Singapore should not be alarmed at being toppled from the top spot in the latest Pisa, or Programme for International Student Assessment (It's OK to be No. 2 in academics, but aim to top student well-being, Dec 4).

After all, education is not a numbers game. Education serves many purposes and different jurisdictions should decide what their own objectives are.

The results show how driven some countries are in improving their lot. Their stellar accomplishments, not just academic, show what hard work and persistence on a massive scale over a few decades can do.

Have we lost the hunger to achieve or are we just fatigued from continuous upgrading? Have our small size and population numbers held us back?

The Pisa results serve as a wake-up call. Every three years is a clean slate. The results provide timely feedback on how Singapore is doing in relation to other countries.

Lee Teck Chuan