Get students exposed to economics early

Economics is offered as an O-level subject, but not all schools offer it ("Seven new applied subjects to pique students' interests"; last Friday).

Economics should be promoted more widely to enable our young people to gain a better understanding of the various intricacies of a globalised world.

A deep appreciation of Singapore's uniqueness in the global platform can be achieved only by understanding how Singapore became an export-oriented country with an active foreign-exchange policy, despite having practically no natural resource.

With this understanding, students will be more enthusiastic about learning the new hands-on subjects, because these subjects reflect the projection of future global economic demands.

Colin Ong Tau Shien

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on October 10, 2016, with the headline Get students exposed to economics early. Subscribe