By Christine Mechtler
Senior Minister of State for Education, Indranee Rajah said private tuition is not necessary in Singapore’s education system.
Ms Indranee said: “The key to that is the parents’ mindset and belief. We hope the message will get out to parents, not to pile on unnecessary tuition onto their students.”
Revamp the entire education system along social principles. We want the Scandinavian model. We also want free education for everyone, from pre-school through undergraduate or polytechnic or ITE. We want smaller class sizes and ideally teachers who follow the same class for at least three years from Primary 1 to 3 so they can really get to know the students and guide them.
Eliminate state funds for elite or “independent” schools if these still exist. You want to be elite and atas and independent, prove your independence; pay your own way. Don’t be so cheap-skate and expect the rest of us to subsidise you. Do Eton or Harvard get money from their governments? These funds should be used for those neighbourhood schools that cater to everyone. We bought into your story during our development phase that money is tight and we need to concentrate resources on the “smart” for best outcome. We see now that it is a lie, that it is actually to cement the status of those who “make it”. So, use that money for social purposes. Education is a social good and a social leveler and needs to be funded that way.