Meritocracy In Singapore Education Essay
Meritocracy has been Singapore’s core governing value ever since its independence in 1965. It refers to a system that rewards individuals with economic and social accolades based on their own abilities and achievements. In Singapore, meritocracy is largely associated with academic achievements. Theoretically, implementing the meritocratic system in the Singapore education system is supposed to help students compete in school on an equal footing by granting equal opportunities to everyone regardless of their social and economic backgrounds. However, in today’s society where the issue of income inequality is prevalent, practicing meritocracy in the Singapore education system no longer ensures fairness. It is no doubt that the meritocratic system advocates a fiercer competition amongst students in school and motivates them to work harder. The success of meritocracy in Singapore’s education system can be seen in the 1970s whereby it …show more content…
As the system of meritocracy rewards students who do exceptionally well in their academics, it grants them the opportunity of entering elite schools such as Raffles Institution and Nanyang Girl’s High. However, there are many students in these elite schools who got in not because of their academic capabilities alone but because of advantages such as their affluent family backgrounds and financial capabilities. In a news report in 2011, Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew shared some statistics to show how privileged students with parents who are university graduates are more likely to enter elite schools. For instance, 71.9% of the students in ACS (Independent) have parents who are university graduates. In contrast, in neighborhood schools such as Bukit Merah Secondary School, only 8.9% of the students have parents who are university graduates. This goes to show how family backgrounds have a correlation with a student’s
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