Let’s talk, but not only among ourselves

The adage goes that “it takes a village to raise a child”. In the public discussions so far focusing on education — organised by the Ministry of Education as part of the Our Singapore Conversation (OSC) project — it seems that not everyone from the “village” had the chance to have their say, at least not in the same room which is, after all, what having a conversation should be about.

Over the last month or so, I attended all three OSC sessions organised to date by the MOE. The discussions were rich, with participants ranging from students and parents to the man-in-the-street sharing their unique experiences and concerns.

Still, as we talked about the stress of the education system and worries about social mobility for the next generation, I could not help but notice that the voices of the lower-income earners, in particular, were missing.

For example, while it was heartening to hear the desire of well-heeled parents for more social mixing in schools, I wondered what are the views of parents from the lower-income households on this. And as the participants shared their anxiety about high-stakes exams, with some even quitting their jobs to help prepare their children, I wondered about the perspective of parents who can ill-afford to lose their income.

Often, it is easy to form assumptions about the issues faced by less well-to-do families.

For instance, there is a common perception that lower-income parents are less concerned about their children’s education prospects as compared to making ends meet. But this assumption might not be true today in our increasingly well-informed and well-educated society.

When I visited some rental flats last month for a story on the response to MOE kindergartens, some parents I interviewed constantly kept watch of time to make sure that they could send their children to kindergarten on time. Others were eager to find out more details of the MOE kindergartens.

Being involved in a community tuition programme for the last few years, I have also seen how examinations are used as a motivation tool for some children from low-income households. For example, a girl whom I had tutored experienced firsthand how doing well in exams opened up opportunities for her and this in turn, inspired her younger brother.

And while some quarters in society have called for the abolition of streaming, the siblings have thrived on the healthy competition among their academically inclined classmates.

Some lower-income Singaporeans such as Madam Roilah Bada, 68, said they were not aware of the public dialogues.

Mdm Roilah, who looks after her two teenage grandsons, said she would be keen to participate in the discussions. More fluent in Malay, she suggested that schools do more to keep parents or caregivers updated about the school syllabus and exams.

Mdm Yvonne Chan, 48, a single mother who holds two jobs, said she would struggle to find time to participate in the public discussions. The mother of two primary school-going boys said she has very little time to monitor her sons and examination results help her to “keep track” of their academic progress.

Facilitators for these OSC sessions felt there was a variety of views gathered. They noted that many participants spoke up for the disadvantaged and lower-income groups. One of them pointed out, if those from lower-income groups were present, they could have shared more accurately about their children’s situations in schools and provided useful suggestions.

A missed opportunity?

Responding to TODAY’s queries, an MOE spokesperson said that since September last year, it has spoken to “over 20, 000 members of the public, educators and other stakeholders”. Schools have also conducted internal discussions with their students while the ministry also receives feedback and comments from other channels and dialogue sessions.

“To reach out to a broader segment of society, members of parent support groups, self-help groups, voluntary welfare organisations as well as those who had previously expressed interest in education issues were also specifically invited to participate in the OSC on education,” said the spokesperson.

Earlier this month, for example, four junior college student volunteers organised an OSC session for NorthLight School students which discussed the definition of success, she added.

However, what seemed to be lacking is the opportunity for Singaporeans from various socio-economic strata to come together and discuss issues — the same kind of “social mixing” that many parents want to see in schools for their children.

At the most recent OSC on education last week, Senior Parliamentary Secretary (Education) Hawazi Daipi rightly pointed out that the participants were having a “conversation among themselves”. At each of the past three sessions, MOE educators who were present had to clarify current policies and schemes, such as the Direct School Admission scheme.

Imagine the benefits for parents from lower-income groups if they were present. They would have a better grasp of the fast changing education landscape and the opportunities available for their children.

Moreover, by having participants from various income groups, they would understand one another better and hopefully come up with solutions or ideas that are more inclusive.

Speaking to TODAY, Tampines GRC Member of Parliament Baey Yam Keng and Mountbatten MP Lim Biow Chuan, who both sit on the Government Parliamentary Committee for Education, said there could be some challenges in engaging lower-income families for the OSC project. Apart from time constraints, there could be issues such as lack of interest and confidence.

To overcome these, Mr Baey suggested smaller group settings where individuals are put together with people whom they are more familiar with, such as their neighbours or parents of their children’s schoolmates.

I would also propose providing translators, involving these individuals’ children and holding the dialogue sessions near their homes such as in the community centres or void decks to help them feel more at ease.

On the OSC sessions, Mr Lim noted the need to guard against the risk of the “vocal minority reflecting the silent majority”.

And as we delve deeper into more specific topics as part of the national project, we should involve the entire “village” instead of limiting the conversations — and consequentially, limiting the range of perspectives — to selected groups.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Ng Jing Yng is a senior reporter with TODAY covering the education beat. She attended the last three public discussions on the education system as part of the Government’s Our Singapore Conversation project.