Ong Ye Kung clearly did not receive the memo to speak plainly.
To wit, Ong visited the Swiss, fawned over their education system, and suggested importing particular aspects of their system.
In a three page borefest, Kelly Ng of Todayonline notes:
Here we go again with that "multiple pathway to success". You know why Swiss society can celebrate "many forms of achievements and success"?
Because of substantial income equality. For example a postal worker in Switzerland makes an average annual income of S$90,335. A teacher? S$118,684. A doctor? S$149,202.
Yes, doctors and lawyers still make more. But not that much more. And their post-tax income would in fact be comparable due to the high income taxes. The Swiss also have a minimum wage.
To speak plainly, this means that, for the Swiss, what you study, and where you went to school, is much less high stakes. No matter your job or vocation, you can experience a reasonable quality of life, that is not too disparate from your neighbors. This in turn provides dignity. It is easy to see how Swiss society is able to celebrate "many forms of achievements and success".
On the other hand, let's look at the situation in Singapore.
Annual income
Doctors (Specialist) - S$340,956
Train Captain (SMRT) - S$23,000 - S$42,480 (max)
For one living on 23k a year (before CPF mind you), dignity is not really a word that comes to mind when you think about the "lifestyle" one can afford with that pay.
After all that rhetoric about changing the Singapore education system, the article by Kelly does not once mention the issue of income disparity. Not even once. It is telling isn't it?
This is the classic cart-horse issue. The Swiss' egalitarian society shapes its education system, not the other way round. Adopting the Swiss education system but retaining SG income disparity will do a grand total of jackshit. Parents (and children alike) are still going to fight tooth and nail, and stress out over every last mark in a test, so that they are more likely to land a 300k a year job than a 20k a year one.
That said, it must be confessed that I prefer the current Singapore system. Competitive. High stakes. Merciless. After all, what is the point of working your ass off if it does not provide you an edge over the rest.
In fact, what I am more worried about is the G ultimately capitulating to all the SJWs like Prof Teo and start pandering to populist tax policies (and by populist tax policies i mean taxing the rich).
If (when?) that happens, it would be great if I had already FI-ed. You won't catch me working 50-60 hour weeks just so that Mrs-my-husband-does-not-work-housewife can have her fifth child and then cry for State help.
To wit, Ong visited the Swiss, fawned over their education system, and suggested importing particular aspects of their system.
In a three page borefest, Kelly Ng of Todayonline notes:
He noted the Swiss system’s emphasis on vocational training and “alternate pathways” for nurturing talent have created a more egalitarian society — one where parents and children pick either the academic or apprenticeship route based on a child’s interests, talent and aptitudes.
The Swiss society also “embraces and celebrates many forms of achievements and success”, said Mr Ong.
Here we go again with that "multiple pathway to success". You know why Swiss society can celebrate "many forms of achievements and success"?
Because of substantial income equality. For example a postal worker in Switzerland makes an average annual income of S$90,335. A teacher? S$118,684. A doctor? S$149,202.
Yes, doctors and lawyers still make more. But not that much more. And their post-tax income would in fact be comparable due to the high income taxes. The Swiss also have a minimum wage.
To speak plainly, this means that, for the Swiss, what you study, and where you went to school, is much less high stakes. No matter your job or vocation, you can experience a reasonable quality of life, that is not too disparate from your neighbors. This in turn provides dignity. It is easy to see how Swiss society is able to celebrate "many forms of achievements and success".
On the other hand, let's look at the situation in Singapore.
Annual income
Doctors (Specialist) - S$340,956
Train Captain (SMRT) - S$23,000 - S$42,480 (max)
For one living on 23k a year (before CPF mind you), dignity is not really a word that comes to mind when you think about the "lifestyle" one can afford with that pay.
After all that rhetoric about changing the Singapore education system, the article by Kelly does not once mention the issue of income disparity. Not even once. It is telling isn't it?
This is the classic cart-horse issue. The Swiss' egalitarian society shapes its education system, not the other way round. Adopting the Swiss education system but retaining SG income disparity will do a grand total of jackshit. Parents (and children alike) are still going to fight tooth and nail, and stress out over every last mark in a test, so that they are more likely to land a 300k a year job than a 20k a year one.
That said, it must be confessed that I prefer the current Singapore system. Competitive. High stakes. Merciless. After all, what is the point of working your ass off if it does not provide you an edge over the rest.
In fact, what I am more worried about is the G ultimately capitulating to all the SJWs like Prof Teo and start pandering to populist tax policies (and by populist tax policies i mean taxing the rich).
If (when?) that happens, it would be great if I had already FI-ed. You won't catch me working 50-60 hour weeks just so that Mrs-my-husband-does-not-work-housewife can have her fifth child and then cry for State help.
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