I've been hearing a lot of debate regarding the education system in Singapore recently as it's nearing graduation. Here's my brief opinion. In a Slide Deck

1. 3 Beliefs Of
success
a Singaporean Perspective

2. el ie f# 1
B
knowledge
is measured by
good grades

3. I’m from
Singapore

4. ave
weh world-class
education

5. LIKE MANY OTHER COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD.....
we are
mostly
measured
by grades

6. we choose either
polytechnic or junior college
at tertiary level

7. grading system
gpa grading vs a levels

8. teaching approach
pragmatic vs academic
(preparing for the workforce) (preparing for further education)

9. university admission
10%-15% vs 60%-80%
estimate* estimate*
(with tons trying to get in)

10. examination approach
academic = academic

11. NOT HOW WELL..
YOU DRAW YOU SPEAK
YOU PROGRAM YOU WRITE
YOU APPLY THEORY TO LIFE

12. but how well..
Y ou Me morize
& RE GURGITATE

13. is this culture
what we want?

14. 45 percent
during their first two years in college.
showed no improvement in critical thinking,
complex reasoning or written communication
Source: Academically Adrift
(based on u.s students)

15. what are we
really GOING FOR?

16. Ask not..
what do
i want to do

17. Ask...
W H O
what do
i want to do BE

18. knowledge
is measured by
good grades
W isdom

19. e lie f# 2
B
everything is
uniform

20. we believe there is a
fixed path for every
career

21. “While everything changes,
Everything remains the same.”
-Aristotle

22. the path to success:
jc/poly -> uni -> work -> success
start end

23. there isn’t one
jc/poly -> uni -> work -> success
t
starage end
aver great

24. “ you must
get a degree!
it’s the only way ”
- The Bimbo Singaporean

25. when you
look fOR
A JOB

26. when you PURSUE
higher
education

27. grades
appear to be
a requisite

28. You n
eed t
hat
piec
e
PAP of
to p
ER
rov
e yo
ur w
ort
Do you really?
h

29. “ Don’t Kay Kiang
study hard
and find a job ”
- The Bimbo Singaporean
Kay Kiang: Hokkien phrase which translates as "acting smart". It is usually used to describe
someone as biting off more than one can chew - to be acting smarter than one actually is.

30. oh wait
that didn’t
stop them

31. “The ones who are crazy enough
to think that they can change the
world, are the ones who do.”
-Steve Jobs

32. LIfe’s too short to
follow the
status quo

33. make your own
path

34. be disru ptive
while you’re at it
!

35. sub-par grades
are not
the end

36. "You can make more money on
average if you go to college, but
it's not true for everybody,"
- Richard Freeman
Harvard Economist
Source: ABC Action News

37. EMBRACE YOUR
STRENGTHS

38. STAND OUT
OF THE CROWD

39. “Don't aim for success
if you want it; just
do what you love and
believe in, and it will
come naturally.”
- David Frost

40. everything is
uniform
g
ch angin

41. e lie f# 3
B
your jobs
determine
your success

42. we forgo our passions
the dollar

43. DOING THINGS WE
DISLIKE

44. LEARNING THINGS WE
NEVER USE

45. “ aim for an office job
they are stable ”
- The Bimbo Singaporean

46. STARING AT SUCCESS
THIS EVERYDAY

47. but cubicles sure
are stable

48. “It's not how much money
we make that ultimately
makes us happy between
nine and five. It's whether
or not our work fulfills us.”
-Malcolm Gladwell

49. YOUR JOB DOES NOT
DEFINE YOU

50. “Your time is limited, so don't
waste it living someone else's life.”
- Steve Jobs

51. e li e f# 3 attitude
B
your jobs
determine
your success

52. do yourself a
favour

53. CHASE YOUR OWN
DREAMS
& Not Someone Else’s Ideals

54. YOU REALLY
DESERVE IT

55. 1. REMEMBER THAT
kNOWLEDGE IS MEASURED BY WISDOM
2. BECAUSE
in this age, EVERYTHING IS CHANGING
3. AND AS SUCH
ATTITUDE DETERMINES YOUR SUCCESS

56. “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our
deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is
our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.”
- Marrianne Williamson

57. THANK YOU
image cREDITS
Institute for the Study of Labor
Wikimedia Commons
The Stock.Xchange
info sources
ABC Action News
Academically Adrift

58. LET’S CONNECT
EUGENE CHENG
itseugene.me
gplus.to/itseugene
/itseugenedesign
@itseugenec
/in/itseugene

59. Click Here to
download
For a Tweet