Class and Meritocracy

Contents
1. Definition of social class and meritocracy; Their
"expression" in Singapore:

2. The role of education inside these concept (since the

bibliography is "The institutionalization of Educational
Elitism)

3. The inequality arose from education and the reason;

unclear definition of "merit" (as mostly we can define
and assess this only from exams)
Definition of Class and Meritocracy

(Social) Class: a large-scale grouping of people who share

common economic resources, which strongly influences the
type of lifestyle they are able to lead

Meritocracy, a practice that rewards individual merit with job

positions, higher incomes, social rank, or general
recognition and prestige
Class and Meritocracy in Singapore

AP Tan Ern Ser, a sociologist in NUS, based on his

survey on 2700 Singaporeans, says that: "The class a
person falls into shapes his attitudes and choices." [1]

"Meritocracy advocates fierce competition which

pushes people to achieve the best that they can;
regardless of class, race or creed they may find
success if they get to the finishing line first." [2]
The New Education Policy
Weaknesses of the New Education Policy

High education wastage levels

Low literacy levels

Non-attainment of effective bilingualism

"More than 60 percent of pupils who sat for the PSLE and General Certificate of
Education examinations failed in one or both languages. Only 19 percent of each primary
level cohort passed both languages at the O levels."
Compelling problems

Becoming increasingly divisive

Increased competition

Rise of parentocracy
Becoming increasingly divisive

I. Eugenics notions
II. Ethnic/linguistic bias
III. Neglects other skills
IV.Becoming increasingly inaccessible for the poor
V. Limited opportunities for students with special needs
Solutions
More specialised schools should be introduced to cater to the
needs whose forte may be in the more technical skills/ special
needs

Edusave-like cards could be issued to students from lower

income families with a certain amount of money topped into
the card every month. This money is to be used for tuition
purposes. Government can work hand in hand with some of
these tuition companies to make it more accessible to the less
fortunate.
Increased competition

"The intense competition to attain the academic

requirements for enrolment into the premier schools and
the fear of being channeled into the slower streams has
resulted in an increasing number of students resorting to
private tuition." (ST, 11, April 1992)
Increased Competition

Streaming and "shadow education system"

Stressful lifestyle

"Brain drain"
Streaming and "shadow education system"
Stressful lifestyle
In the latest Ministry of Manpower (MOM)s quarterly Labour

Market report, it was revealed that Singapore has an average of

2389.4 hours in 2014. The result continue to place Singapore in

its number one position in the longest working hours in the

world. From results in recent years, Singapores nearest Asian

competitors in long working hours are Taiwan (2,163), Japan

(1,735 hours) and South Korea (2,193 hours). The weekly

working hours is estimated to be 50.8 hours per week.

(365 days, 52 weeks (of 5 working days), around 12 days off

(public holidays), daily working hour is around 10+ hrs!!!)

"Brain drain"

"The typical overseas Singaporean is aged between 20 - 57 years old, with

women forming a slightly higher number than men. More than HALF possess at
least a bachelors degree or higher, and hold mid-to-senior management and
professional jobs. "

In 2008, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong revealed that a

quarter of top A-level students have gone abroad to study or work without the
intention to return.

Latest statistics highlighted an increasing number of Singaporeans migrating from

157,800 in 2004 to 212,000 in 2014, the government is expecting these figures to
rise further as Singapore establishes itself as an economic tiger for Asia and the
rest of the world.
Our suggestions
- Private tuition should be authorised and censored in
order to assure the effectiveness of the tuition.

- Moreover, hours per week per student should be limited

so that students and parents cannot fully rely on the
extra lessons and students can grow up with something
else rather than pressure from study.
Our suggestions
- More choices for local students should be provided e.g.
setting up some more publicly-funded universities as
students' learning abroad experience will very likely
determine their future career and life path.
Rise of parentocracy

These days, students are seen to be heavily supported by Parentocracy,

where parents who are more well to do or have a greater social network have
a higher chance of their children entering good schools or doing well
academically.
Rise of parentocracy

Parentocracy is the most prevalent when the quality of education a student

receives conforms with the social origins of their parents and when educational
attainment and achievement is increasingly reliant on wealth rather than effort.
Rise of parentocracy

"It seems to me that instead of having a meritocracy, increasingly what we

have in Singapore is a parentocracy," Associate Professor Jason Tan said at
an Association of Muslim Professionals (AMP) seminar on education.
- Direct School Admissions scheme was introduced a decade ago to give
primary school pupils talented in fields such as arts and sports early
placement in a secondary school.

- Some tuition agencies now provide coaching on how to prepare portfolios

and write admissions essays for the scheme. Thus, Parents with more
financial means will hence have an advantage. This is unfair looking at it
whole.
- Societys persistent emphasis on paper qualifications despite recent
efforts to have greater recognition of skills also worsens the problem.

- Poverty may limit students' opportunities by deflating aspirations.

- Equal opportunities should be given to all, being talented in sports may

grant you admission to a sports school..etc but should not be an
advantage to other well known good educational schools.
- We focus too much on streaming and classification. The large income
chasm between the top and bottom ends of our society magnifies the
problems simply because those with the wealth, the resources and the
time will pour as much as they can into their childs education.

- Some of the additional resources parents pour into their children might
give them a head start, but the effects would probably taper off later,
particularly in post-secondary education when traits such as self-discipline
and inquisitiveness are probably more important.

- Children who come from poorer families may outperform those from richer
families due to their determination and the sense of struggle they
encountered.
Our propositions to alleviate this problem:
Edusave-like cards could be issued to students from lower income families with a
certain amount of money topped into the card every month. This money is to be used
for tuition purposes. Government can work hand in hand with some of these tuition
companies to make it more accessible to the less fortunate.

Perhaps more schools could offer small-group tuition at the same subsidised rates, with
teacher-tutors paid the rates offered by these organisations. It would allow for a more
systematic tuition programme that divides the children into classes based on the nature
of tuition necessary rather than ethnic-based programmes at various centres that
sometimes struggle to offer the optimal service weaker students often require. (Cited
from:)
http://m.todayonline.com/commentary/need-evolving-meritocracy