王瑞杰：别太着重考学位应多累积技能

Reports noted that during the opening of the fifth MENDAKI Education Symposium on 30/6, SMS/MinDef, MOM and MENDAKI Deputy Chair Zaqy Mohamad announced that a work group would be set up to tap research and prepare programmes to better support Malay/Muslim students fairing poorly in school. He noted that MENDAKI would work with the NIE’s Office of Education Research (OER) to inform and design the programmes. The reports noted that the work group would meet quarterly to discuss research findings from the OER concerning early childhood education and low-performing students and young people and would also look at social trends to facilitate efforts to uplift the community. DPM Heng Swee Keat was the keynote speaker at the online symposium, where community leaders, educators, academics, parents, policymakers and the public, discuss how societal perceptions of success and education may need to shift to prepare young people and the workforce. He provided suggestions on how youths could prepare themselves and capitalise on the new opportunities that the pandemic has opened. During the panel discussion, questions from participants included the relevance of the continuing emphasis that Singaporeans tend to place on getting a university degree. DPM Heng noted that people should shift their thinking that a degree is equivalent to success. He highlighted the importance of lifelong learning as jobs require skill sets and skill sets which cannot be acquired just by getting a degree.

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