I refer to the letter “Class size, teacher engagement key factors in promoting innovation” (Dec 22). I agree that class size could affect innovation significantly.

Data from the Ministry of Education show that the pupil-to-teacher ratio in Singapore has improved from about 30.1 in 1981 to 16.0 in 2015 for primary schools, and 20.6 to 12.2 for secondary schools in the same period. This improvement, however, has not directly translated into smaller class sizes.

Besides reducing class size, one other way to promote innovation could lie in adding biomimicry to the curriculum in primary and secondary schools.

Biomimicry is an approach to innovation where solutions are derived from nature’s designs. For example, the shape of a kingfisher’s beak, which allows it to make a splashless entry into water to catch fish, inspired the current streamlined design to reduce the drag of high-speed trains. This approach to innovation is gaining attention across the globe as nature’s designs are time-tested and sustainable.

It may be better for Singapore to inculcate this way of approaching problems at an early age so that students learn to innovate through curiosity and become more observant of natural phenomena and principles.

While biomimicry would perhaps be more relevant in fields such as energy, architecture, agriculture, medicine, transportation and communication, and have more limited application in sectors such as finance and business, it could nevertheless drive the spirit and joy of innovation in young minds. This would break the inertia to experiment, irrespective of field.