No I am not saying that I hate the PAP but as I listen more and more the political debates posted on CNA, one question comes to mind: how grounded are our leaders?
We are seeing an attempt to field more untested candidates who have upon introduction incurred the ire of the public. How well does this bode? Can these candidates have the mandate of the electorate? I sincerely doubt it.
Being in the UK, I watch as people riot against the austerity cuts and shaking my head at times in disbelief on how extreme people can be. The cuts makes sense, the cuts are needed, your economy is so bloated that I am surprise how enlightened intellects can think that the cuts are not necessary. Whether it is distribute or placed in the best possible manner, we know not. But one thing struck me as I was reading the newspaper the other day, David Cameron, from Eton, is sending his kids to a public school, not to one of those famed private we read about from Roald Dahl but public school. What significance does that make you ask? It means he trust the public education system.
Why does it matter here in Singapore then you may ask? Well the equivalent of Eton would be RI, HCI and other independent schools. With more funds they can choose to attract staff via pay. Surely they are geared to be better facilitied to have better education and opportunities. Yet our PM says that it matters not. You get a chance no matter which school you go to in Singapore. Why then do we have so much excessive streaming and division of school into bands. This runs contrary to his claims. Most importantly, you realise that none, if any, of their kids are being schooled in a non-independent school (the Lees that is). How can you be so sure then? Look at the population dynamics of the undergraduates; how many of them come from RJ and HC? Even here in Imperial, those who could afford to come comes from well to do families, coming from independent schools. Even rarer are those from polytechnic. There is certainly a distinction in which school you go and the education you can receive from each of them. So stop saying that it does matter and keeping using examples to bolster your statement. The realities on the ground show otherwise. If turning independent is not so attractive, why then do so many OVA members lament at us missing the opportunity to turn independent.
My dearest PM, is our education playing field that leveled?
-wonght
My humblest opinions.
