The Management of Globalization in Singapore: Twentieth Century ...
The Management of Globalization in Singapore: Twentieth Century ... The Management of Globalization in Singapore: Twentieth Century ...
Marystella Amaldas., Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University (Japan)beginning to worry about unemployment when thepopulation is increased to 5.5 million, part of which wouldundoubtedly be made up of immigrants. Seventy-eight percent of those polled by a Channel News Asia/Gallup poll feltthat Singapore should restrict the number of foreign workersas the population expands. How this will work out in view ofthe expected increase in structural unemployment remainsto be seen.The management of the consequences flowing from thedecision to attract more talented migrants has become apolitical challenge in the economic sphere. With globalizationforces creating more acute income inequalities and placing ahigh premium on talent, Singaporeans at both ends of theskills spectrum fear for their future. At the lower end, thepossibility of cheaper labour from neighboring countries hascreated the pressure to improve skills more effectively. At thehigher end, Singapore’s push into higher value-addedindustries has also storm skills deficit. Better educatedSingaporeans have become vocal aloud being placed at adisadvantage in an increasingly competitive job market.There is also concern aloud on the impact of sizablemigration on the formation of Singapore’s national andcultural identity, and on the state’s management of ethnicdiversity (Koh, 2003: 230-256).5. Measures to Combat GlobalizationSingapore, being a country that conducts regularelections every five years, has an electorate that demandsresponses from the government. In order to respond to theelectorate, the Singapore government undertook twomeasures to counter the ill-effects of globalization. Theseincluded the reform of education and steps to reduce the illeffects of unemployment and falling incomes.Education in Singapore has moved in the past fewyears away from rote learning for students, to increasinglyemphasize new elements. Perhaps the most notable of theseelements is creative and critical thinking. The government993
The Management of Globalization in Singapore: Twentieth Century Lessons for theEarly Decades of the New Centurybudgets of the crisis years and after have recognized the newimportance of education with increased funding.One of the best ways of achieving that is to catch themyoung -- before the mind becomes too set. While many adulteducation programmes are going on around the country toinduct the older generation into the world of computers andthe Internet, the biggest and most productive effort is beingchanneled into the education system. In fact, a slogan hasbeen coined by the government to reflect this focus: ThinkingSchools, Learning Nation. Though some might wonder if itshould not be the other way round, the government is keento make "learning schools" -- which is perhaps a traditionalway of thinking of schools --into "thinking schools" -- whichis perhaps what many have criticized Singapore schools ofnot being! Singapore has taken specific and sustainablesteps to align the education system to meet the challenges ofthe new century. The master plan for IT in Education, drawnup in 1997 by the Ministry of Education (MOE), set out cleargoals and specific milestones for the schools. The goalsinclude enhancing creative thinking, lifelong learning, andsocial responsibility. The milestones include completing corecomputer training for teachers in every school by the year2000, and achieving a 2:1 ratio between pupils andcomputers in schools, with 30 per cent of curriculum timedevoted to IT-based learning by 2002 (Tay, 2001).In addition to providing hardware and softwareinfrastructure to transform the education system, the MOEis also focusing on the more important aspect of curriculumdevelopment and teaching. Information technology is seen asa means to expand and enrich the learning process itself.School children are now routinely doing project work thatnecessitates surfing the net and looking for materials thatare normally not available within Singapore itself. They arealso exposed to different technological possibilities inassembling and presenting these materials in ways neverbefore done. In the process, they are not only learningdifferent things but also learning things differently. There arealso virtual classrooms now whereby pupils may remain intheir respective homes but join their classmates incyberspace with the teacher conducting lessons through thecomputer or a nifty hand-held device called Edupad. Several994
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Marystella Amaldas., Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University (Japan)beg<strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>g to worry about unemployment when thepopulation is <strong>in</strong>creased to 5.5 million, part <strong>of</strong> which wouldundoubtedly be made up <strong>of</strong> immigrants. Seventy-eight percent <strong>of</strong> those polled by a Channel News Asia/Gallup poll feltthat S<strong>in</strong>gapore should restrict the number <strong>of</strong> foreign workersas the population expands. How this will work out <strong>in</strong> view <strong>of</strong>the expected <strong>in</strong>crease <strong>in</strong> structural unemployment rema<strong>in</strong>sto be seen.<strong>The</strong> management <strong>of</strong> the consequences flow<strong>in</strong>g from thedecision to attract more talented migrants has become apolitical challenge <strong>in</strong> the economic sphere. With globalizationforces creat<strong>in</strong>g more acute <strong>in</strong>come <strong>in</strong>equalities and plac<strong>in</strong>g ahigh premium on talent, S<strong>in</strong>gaporeans at both ends <strong>of</strong> theskills spectrum fear for their future. At the lower end, thepossibility <strong>of</strong> cheaper labour from neighbor<strong>in</strong>g countries hascreated the pressure to improve skills more effectively. At thehigher end, S<strong>in</strong>gapore’s push <strong>in</strong>to higher value-added<strong>in</strong>dustries has also storm skills deficit. Better educatedS<strong>in</strong>gaporeans have become vocal aloud be<strong>in</strong>g placed at adisadvantage <strong>in</strong> an <strong>in</strong>creas<strong>in</strong>gly competitive job market.<strong>The</strong>re is also concern aloud on the impact <strong>of</strong> sizablemigration on the formation <strong>of</strong> S<strong>in</strong>gapore’s national andcultural identity, and on the state’s management <strong>of</strong> ethnicdiversity (Koh, 2003: 230-256).5. Measures to Combat <strong>Globalization</strong>S<strong>in</strong>gapore, be<strong>in</strong>g a country that conducts regularelections every five years, has an electorate that demandsresponses from the government. In order to respond to theelectorate, the S<strong>in</strong>gapore government undertook twomeasures to counter the ill-effects <strong>of</strong> globalization. <strong>The</strong>se<strong>in</strong>cluded the reform <strong>of</strong> education and steps to reduce the illeffects <strong>of</strong> unemployment and fall<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>comes.Education <strong>in</strong> S<strong>in</strong>gapore has moved <strong>in</strong> the past fewyears away from rote learn<strong>in</strong>g for students, to <strong>in</strong>creas<strong>in</strong>glyemphasize new elements. Perhaps the most notable <strong>of</strong> theseelements is creative and critical th<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g. <strong>The</strong> government993
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