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ASPIRE ‘not about dissuading S’poreans from getting degrees’

SINGAPORE — In the wake of misperception by some about the Government’s message in its drive to improve prospects of polytechnic and Institute of Technical Education (ITE) graduates, Education Minister Heng Swee Keat yesterday set the record straight as he weighed in on the parliamentary debate on whether to endorse the Applied Study in Polytechnics and ITE Review (ASPIRE) report.

Education Minister Heng Swee Keat. TODAY file photo

Education Minister Heng Swee Keat. TODAY file photo

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SINGAPORE — In the wake of misperception by some about the Government’s message in its drive to improve prospects of polytechnic and Institute of Technical Education (ITE) graduates, Education Minister Heng Swee Keat yesterday set the record straight as he weighed in on the parliamentary debate on whether to endorse the Applied Study in Polytechnics and ITE Review (ASPIRE) report.

“As several MPs have noted, some members of the public are asking: Is the government now saying that qualifications don’t matter? Then why are we urging people to learn and upgrade? Let me be clear — ASPIRE is not about dissuading Singaporeans from upgrading ourselves or pursuing degrees or any form of qualifications,” said Mr Heng.

Instead, ASPIRE is about creating opportunities and keeping pathways open for all, he pointed out. “It is about breakthroughs, not limits; widening opportunities, not narrowing them; addition, not subtraction; more, not less.” It is not about one kind of qualification versus another, he stressed.

On Monday, the first day of the debate, several Members of Parliament (MPs) highlighted the need for the Government to communicate its message better. They noted that there is confusion among many Singaporeans on, for example, whether a university degree is still valued.

Over two days, 23 MPs rose to speak on the motion tabled by Senior Minister of State (Education and Law) Indranee Rajah to endorse the recommendations made by the ASPIREcommittee which she chaired.

The Government had accepted the proposals. Still, MPs from both sides of the political divide all expressed unanimous support for the report.

During a lengthy four-hour debate yesterday, MPs acknowledged that it takes time to shift mindsets and called for more structured programmes for internships. They also urged the enhancement of training programmes for ITE and polytechnic students as well as more collaboration with industries, among other things.

Mr Heng pointed out that the belief that qualifications are all that matter would limit Singaporeans’ potential — as does the opposite view that qualifications do not matter at all.

“Qualifications matter, but they must be the right qualifications and of the right standard for what we want to do,” he said, citing doctors, nurses, pharmacists and physiotherapists as examples of occupations that require professional qualifications. “But not all qualifications matter — not if they do not help us build the right skills for what we want to do,” he added.

Mr Heng, who is an MP for Tampines GRC, shared an example of a young resident who had gone to him for advice. She had spent money to pursue a private degree after receiving her diploma, thinking that it would help her get a better job with higher pay.

However, after graduating with a degree, she was hired by a company that did not find her degree skills relevant and paid her the salary of an entry-level diploma holder.

“She was so caught up in chasing a piece of paper and lost the chance to discover what she really cared about,” said Mr Heng, who estimated that the resident incurred an opportunity cost of S$70,000 for not working and earning a salary during the three years spent pursuing her private degree.

Singaporeans need to look beyond qualifications and recognise that attitude, deep skills, knowledge and experience matter in order to perform and excel, said Mr Heng.

He noted that existing universities here are all developing applied learning in some ways. In this regard, the universities are taking a leaf from polytechnics and ITEs, not just the other way around. “I see the integration of theoretical and applied learning running throughout our education system —not just in the poly or ITE because this sets the foundation for future learning.”

Wrapping up the debate, Ms Indranee noted that the Government and public-sector agencies employ only 4 per cent of the total workforce, in response to calls from MPs for the Public Service, the single largest employer here, to take the lead in a cultural shift in the way Singapore values its people.

Laying out moves by the Public Service Division to improve career prospects for non-graduates, she added: “I think what MPs are really saying or asking about is the signalling effect.”

She called ASPIRE a “game changer” and noted that the recommendations were drawn from what the committee had learnt from various countries — including Switzerland, Germany, Australia and New Zealand — and woven into Singapore’s context, economic structure and system.

The Government is building on the strength of the people, tripartite system, as well as the polytechnic and ITE system here. “We are doing something uniquely Singaporean,” she said. “We are doing this for one reason and one reason only — to secure a better future for Singaporeans and Singapore.”

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