Suppressing dissent in Singapore: Giant leap in school excellence, but people are still dumb

I am the product of the better sector of an overall mediocre school system in Singapore in the years 1962-73, in the "survival driven" phase of the system's history. 

This blog provides an insight into how Singapore's school system has evolved, since 1959, to become "world-class" as measured by student achievement today.

The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) (2009), released in Dec 2010, provides yet another indication that our schools are doing very well indeed, ranking second, fourth, and fifth in mathematics, science, and reading respectively in a worldwide assessment. (A surprise for me: Shanghai tops all three rankings, in mathematics, science, and reading.)

However, I am not at all impressed by the quality of the young mind as educated by our "excellent" school system. Neither is the quality of the Singaporean mind, in general, other than mediocre. Why?

Free, open and honest political and social discourse is completely absent in the government controlled media, schools and universities, and society at large. This deliberate fostering of a docile populace is the core reason.

This leads me to a point I made in a previous post, to wit:

NUS (National University of Singapore) and NTU (Nanyang Technological University) are considered "world-class" universities (see THE World University Rankings 2010), and the Singapore school students achieve "world-class" results (for example). The Singaporean society is vastly better educated (by an educational system that excels in producing a capable workforce) now than in 1959 (when PAP gained power) or 1965 (at Independence).

Are Singaporeans still as "immature" and "stupid" as they were fifty-one years ago (when they voted the PAP into power)? When will they become wise?

For how long does the governing elite intend to arrogate to itself the right to suppress all dissent in the name of the ignorant and gullible masses?