Tan Choon Seng

Group CEO
WBL Corporation (Wearnes)
MANY Singapore-bred business leaders have benefited
from the countrys system of meritocracy and have
risen through the ranks, regardless of their alma
mater. In our selection of new employees, our
preference is always for those who project a good work
attitude and are a good fit to our corporate values. A
candidates previous work experience and academic
achievements can only provide insights into his/her
potential to contribute to the company.
A shift in focus to a more rounded education system
would put our youths in better stead to compete for jobs
in an increasingly globalised economy.
Madhu Verma
Founder
SoCh in Action
DOING away with the Secondary School Banding
System is a positive step towards ensuring that the
Singapore education system stays competitive and
relevant. The future realities and challenges that our
children will face will be very different from ours today.
Skills in maths, science, and languages are important
but these alone would not guarantee success for the
next generation. Creativity and character are as
essential. Unless the academic pressure moves away
from strictly favouring grades and exams, there is very
little room for these to shine and be nurtured.
Through our work with children, we have had the
privilege of seeing nine- to 14-year-olds rising to the
challenge of addressing real community problems. We
have witnessed that when children are encouraged to
think, express their thoughts freely, and act by choice,
they can bring fresh perspectives and solutions to
problems that we adults tend to overlook or
undervalue.
Well-designed activities like service learning and
creative arts support better learning, and they should
be woven into the fabric of our childrens education,
either through policy changes to improve the current
system or through collaborative programmes by the
private sector and social enterprises.
Parents, too, play a key role and should be regularly
consulted as changes are being defined and
implemented. We all have a stake in the future of our
children, and by inspiring them to be the change they
would like to see in the world, we will see them succeed
and achieve their true potential.
Deb Loveridge
Managing Director
Randstad
RECENT changes to the education system, such as
plans for a Student-Centric, Values-Driven Education,
are an important step in Singapores continuous effort
to ensure a high-quality and high-class education
system.
To support these changes, business leaders and
families also need to change the mindset that certain
academic qualifications guarantee better-paying jobs. If
our business community does not embrace this change,
we run the risk of having a group of graduates with
impressive paper qualifications but who may lack
softer qualities such as creativity and initiative. It will
be the ones with well-rounded talent who will help fuel
Singapores business growth aspirations.
Thirumalai Chandroo
Chairman/CEO
Modern Montessori International Group
WHILE Singapore is determined to transform its
educative system and focus on delivering a more
rounded education, there is still a need for alteration in
the mindset of parents and teachers to look beyond just
examination and grades.
To support education change that transcends school
improvements, quality teaching and increased openness
to knowledge, the development of student aptitude and
creative potential should be enhanced. Both parents
and teachers should create an environment enabling a
strong foundation in the development of independent
thinking, grace and courteousness in social skills and
free exploration of the environment. The aim should be
to encourage students in building and developing their
abilities, fostering confidence and care for the
community in order to cope with the ever-evolving
education modes in the 21st century.
Scott Burnett
Managing Director-South East Asia
Towers Watson
A STRONG focus on academic excellence is an issue
common to any society which prizes achievements.
However, a well-rounded education is not just about
academic achievements and ranking. A holistic
education system should encourage sharing of new
ideas and healthy debate. It should inculcate thinking
and problem-solving skills, as well as spur creativity
and innovation in the future workforce of Singapore.
High levels of numeracy coupled with diverse
vocational courses help to develop a wide portfolio of
practical skills to suit the needs of the industry. For
Singapore to maintain and increase its standard of
living for its next generation, it would need to continue
to add more value to the goods and services it produces
compared to its peers. Singapore should continue to
improve its world-class educational system by moving
the needle on its vocational standards, strengthening
the teaching profession and its overall approach by
ensuring that all students, local or foreign, have easier
access to greater choices of education which are suited
to their interests, needs and talents.
Julian Quinn
Vice President, Asia Pacific
Adobe Systems Incorporated
I GREW up in Singapore and went to primary school
here. The changes weve seen in the always-advancing
national education system are just phenomenal and
have helped make Singapore the envy of the region in
this respect. The recently-announced changes are
evident that the governments direction for education is
evolving to meet the needs of both students and the
industry.
With the wide array of gadgets in everyday use now
and the increased reliance on technology, employers
are looking for more than just academic success. There
is now a great emphasis placed on how adept students
are in the 3Cs Creativity, Communication and
Collaboration. However, not only do we need to instil
this with students, but we also need to ensure that our
educators are well-equipped as they play a vital role in
moulding our students.
Businesses can definitely do more to contribute to
this. Here at Adobe, we work very closely with leading
education institutions in Singapore and across the
region by providing the tools to develop the critical
digital communication and creativity skills needed in
todays workforce. Im inspired every time I visit one of
our school customers to see the amazing ways in which
students and teachers use our technology to work
collaboratively, communicate their ideas, and create
fresh and wonderful new things.
Patrick Liew
CEO
HSR Global Ltd
AS a company that houses Junior Achievement, a
world-renowned charity organisation that trains young
people in life skills, we believe that educating the young
cannot be relegated purely to parents and teachers. We
in the private sector can and should play our part in
helping them to inculcate values of a responsible citizen
and member of society.
We can help the teachers and complement the
curriculum by training the young in work-readiness,
entrepreneurship, financial literacy, and other skills so
as to to help them capitalise on opportunities in the
21st century. We can bring to them real-world
experience and wisdom through a variety of projects
and programmes. As volunteers, we can organise
practical and hands-on workshops as a part of
classroom lessons or co-curricular activities. We can
also arrange internships and job-shadow programmes
to help the young understand the realities of the
working world.
In addition, we can conduct leadership and business
training, projects and competitions to enhance their
knowledge, skills and behaviour. To help them expand
their potential and develop their competence, we can
also work with them to co-create new concepts, ideas
and solutions.
We believe that the young have tremendous
potential for creativity, innovation and action. When the
private sector works closely with the schools, we can
help to unleash and channel their energy for the good
of the community and groom them to become better
leaders in the future.
Patrick Liew is also the Chairman for Junior
Achievement (Singapore).
Ronald Lee
Managing Director
PrimeStaff Management Services Pte Ltd
WHILE Singapores education system has been lauded
by some global education experts for its high standards,
it has certainly encountered its fair share of criticism
too. These changes are a good starting point as there
has been a glitch in the system for far too long a great
imbalance that focused too much on academic
achievement. Abolishing the academic banding will go
some way towards creating a more balanced system.
However, what is of greater importance is ensuring
that the curriculum incorporates a greater emphasis on
character-building to create truly well-rounded
individuals. There also needs to be a paradigm shift
within the family support system; away from piling on
tuition and supplementary classes to more activities
that help build character and values, such as doing
volunteer and charity work together as a family.
Businesses can contribute to this transformation by
skewing their hiring policies towards a stronger
emphasis on recruiting individuals with a more
well-rounded background, such as fresh graduates who
excelled in co-curricular activities as well as candidates
who complement their professional accomplishments
with volunteer work.
Continued on Page 16
FILE PHOTO
Educating for the future
THIS WEEKS TOPIC:
Are the recently announced changes sufficient to achieve the transformation of Singapores education system or
does more need to be done? How can businesses and families contribute to this transformation?
14 VIEWS FROM THE TOP The Business Times, Monday, September 24, 2012