Famous painter, inventor and Renaissance man, Leonardo Da Vinci once said about knowledge and application:
I have been impressed with the urgency of doing. Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Being willing is not enough; we must do.
Singapore started as a major British port before the Second World War. But Britain eventually got out, and closed its base, leaving Singapore in terrible economic shape. Facing severe unemployment and a housing crisis, Singapore embarked on a modernization programme that focused on establishing a manufacturing industry, developing large public housing estates, and investing heavily in public education.
Fast forward five decades, and Singapore has become one of the best performing economies in the entire world, made possible on the strength of education and training.
If Singapore’s rags-to-riches transition was built on education, the secret of its education system is the quality of its teachers. They have a system of sourcing their teachers from among the best kids coming out of their high schools. And this is what they teach their students.
Knowledge isn’t Enough, You Must Apply!
One thing they make clear to them is that the world economy no longer rewards people just for what they know. Google knows everything! The world economy rewards people for what they can do with what they know. The emphasis on the application – the creative use of knowledge – is very strong in Singapore and other Asian countries.
Confidence is also a big part of their education, and the earlier a child starts to learn that, the better. Because when you have a very confident child, that child’s confidence will carry him or her through school as well. Not only do you want a child that is smart, you also want a child who is resilient (that can cope with failure, and bounce back from set-backs).
What Next?
It starts with everyone (the child, the parents, and the government) prioritizing education. This is a matter of priorities, and this is evident across all tiers of public policy in Singapore. Education ALWAYS comes first, because that is the future!
Hence, in Singapore, what you get is world-class education for every child, and that means moving on from rote learning to encouraging creativity. Little wonder they have the brightest high school students in the world!
