UTILITARIAN VIEW OF EDUCATION SHORT-SIGHTED
My Forum Page letter published in The Straits Times on 1 September 2014


(Background: This letter was written in response to another Straits Times Forum Page letter written by Dr Anne Chong Su Yan published on 28 August 2014 advocating a 'no-frills' university education in Singapore. In it, Dr Chong opined that a utilitarian view of the purpose of higher education is justified in the light of the limited national financial resources and the contention that most freshmen would have already known where their strengths and interests lie. So, she thinks that from the get-go, they should get on with acquiring 'the skills and knowledge to enable them to support themselves and their families, as well as contribute to the nation's economy', without having 'to take up irrelevant modules they have "no real interest in and no aptitude for", only to obtain an F grade that will be discounted later'.)


I disagree with Dr Anne Chong Su Yan ("Stick to 'no-frills' education"; last Thursday) on two counts. 

First, her statement that most freshmen are already certain about where their strengths and interests lie is not convincing. Exposure to a broad-based education during secondary school and junior college, attending career fairs and having industry attachments are no guarantee of that. 

Given the instrumentalist attitude of most local students, these are approached merely with the aim of securing a place in university. In my experience, few see beyond that, other than a vague idea of wanting to be on the most efficient path to a high-income future.

Second, Dr Chong's contention that non-discipline-specific modules and subjects are frills we can ill afford must not go unchallenged. A utilitarian view of education is very short-sighted and does not serve the purpose of preparing our students for the 21st century.

To be truly educated, it is not enough to just have the capacity to find employment. More than being useful in the workplace, undergraduates need to develop into mature, thinking adults and responsible, active citizens. Having just discipline-specific skills and competencies are not enough; communication and social skills, as well as curiosity and a positive attitude, are also essential.

Our present university curricula are on the right track and I fully support them. If we succeed only in producing one-dimensional and narrow-minded graduates, our educational resources will truly be wasted.