Ensuring that children have a sound grasp of English and the mother-tongue language will remain the focus of the Education Ministry for now, said Education Minister Heng Swee Keat yesterday.
Learning dialects, he added, is something for people to consider later, when the foundation for those two languages has been built. He was speaking to reporters after a Mandarin dialogue organised by Lianhe Zaobao at Singapore Press Holdings' News Centre.
The two-hour session was attended by more than 30 students, parents, teachers and other working professionals.
Mr Heng noted that the loss of dialect is a problem felt even by residents in big cities such as Shanghai. But he explained that he did not wish to further burden children here with additional subjects.
He noted: "I don't think you want a system where we get our kids to start learning in an even- more-complicated language environment. As it is, our language environment is already very complex."
He said this is where life-long learning plays a part. As people get older, a strong foundation in the two languages will allow them to get into learning dialects if they wish, he said.
Mr Heng said: "You don't have to start learning these during primary school."
During the dialogue, many raised concerns about Singapore's "rojak language", in which many are not proficient in either English or their mother-tongue language.
Others said that the education system has too narrow a focus on grades, which nurtures a fear of failure.
Mr Heng said he agrees that the education system is too academic-centric, pointing out that parents these days want their kids to learn too many things.
There are many competing demands, but only 24 hours in a day, he said, adding that the challenge is in finding a balance.
He said: "We can't predict how the world will change in 20 to 30 years. What should we learn and focus on? How do we make use of that time?
"If we focus on the content, we also sacrifice on time and space for reflection and critical thinking...The good gets in the way of the better."
He also addressed concerns raised that Singapore is too focused on economic growth. He said while a country's well-being should not just be about economic numbers, the reality is that the world is becoming increasingly competitive, especially with China's rapid growth.
He said: "Economic growth is something that is important for our future. Without resources it is hard (for Singapore) to do a lot of things."
Mr Heng also weighed in on Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam's answers to questions chosen by readers in an online poll conducted by The Straits Times' Singapolitics website last week.
Mr Tharman had said there was a need for a broader and continuous meritocracy, where different strengths and individuals are recognised, and people should not be defined by just their results in their school years.
Mr Heng said: "Our life journey is a fairly long one with different stages. We need to be prepared to recognise people for their intrinsic worth and to help everyone to achieve his or her best."
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