore.

nLee, K. Y. (1966). New bearings in our education system. Ministry of Culture.

nNussbaum, M. C. (2010). Not For Profit: Why Democracy Needs The Humanities. Princeton University Press.