Education

An American futurist Alvin Toffler notes that "we teach our kids to prepare for their careers, but one of the things we don't really do is to prepare them for future change and how to handle it"

As a quote from American futurist Alvin Toffler goes, "The illiterate of the 21st Century will not be those who cannot read or write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn and relearn."

A quote from a newspaper article interviewing Ms Indranee Rajah goes like this, " She (Ms Rajah) wants students to pursue the course that is right for them, not feel they must chase what others want and be happy with their choice"

Finland's educational policy calls for all children to be given the same opportunities

The only streaming allowed in Finland's schools are only during the age of 16

Finns have consistently performed in the top tier since the first Programme for International Student Assesment (PISA)

Reading requires a reader's focus and undivided concentration, according to the Markham Public Library's article "Top 10 Benefits of Reading for All Ages"

"A wealth of information creates a poverty of attention". This is a quote from Herbert Simon, a American political scientist in 1977. 

As Jennifer Oaten, a principal writes, and I paraphrase, "Every time they see an update on social media, their attention is drawn away from what they should be concentrating on."

As Mr Heng Swee Keat believes, and I quote from an article interviewing him, "Innovation, creativity, social skills, and the ability to learn on the job will be skills demanded even more in the years to come". 

Statistics from the United States Department of Labour shows that for full-time workers in 2017, weekly average wages for those with no degree was $515, followed by high school graduates at $717, and $1,189 for bachelor’s degree holders. Those with graduate degrees made an average of $1,451.

A research done by UNICEF, a United Nations agency, shows that communities with high rates of education for both genders, gender-based violence is lower. Educated persons are more likely to support gender equality, and are more likely to take efforts to stop and prevent gender-based or domestic violence. Communities that value so education for both genders are less likely to have instances of terrorist attacks on girls schools.

According to UNESCO, another United Nations agency, if all students in low-income countries had just basic reading skills, an estimated 171 million people could escape extreme poverty. If all adults completed secondary education, we could cut the global poverty rate by more than half.

4. 20% of South Korean youth are NEET, with university participation rates as high as 80%

A research paper co-authored by Nobel-Prize winning economist James Heckman found that traits like perseverance, diligence and self-discipline can lead to success, while IQ only accounts for 1-2% of income differences

Career guidance: But while most adult users (70%) experienced an improvement to their employment, education or training status within six months of receiving guidance, only 22% said that guidance was useful in achieving that outcome. 

Psychologist David Kobb describes experiential learning as the process whereby knowledge is created through the transformation of experience. Knowledge results from the combinations of grasping and transforming the experience, which promotes creativity, understanding and improved attitudes towards learning

(Racism) For example, in the United States, there has been a movement towards implementing "culturally responsive" and "social justice" education, which aims to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in the classroom. In the state of Minnesota, a new social studies curriculum was developed in 2020 that explicitly addresses issues of racism and inequality. The curriculum emphasises the history and contributions of diverse groups, including Indigenous peoples, African Americans, and Latinx communities, and encourages students to critically examine systems of power and privilege.

(Sexism, Racism) Similarly, in the field of science education, there has been a push to promote diversity and equity by addressing the underrepresentation of women and minorities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. Initiatives such as the "Million Women Mentors" program aim to provide mentorship and support to girls and women interested in STEM fields, while programs like "Black Girls Code" work to provide coding and technology education to young women of colour. 

NUS Institute of Systems Science launched blended learning programmes that allow learners to apply their skills through a dynamic online platform. They also work with partners like GovTech Singapore and Visa to help its individuals acquire the necessary skills to support digital transformation.

According to Entrepreneur.com, the knowledge retention rate for those who experienced traditional learning was only 5%, whereas for experiential learning, it could be as much as 90%. Though this applies to adult employees, it can also be valid in showing how experiential learning can benefit students' learning much more.

Helping individuals to get the right qualifications: In Singapore, we have to take both the GCE O-Level and A-Level examinations which are both recognised worldwide as qualifications to colleges and universities not only nationwide, but also internationally.