Meritocracy in Singapore: Quiz & Flashcards

Meritocracy in Singapore is a system of advancement based on talent, achievement, and effort rather than family background or social class.
Meritocracy can lead to structural disadvantage and justify that disadvantage, causing forms of resentment, populism, and uprisings.
The first encounter with the word meritocracy was during schooling, where success led to better opportunities.
Meritocracy originated in Imperial China to select capable people for the government, separate from the aristocracy.
In England during the 19th century, meritocracy was introduced to challenge the old nepotistic elite through exams and mass education.
Scholarships introduced in Singapore around the 1880s offered opportunities for further studies, leading to rapid advancement for some communities.
Colonial education in Singapore was uneven, with some schools receiving funding while others relied on community support.
Post-World War II, Singapore aimed for equal treatment and minimum education standards, providing free primary education for all children in the 1950s.
Singapore's free education policy led to a generation of Singaporeans moving up in their careers and in life before independence in 1965.- The speaker grew up in a humble background, with a father who was a taxi driver and a mother who was a teacher.
He benefited from a meritocratic system that chose people based on their capacity rather than financial resources.
Meritocracy has been a key pillar of Singapore's governing philosophy for about 60 years.
Meritocracy was intended to be the engine of opportunity and equality, but it has led to social stratification.
Those who have done well in the meritocratic system are able to give their children a better starting point than those who haven't.
High quality preschool education is vital in nurturing a child's learning potential.
The elite outcompete the rest of society in education, leading to a cycle of privilege being passed down through generations.
Families from low-income backgrounds may struggle to afford preschool education.
The government has made efforts in recent years to improve the accessibility, affordability, and quality of preschool education.
Singapore's meritocratic system often sorts students based on their family background rather than their individual merit.
Social networks matter for good jobs and career progression.
There is growing concern about a lack of social interaction among students from varying socioeconomic backgrounds within schools.
Streaming in the education system began in the late 1970s to address identified shortcomings in Singapore's education system.
The Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) is a high-stakes national exam that determines access to diverse secondary school pathways.
Parents are heavily involved in their children's education, often engaging tuition and enrichment classes to help them excel.
The Ministry of Education encourages greater parental involvement in children's education.
Students in less privileged families may struggle to keep up with their peers due to lack of resources and support.
The subject-based banding program aims to increase interaction and learning between students of different strengths and interests.
Efforts are being made to broaden the definition of merit and value different forms of intelligence and contribution.
The meritocratic system can be gamed by those with means, leaving children from less well-off backgrounds behind.
The best schools are often those steeped in Chinese culture, making enrollment a strict criterion.
The Special Assistance Plan (SAP) schools were introduced in 1978 to ensure a strong workforce conversant in Mandarin as China was seen as a rising superpower.- speaker recalls having Indian and Malay classmates in school who took Mandarin as a mother tongue language
very few non-Chinese students in Chinese education schools, leading to racial homogeneity
lack of awareness and understanding among students about different communities and cultures
call for schools to be more inclusive and allow enrollment for students who do not take Chinese as a mother tongue
meritocratic system in Singapore draws lines between communities, and who gets into Elite universities determines societal structure
students are obsessed with getting good grades as they believe it is their ticket to success
Harvard, Princeton, Yale, Stanford, MIT and other reputable universities in the US and UK effectively decide who gets ahead in America and Singapore
elite education leads to stress and anxiety among students, with some experiencing clinical symptoms of anxiety or depression
speaker runs a social service agency, Campus PSI, to support young people struggling with mental health issues
academic stress is a top concern, leading students to seek professional help if it affects their daily lives
anonymous confessions from secondary school students on Instagram about stress and feeling like they let down their parents
meritocratic competition continues in the workforce, with constant pressure to succeed and out-compete others
parents mobilize their social networks to help their kids secure meaningful internships, disadvantaging students from families without similar resources
call for meritocracy to be complemented by other methods and programs to ensure students from different backgrounds have equal opportunities to gain work experience and context before graduating
mentorship is a valuable support system for students at different levels, providing guidance and clarity
meritocracy is an individualistic model of achievement with a tendency to believe success is entirely self-made
call for empathy and compassion towards those who do not have the same opportunities or privileges, and re-examining the values meritocracy instills in citizens.