What It Means To Be Educated.

I read with interest the report, ‘Don’t forget social mission, PM tells unis’ (The Straits Times, 18 Oct 2013) and concur with the Prime Minister.

The end point of education is not to just produce students who have knowledge and good academic results. We need to mould and shape every student to become a wise, moral and responsible person.

Every student has unique gifts, talents and passions. We need to help him develop his strengths and pursue positive aspirations in his life. He should have the essential qualities, including grit and resilience to live a meaningful, productive and fulfilling life.

He should become a useful person who can contribute to strengthening the economy and our country. He must know how to address social injustice and achieve progress for society.

In an increasingly interconnected and interdependent world, he must know how to connect and communicate with the others in the global community. He must have the capacity and sensitivity to collaborate with them.

At the same time, he must have the ability, agility and tenacity to co-create solutions. He must have a comprehensive education to resolve
current as well as future challenges.

Therefore, we need to develop the student in a wholistic and balanced
way. He must know how to research, analyse and apply knowledge in the unfamiliar settings of a fast changing digital economy.