Bosses, MOE of different minds

In drawing a connection between intelligence and higher salaries, in “Intelligent employees, not degree holders, secure higher salaries” (May 9), the writer ignores other realities.

Intelligence is not necessarily a singular, generalised concept. Especially within Singapore’s educational system, it has been defined too narrowly; more importantly, intelligence or degrees per se do not determine higher salaries or, rather, career success in industries.

While the writer makes multiple references to intelligence — that employers “want to hire from the most intelligent 10 per cent of the cohort”, for instance — there was no attempt to make sense of it.

What does it mean to be intelligent? Understood as the ability to acquire and apply knowledge and skills, intelligence is often equated with good performance in our schools, environments where academic abilities are prized.

At present, the observation is that students flourish in different domains and should seize opportunities to develop multiple intelligences.

It is, therefore, no surprise that the Ministry of Education (MOE) has, in recent years, sought to diversify learning pathways in differentiated institutions, wherein intelligence is measured across more dimensions.

The conundrum is the disconnect between what the MOE tries to foster and the many employers’ demands for degrees as a signalling mechanism. Even to someone confident about the duties of a given position, getting a degree seems imperative.

Beyond that knock on the door, what matters most is not only intelligence or degrees, but one’s willingness to commit to hard graft and improving oneself. Also, the notion of a craftsman-like approach has become more ubiquitous.

Perhaps the perspective of the writer most would concur with is that “Life is a bell curve”. In a competitive landscape, here and globally, Singaporeans must better themselves in their respective fields, though not judged against a single, vague yardstick of “intelligence”.