A TED Speech on Education
Sir Ken Robinson, the educational legend on TED, made a popular speech named The Educational Death Valley. In his humorous speech, he spelled out three conditions under which humans, and more specifically children, can flourish. Firstly, humans must be allowed to develop in diversity, not conformity. Secondly, humans learn the best when they are curious. Thirdly, humans are inherently creative and are capable of individual expressions. Then he went on to explain why the current American education system is not conducive for the three conditions to exist. Too much focus on standardized test 'standardizes' children, teaching without inciting curiosity is not educating, and the overall schooling atmosphere also does not encourage creativity from children. Borrowing example from Finland, he advocated individualized teaching and decentralization of curriculum designing.
His speech has much to offer for the Singapore education system as well. Though our education system may not be as problematic as that of America that suffers from insufficient funding and high dropout rate, we definitely have a long way to go before we satisfy our parents who have voiced out a series of concerns in education forums in Singapore. The way to move forward can be guided by Robinson three conditions for human development.
Diversity, not conformity
First, we need to recognize that students are diverse and different. As Robinson argues, not even children from the same family are alike, not to mention children from families across the nation. If students are different, we need to provide opportunities for them to develop differently and let their differences be seen and be appreciated. The Singapore education system certainly provides such channels. The Humanities Programs that enable students to develop differently from the more popular science stream. The Direct School Admissions scheme recognizes students based on their non-academic talents. However, the problem is that those channels do not reach out to sufficiently large number of students. Various schemes, such as the ones mentioned above, are (highly) exclusive, allowing only students who are cream of the crop in certain areas to benefit. We do not wish to make them into so-called 'gifted programs' for special students. We want them to appeal to common students who are different not because they are experts in certain talents, but because they have different interests, hobbies or 'ways of spending their time'. Hence, the present system needs to focus more on diversity than prestige. When one day alternative programs become the norm, our education system is truly diverse.
Curiosity, our natural ability
Second, we need to recognize that children are innately curious. They like to ask questions and they want to know why. Our system does not do a particularly good job in maintaining, not to mention arousing, the curiosity of students. One major reason is heavy emphasis on standardized test as early as in primary schools. The imminence of the PSLE is constantly at the back of students' mind. Hence each lesson may become preparation for exams. Students may be satisfied with having standard answers from tutors. That can be seen from students furiously copying answers written by tutors on the boards without asking a single question. Memorization-regurgitation approach is even adopted in learning sciences, where logical thinking is essential. With such an educational environment, it is not surprising to see students losing their curiosity as they grow in knowledge. However, how can one create new knowledge without a sense of wonder and an intuitive understanding that is a fertile ground for so many university research projects or private R&D effort? If Singapore wants to develop its original talents in various areas, it must maintain the curiosity of students.
Let creative juices flow
Lastly, we need to recognize that students are inherently creative. The small size of our nation is not an excuse for lack of creative people. In fact, many small countries in Europe are actually powerhouses of creativity, contributing an amazing array of artistic output. The problem with Singapore's arts scene is multi-prone. First, Singapore's education has a heavier emphasis on sciences. Chemistry and math are much more popular programs than humanities. In fact, some schools have closed down their English literature course due to low intake. Second, we certainly have arts programs, but they are more of enrichment than of serious pursuit. For many Asian parents, studying engineering or business is still the safest way to earn a living, while arts can be pursued as a personal hobby. Many students give in to such parental wishes at the juncture of applying for university. Third, the general population is also not enthusiastic about arts, as seen from the under-utilization of museums that are more like tourist spots. This leads to a small market for professional artists. Hence, to improve the arts scene, the government needs to provide more funding to arts programs, more scholarship to talented students and create more arts related jobs to expand the market. General education of arts, such as arts festivals, can also be conducted at the community level, so that the works of our artists can be brought closer to Singaporeans.
For Robinson, no matter how stifled an education system is, the potential of students is always there. Even if the system is like the Death Valley, life can still emerge and flourish once appropriate amount of rain falls on it. The Singapore education system is by no means like the Death Valley, and our criticism of the system is more for improving it for perfection instead of salvaging it from hopeless ruin. Singapore has been consistently ranked one of the top destinations for education, and we need to live up to the reputation. While so many countries are trying to upgrade or reform their education systems, we should not sit on our laureate. Robinson’s speech is a timely reminder of what we are falling short of.
Check out the Tedtalk below!
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