Since the dawn of time, men have been seeking means to get themselves ahead, to advance beyond. For what purpose one might ask. The answer is rather straightforward; we see the need to be ahead of our competitors, to be given the chance to proof our existence. In today’s highly competitive environment, competition is abounding. How can one stay on par with the people around them? Education would most likely be the key that allows for a person to be in the zone with their competitors. Yet people are being diverted from the true aim of education, they are being drawn towards the value of the certificate, which to them shows their ability as an educated person. Although a straight “As” certificate does shows a person’s efficiency in examination and the various abilities in being able to do well, education is not all about examination. The objective of education is more than that; we should direct ourselves away from the face value of a certificate and look deeper into the other benefits of being an educated person. Thus, I would say that an examination is not the primary aim of education in Singapore.
Examinations, the word alone strikes fear into many students. Many do not know the underlining reason for having them. From young, modern students are grinded every school day for the purpose of doing well in examination. They want to do well and have a fine looking score on a piece of paper. After all, with a decent certificate, one can have some sort of esteem boost, “their existence is somewhat accepted, for they blend in well with those of the same caliber”, and be able to get a respectable job. There is of course nothing wrong with it, yet not many knows the underlining meaning of examinations. It is used as a form of quality control; after all we do live in a meritocracy society. In my humble opinion, one of the first signs of being capable is in having a certificate. Surely we do not want any “smart alec” or anyone good enough with words alone to be leading our society, do we? In reality, none can escape from the need to have a certificate. Without one, it is not going to be easy on the person’s part to proof that they are adequate for the jobs they are doing. A quote from a recent local newspaper clearly shows the reality that we live in. It says this “Anyone having keen interest in research, with the desired learning attitude, can apply for this particular job. Basic pay 6000$ . . . . . Basic requirements: PHD” end quote. This is just another one of the “sad but true” kind of scenario. Thus, it can be seen that doing well in examinations and attaining a decent certificate is undeniably a requirement of society, which imposed itself upon education.
However, if one would just ruminate a little deeper, other purposes of education would come to mind and they have little if not none in relations with examination. First of all, education is about the nourishment of the soul. This is where a person gets his values, conduct, and beliefs. Humans are social creatures, none can work alone no matter how hard they try, and we have to rely on others for our survival. Imagine the world if people are poised with prejudice against others, they know little about what’s right and wrong, they act basically by their unguided minds; should this happen, the world we live in now, would cease to exist. Taking the World War 2 as an example, Hitler is obviously erratic in his way of thinking. By misguiding his people into believing him, he caused the war and caused millions of people to die. All this, just because he wasn’t properly educated in the right sense. The moral ideals brought about by education can be seen as a critical component in ensuring our survival as a peaceful nation. Singapore, being a multiracial country has seen its days where its people turn on each other (Racial Riots). How can a country, whom people once so valiantly fought the World War 2, in a mere few years turn themselves against each other just for minor racial differences? The reason is that people are not instilled with the correct mindset about the different races. Thankfully, the problem is successfully solved by education. People are instilled with the correct mindset about different races, they no longer sees skins color at the face value, they are unarguably more tolerant to various religious practices, enjoys the company of people with different religion and ultimately sees themselves as one people, one nation, one Singapore. Singapore is once again a peaceful nation, thanks to its people who understands the racial differences, and much thanks to education.
No doubt examinations form an integral part of quality control in ensuring a meritocracy society, it cannot be seen as a main aim of education. There are matters far more critical being addressed by education like the nourishment of the soul where people get their ideal mindset, values, character from. This ensures the survival of a peaceful nation, which far surpasses the point of scoring well and attaining a certificate; We cannot accomplish anything in an unstable nation, it is only when the country is stable and fit to be called home can we progress further as a nation, as a person. Education can thus be seen as an integral part in allowing us to progress not merely for examination, but for the advancements of humans as a whole.
posted by Jun Jie @ 9:51 PM
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