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Exploring closer Singapore-India education links

Vani Doraisamy

Singapore's Minister for EducationTharman Shanmugaratnamis in Chennai to explore the possibilities for linkages with Indian educational institutions. In an interview, Mr. Shanmugaratnam lists out potential areas that could be mutually enriching for both the countries. Excerpts:

— Photo: V. Ganesan.

Tharman Shanmugaratnam: "We are entering a new phase in Singapore-India relations."

The purpose of your visit to India has been to look at areas of potential collaboration in education between the countries. What are the thrust areas you are looking at?

We are entering a new phase in Singapore-India relations. Trade with India is growing faster than with any other country, even China.

Though Singapore investments here are escalating, we want to look at bettering other relationships too, apart from just economic and industrial. We are keen on encouraging substantive programmes in Indian higher educational institutions, especially those in Chennai such as the IIT, Madras University, and Anna University. We already have some programmes going at IIT Mumbai, and IIT Madras is exploring the possibility of a joint PhD programme.

Apart from universities, another potential area for collaboration would be at the polytechnic level, the fulcrum of our education, where the highest numbers of those leaving our high schools go. We have just begun exploring links in this area with both India and China.

The third area would be schools where we are now talking about structured programmes but would need to facilitate a lot more interaction amongst the schools themselves. Our job would be to link up the schools and then get them to know one another. Collaboration would be possible, though not in curriculum synchronisation, in areas such as community services and services learning. It has to proceed by its own momentum. For our principals, India is a new territory and they are keen to link up for a two-way flow.

Another area where schools could collaborate is sports as it is easy to get kids to learn together. Student leadership development and cultural exchanges are other potential areas for interaction.

What are the challenges that the Singapore system of education is facing at present?

One area of weakness we are seeking to address is the very Asian focus on examination as a motivator for learning. Our admission requirements to our junior high schools, senior high schools, and universities are being reformed so that some schools can now select students outside the national examinations by examining various other kinds of merits.

We are also opening up more side-doors for those with special talents — people who are good at things outside their studies — to make our education broad-based and holistic. It is a little sensitive, so we are moving in careful steps but steps that are bold enough to be noticed by parents.

Have these changes been quantified at the policy level?

Yes, 20 per cent of admissions to our universities is now discretionary. A group of 11 secondary schools following an integrated programme is allowed 50 per cent discretionary admissions. While independent schools are allowed 20 per cent, for autonomous schools it would be 10 per cent. Starting next January, we will be allowing government schools to put up a proposal to the Ministry [of Education] for five per cent discretionary admissions in their niche area of excellence. Another challenge is to achieve a match between academic achievement and character development. The last challenge would be to have a curriculum that would cater to different kinds of students and institutionalise different methods of learning that would maximise and unlock their potential.

What is the proportion of your GDP that goes towards educational spending?

About four per cent. Defence comes at five per cent, the highest component. Health and education continue to be top priorities. There is no free education as such though heavy subsidies and bursaries are in place. Singapore education is entirely government-funded and there is no private education stream. We allow some independent schools to charge higher fees to improve resources. But that does not mean any compromise on the delivery of education. Some of our average, mainstream government schools can compare to or better what the West has to offer. We have never been fiscally constrained in spending on education.

Is there a correlation between the number of graduates that come out of your educational institutions and the jobs they can hope to find?

The market now realises how important technical education is and our growing economy has been able to absorb quite a few graduates. However, the challenge is to realise that education does not pay off in the short-term, only in the long-term. To achieve a match between different requirements, for example, from next year on, our new `A' level curriculum would require a student taking up one curriculum — say in the sciences — to also do a subject in a contrasting curriculum, for example, the arts.

One of the challenges a country like India faces, at least at the primary school level, is to first get the child to school and then retain him or her. What is Singapore's experience on this?

Thankfully, we have been helped by our smaller size and declining enrolments is not a problem. We have made it compulsory for every child to be enrolled in primary school. We even go by birth records to achieve this. Social counsellors visit every family persuading them to enrol children in schools and, after a point, we even get tough with those parents who resist. We also ensure that children with severe disabilities are enrolled in special schools. The basic premise is to ensure that students are given something they can cope with and do well.

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Exploring closer Singapore-India education links

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