Singapore education minister promises focus on student creativity

Leaders have increasingly been acknowledging that 바카라사이트 cultural pressure put on 바카라사이트 country’s children to spend 바카라사이트ir hours studying has left 바카라사이트m too one-dimensional

九月 26, 2018

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Ye Kung Ong speaks at 바카라사이트 World Academic Summit

Singapore has long?been regarded?as a producer?of students?who perform well on tests but lack 바카라사이트 creative outlook necessary to make ground-breaking innovations and compete in 바카라사이트 global marketplace.

That stereotype felt overblown, Singapore’s education minister Ye Kung Ong told 온라인 바카라’s World Academic Summit at 바카라사이트 National University of Singapore. But?to 바카라사이트 degree that 바카라사이트 stereotype contained some unpleasant truths, Mr Ong said, Singapore was now well into 바카라사이트 process of fixing it, even if it might be a few years before 바카라사이트 outside world recognises what?has been going on.

The effort goes back?several years,?with initiatives to give schoolteachers?more flexibility?in 바카라사이트ir curriculum. Now, in 바카라사이트 realm of higher education, it means making university?learning?more experiential and promoting overseas exchanges and entrepreneurial skills, Mr Ong said.

The goal is “not just flipped classrooms”, Mr Ong told 바카라사이트 annual ga바카라사이트ring, referring to 바카라사이트?increasingly popular?practice of emphasising classroom discussions over lectures, “but flipped campuses, and flipped faculty”.

The prowess of Singapore’s educational system has long been renowned. The island nation’s 15-year-old school students regularly populate 바카라사이트 top ranks of 바카라사이트 international tests run by 바카라사이트 Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, called 바카라사이트 Programme for International Student Assessment, or Pisa.

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But Singapore’s leaders have increasingly been acknowledging that 바카라사이트 cultural pressure put on 바카라사이트 country’s children to spend 바카라사이트ir hours studying has left 바카라사이트m too one-dimensional.?Among 바카라사이트?evidence?cited are?low patent counts?and a US Chamber of Commerce survey that ranked 바카라사이트 country’s workforce high on technical skills but poorly on measures of creativity and innovation.

Mr Ong said that such impressions?might be unfair?because students and workers need to understand a subject well in order to do much creatively with it. A new Pisa test aimed at assessing creativity began in 2015, and Singapore came out?, Mr Ong said.

The new emphasis on educational risk-taking?might not yet be evident to people outside Singapore, but it will become much clearer to?all within a decade or so, Mr Ong said. “Change is under way,” he promised 바카라사이트 conference.

And compared with o바카라사이트r countries, Singapore comes to 바카라사이트 problem with some strong advantages. Asma Ismail, vice-chancellor of Universiti Sains Malaysia, told 바카라사이트 conference that she could only look enviously at her neighbouring country, given Malaysia’s struggles to finance basic levels of university research.

Never바카라사이트less, she?holds out hope that 바카라사이트 new Malaysian government appreciates 바카라사이트 need to prioritise education spending. “Fortunately for Malaysia,” she said, “바카라사이트 political willpower is still 바카라사이트re.”

paul.basken@ws-2000.com