Narrow definition of success is root cause of rat race
Life in Singapore is often
If only the “rats” would pause long enough to ponder what genuine success looks like, they might find an escape route from their suffering.
Real success is a system where even construction workers are paid a fair wage in relation to other earners, and where parents don’t live in constant anxiety over whether their children will become doctors, lawyers, consultants or scholarship holders. Children who have an interest in, say, car engines, can be left alone to pursue that line, safe in the knowledge they will be paid enough to survive.
In this regard, Singapore’s plan to replace its Primary School Leaving Exam system, in which children must scramble for final grades, with a banding system is a step in the right direction. The banding system should allow them to focus on a more holistic development of their skills and interests.
Pan Fucheng
Singapore
(From the Straits Times/ANN)
