Gaining opportunities with education

Education can achieve many objectives: from ensuring children's physical, cognitive and emotional development, to shaping people into citizens who share common civic values, and preparing them for the workforce of the future by equipping them with the right skills. The benefits of education can be seen all over the world. And the process of forging a new social compact that is now under way will need to include rethinking in the area of education, not just at the start of citizens' lives, but throughout it. There are a few ways to do so: by reducing early gaps, broadening the merits that are recognised and promoted in the nation's meritocracy, and strengthening the sense of togetherness across different socio-economic and ethnic groups. This is because performance in school is not just a function of individual talent and attributes, but also of complex, multifaceted and interlinked social issues.

Singapore's approach has been to work to address early disadvantages that a child may face so as to ensure that these do not get replicated and become stumbling blocks throughout his or her life and career. While the authorities are doing more through race-neutral interventions, greater efforts are needed in some areas - and for specific communities too. For those facing disadvantages, including those in the lower socio-economic groups, irregular school attendance is one key issue. Hence the importance of comprehensive support structures for affected students, not just by teachers or in school programmes, but also at home and by the community.