Importance Of Meritocracy In Singapore Education

1007 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Importance of meritocracy in Singapore educational system

Meritocracy in its purest form is a social system that gives the greatest power and highest social positions to people with the most ability, where the talented are chosen and moved ahead on a basis of their achievements. It filters people based on capability and flair rather than on class privilege or wealth. In the context of Singapore’s education system which is known to be meritocratic in nature, students’ capabilities are assessed through national examinations. Students are streamed into different schools based on their calibres. In such a system, it would mean removing the catchments where well-off children are bolstered from bearing the consequences of a lack of merit. However, does Singapore’s education system really reflect meritocracy? …show more content…

In other words, one’s parents’ statuses and wealth would be able to triumph over others’ hard work and talents. With rising parental intervention, it would lead to an unequal balance in advantages placed on students due to the differing social classes of their parents. Parents with education are more likely to have a larger social capital with can help earn an edge for their child over their peers. Children of parents who are either part of an alumni association or parent volunteer would stand a higher chance of getting a spot in a renowned primary school. In the top primary and secondary schools, a lopsided number of students are from well-to-do and educated family backgrounds: 6 out of 10 live in private property, when only 2 out of 10 of Singaporeans overall do. Moving on to higher education, students with parents of higher statuses can depend on them to tap on their connections to help them climb up the social ladder such as securing an internship or job spot. This defeats the purpose of having a meritocratic education system as parents of the upper tier possess greater leverage due to their social capital which can determine their child’s future, instead of their own merits and capabilities.
In conclusion, Singapore’s education system may only seem meritocratic on the surface as there are factors present that are able to override the efforts of it being

Show More
Related

  • Analysis Of Putnam's 'Schooling'

    1446 Words  | 3 Pages

    The fourth chapter in Putnam’s Our Kids is titled “Schooling”, and it focuses on how education plays into class inequality. The argument is that while schools do not cause the opportunity gap between poor kids and rich kids, but the schools allow it to grow. Putnam claims, “schools as sites probably widen the class gap,” (182). How the schools act as these sites, is based strongly on the physical segregation of rich people from poor people. Putnam refers to this segregation as “residential sorting”, and states that, “residential sorting by income [...] has shunted high-income and low-income students into separate schools,” (163). Rich parents want their kids in the best schools, with the best teachers and the best peers, and are able to afford

    Read More

  • The Other Wes Moore Essay

    1447 Words  | 3 Pages

    The parents as the role models for their children that means many children will do what their parents mostly do, hence, is really important that the parents teaching their child. However, the research find out that the parents with higher socioeconomic states are more involved in their kids’ schooling (Chu et all, 1996) The reason seems obvious to me due to the importance of parents’ education, if the parents having more school, than parents could be like a ‘coach’ for their kids, that parents could guide the road of succeed. Also, the parents with higher education might provide a favorable environment since is easier to get a steady job with higher education. According to Kean, (2005), the parents with higher education have positive influence on children’s outcome, cause the majority of parents who are very educated might influence their kids though beliefs and behaviors, that will lead children and youth to a positive outcome (Kean, 2005).

    Read More

  • Comparing the Family in Antigone and A Rose for Emily

    994 Words  | 2 Pages

    As much as society tries to deny the fact that the family that one comes from determines their fate, in almost every case this very fact is true.  Today, we see how infants who are born into wealthy families are treated differently than children who are born into drug and disease-stricken poverty.  Higher classed people stand out in society on both a local and national level much more than the average middle class working family.

    Read More

  • Economic Justice: Work on a Global Perspective

    901 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the United States, a form of Meritocracy is employed. This system recognizes and corrects the socioeconomic disadvantages (Arora). While efforts have been made to correct the problem, many still fall flat. Many schools, for example, are not equal and some are even getting worse. Lee County School District, a district that boasted no 'F' and 'D' level schools in 2010, now have three failing schools and eight 'D' levels. The number of 'A' level schools have also fallen from 60 in 2011 to 36 in 2013 (LCPS).

    Read More

  • Education: The Key to Class Mobility and Success

    910 Words  | 2 Pages

    Education holds power over determining one’s class. Knowledge and refinement can set one individual apart from another who lacks the qualities of successful individuals. Finances and opportunities distinguish class meaning the lower class has difficulty in obtaining the same conditions of the upper class. Education ultimately dictates success and power in society. Education is taken for granted and should be recognized for the significance it possesses.

    Read More

  • In Defense of Elitism

    1063 Words  | 3 Pages

    In Defense of Elitism. Summary The dominant theme in this essay appears to be this: post war social changes such as offering increased university admission promote the view of egalitarianism in education. The author’s main issue with “secondary” education is the sheer numbers of our population that the United States as a whole educates. According to Mr. Henry, the United States educates nearly thirty percent of high school graduates who go on to a four-year bachelor’s degree. He believes that the increased number of graduates has led to a workforce of mediocrity.

    Read More

  • Superiority of Chinese Mothers

    883 Words  | 2 Pages

    Louie, Vivian. 2001. “Parents’ Aspirations and Investment: The Role of Social Class in the Educational

    Read More

  • African American Education Case Study

    2106 Words  | 5 Pages

    Since countries and cities are different, it seems that it is difficult to compare different education systems. With the influence of the globalization, the social problems tend to be common problems in the world. Canada and China are in different education systems but still have the same problem with educational equity. With the period change and policies seems to be improve by the government in both countries. When facing with the ethnic minority communities, China used several methods to give privilege to the groups in order to improve their education level. For example, after 1977, the educational policy was more in favor of the minority groups by empowering certain ethnic regions with the ability to administer the exams in the local language

    Read More

  • The American Education

    1841 Words  | 4 Pages

    Politics and business influence have been a long term problem for the establishment of a free and fair education opportunity. America has been called ?the melting pot? of the world, meaning that within the nation live such an abundance of individuals from different aspects of life. Within the world, we find some societies less fortunate than other societies. Economic diversity is present within the United States as well. It is commonly understood that the wealthy are becoming better educated than the poor, and similarly that the wealthy have a better chance to survive in the economic growth of today?s society.

    Read More

  • Behind the Scenes of Tracking

    878 Words  | 2 Pages

    Ream, Robert K., and Gregory J. Palardy. "Reexamining Social Class Differences in the Availability and the Educational Utility of Parental Social Capital." American Educational Research Journal 45.2 (2008): 238-273. JSTOR. Web. 13 Nov. 2013.

    Read More

  • Essay On Meritocracy

    739 Words  | 2 Pages

    Meritocracy, unlike aristocracy, is the system in which talented people are rewarded and promoted to leadership positions based on their merit. According to James Whitehurst, meritocracy “now refers to organizations where the best people and ideas win.” However, as true as it may sound, meritocracy in America is still a myth and is not a certainty. In the article “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Backpack,” McIntosh’s disdain of meritocracy when she described as “I must give up the myth of meritocracy.” She mentioned the meritocracy myth because in reality, many people who lack talents and experience can still climb the upward mobility ladder and become wealthier while the rest of

    Read More

  • Racial Inequality In Education

    1470 Words  | 3 Pages

    The means of justifying these inequalities are important for the entire world. Education played and will always play a big role in everyone’s lives. Equality in education will eventually guarantee every person a better position in society. Educational inequality is the difference in learning effectiveness and results as faced by students with varying backgrounds. The effects of educational inequality are not only left within the circles of education, but also remain further to have an impact on other life aspects. All over the world, there have been unending calls to reform education at each level. With various causes that are very much connected to society, history and culture, the educational inequality has apparently been one of the most difficult challenges to address. Regardless of the challenges faced in removing educational inequality, education has continued to be a very important part of society with a big expectation of moving it forward. In the current-day America, very many disadvantaged children have continued to grow up missing key skills. Discrimination has continued to persevere in educational achievement between racial issues. Above all, low performance levels among these disadvantaged children have over the years been responsible for the long-term issues, especially in such an society with higher levels of skills and a failing incomes offered to those people that are less-skilled.

    Read More

  • Our Privileged Society: Equal Opportunities for Education

    675 Words  | 2 Pages

    Our education system allegedly provides an equal opportunity to all members of society to reach their potential. The research by Richer, particularly in elementary school, leads us to believe that this is not essentially the case. Our school system has a “hidden curriculum” that produces an inequality between the middle and lower class as well as men and woman. When a child enters a school environment they are required to adhere to a set of values proposed by the teacher and classroom environment. This school environment is competitive, teachers r...

    Read More

  • How Wealth Affects Education

    1498 Words  | 3 Pages

    In an education journal, Anyon (“Social”) provides the reader with the concept that there are four different types of schools, working class schools, middle-class schools, affluent professional schools, and executive elite schools, after observing five schools. The working class schools are made up of parents with blue-collar jobs, with less than a third of the fathers being skilled, and the majority of them being semiskilled or unskilled. “Approximately 15 percent of the fathers were unemployed… approximately 15 percent of the families in each school are at or below the federal ‘poverty’ level…the incomes of the majority of the families…are typical of 38.6 percent of the families in the United States” (Anyon, “Social”). In a more recent study conducted by Anyon (“What”, 69), she states that,

    Read More

  • Socioeconomic Status And Education Essay

    900 Words  | 2 Pages

    Socioeconomic status can be defined in terms of family wealth and assets as well as educational background. For this reason, many comparisons can be made between socioeconomic status and education. Furthermore, academic achievement and the level of education reached by an individual, is determined by socioeconomic status. Research has shown that environmental circumstances and family issues greatly influence a child's future because the impact of the socioeconomic status depends on the level to which an individual becomes successful in life. Research also shows that family conditions can impact a child’s education and their quality of life. For example, being raised in a high-economic culture increases the chances that a child will attend

    Read More

More about Importance Of Meritocracy In Singapore Education

Open Document