‘Singapore tops IB exam in region for fourth year’, screams a headline in the Today paper and maybe other papers as well. The first para, ‘For the fourth consecutive year, Singapore has topped the Asia Pacific region in the International Baccalaureate(IB) diploma examination. Of the 1,747 students here who took the IB diploma exam last year, there were 43 who scored a perfect 45 points – two more compared to a year ago.’ The report went on to show how well the rest of the students have done with an average of 36.53%, higher than the global average of 29.95%.
With such an achievement, not only in IB but in O level, A level as well, Singapore must be teeming with very clever and talented people. The achievements of the young citizens must translate to a pool of very intelligent adults and talented workforce.
Unfortunately the truth is far from it. Singapore has been proven to be lack of local talents and had to import feverishly from the regional countries for talents to help the dull and untalented locals. And many of these students who have perfect scores in IB, O and A level, will eventually work under the supervision of talents from 3rd World countries with average academic scores or even fake certificates.
What went wrong with the education system and the scintillating academic achievements? Don’t ask me. All I can see is crap. Either the exam results are craps or the students are craps or the employment scene is crap. Something must be crazily wrong.
I would want to believe that the students genuinely did very well academically and it is the silly system that allowed foreign craps to rule over local talents that is at fault. And you have silly people creating such a system to disadvantage the local talents and driving many to joblessness, unemployment or to depression.
What to do?
Chua Chin Leng AKA RedBean
*The writer blogs at http://mysingaporenews.blogspot.com/