"Ah Bengs" have better
worldly outlook
In a fast fundamental change, Singapore's British-based education system is going American aimed at producing the 21st Century worker.
Apr 8, 2002

WITH his perfect grades by his side, the student bade farewell to classmates who had fewer A’s but strong leadership abilities and told himself: “They’re going to do better in life than me.”

This was in 1996, the year Templemedium, a web surfer, had scored distinctions in all four A-Level subjects. No big deal. There were 1000 others. National service further completed his life education.

“I found out that all my academic brilliance was absolutely useless (in the army) compared to the worldliness of the Ah Bengs (the less-educated recruits) in my platoon.

“They had eaten more salt than I had eaten rice. It was I who was truly starting from zero compared to them.”

The uncertainties of this crème de la crème of the academic world about his own future are not rare, especially in these gloomy economic times.

When they should be beaming with confidence, many boys and girls with four distinctions are weighed down by doubts that these high grades are no longer passports to a good life.

One reason is, of course, the changing world economy that favours ideas and initiative, rather than hard work.

A second factor – peculiar to Singapore – is that there are many students scoring 4A’s. If many people are perfect, then nobody is perfect, some cynics suggest.

Since Templemedium’s days, the number of high scorers has kept on increasing.

In 2000, there were 1228 A-Level students with distinctions in all four subjects and a pass in General Paper. Last year it rose to an all-time high of 1364 or 12 percent of the candidates.

Instead of celebrating the event, Singapore has gone into a serious debate on the Internet about what it means.

Are the students getting smarter or does it merely show their cleverness in spotting questions and memorising answers?

Another controversy is the way top colleges are aggressively pushing for high grades at the expense of developing all-round, independent students with sound character.

The big jump, some pointed out, is due to the performance of two top junior colleges – Raffles and Hwa Chong. Entire classes are known to have scored perfect marks.

Their numbers are rising so fast that they have pushed up the overall figures. The fifth rank, for example, produced only 100 of the 1364 four-distinction scorers.

Even in the top two, most students did not come anywhere close achieving four distinctions in their class tests during the two years before the finals. That would have proved consistent brilliance.

This trend does not show the students are more intelligent, say many detractors of Singapore’s education system.

“They memorised everything in the 10-year series (of past exam questions) and spilled it out from memory during the exams” said Exam Smart.

“That is short-term memory at work, not understanding. These students will suffer when they enter university. They might benefit temporarily, but will suffer in the long run.”

Others say some college students are given notes and answers by teachers who want them to “learn by heart” at the shortest possible time for the finals.

They absorb little new knowledge in the last six months because this is time for exam preparation. The result is a one-dimensional attitude about success, rather than discovering, appreciating and challenging.

There are, however, a large number of parents and students who stoutly defend the current system.

One strong argument is that many of these high-flyers who are sent to top universities in America, Britain, French, German, Japan or China do marvellously well. They are naturally intelligent and adaptable to differing systems.

“What is the problem if more students score distinctions?” one defender demanded. “Are we worrying about the right thing?”

“These 1364 students had sweated blood in the exam. They deserve to be congratulated – not run down,” declared another online debater.

“Yes, we students have become more adept at handling papers. How not to, if you’ve spent so much time devoted to exams?” commented a student. “But in the process, students have also become smarter as a result of increased studies and tuition.”

Others say that with each generation, Singaporeans become more intelligent compared to their parents. That’s evolution, isn’t it?

For Singapore, these arguments are no mere rhetoric.

In recent years, the republic’s British-oriented schools and universities have been adopting the American model to produce a creative, knowledgeable workforce.

Since the colonial days, the “O” and “A” Level examinations have continued to be sent to London for marking (except in local languages). A-Level results decide on entry into Singapore’s – and most foreign – universities.

From next year, Singaporean students will have to sit for America’s Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT), which assesses a student’s ability to use data, rather than regurgitate it.

This result will make up 25 percent of the criterion for admission to the National University of Singapore and Nanyang Technological University.

That’s not all. In the next five years, the Ministry of Education plans to assume more control over the A-Level exam and to change the junior college curriculum.

The SAT test is already a requirement for those seeking entry to the Singapore Management University.

To gear up for SAT, schools and parents in Singapore have also been busy putting students through preparation courses that can cost up to S$1400 (M$2800) or more for 60 hours of classes.

Not everyone likes the idea.

As shown by the incredibly high A-Level scores, a whole generation of hard-working students – helped or pressured by parents – has grown up to become familiar and comfortable with the system.

It works to their favour. They don’t want it changed.

On the other side, students who are poor at rote-learning or academic grades but who possess a fast mind, skilful hands or quick ideas now feel the new regime will give them a new lease of life.

Entry into university will in future gradually add on skills in addition to the main A-Level or SAT results, such as sports, music and performing arts and, of course, projects.

For several years now, local universities, linked to top foreign ones have adopted open exams, which allow students to bring books into the hall.

This applies to questions that assess a student’s ability to solve problems or come up with new ideas.

(This article by Seah Chiang Nee was written for Sunday Star, Malaysia, on Apr 7, 2002.)