Singapore Education Minister Compares Singapore and America Schools

Newsweek International Edition columnist Fareed Zakaria interviewed Singapore Minister of Education Tharman Shanmugaratnam to understand why he believes Singapore students score tops in math and science on international tests, but lacks leaders in business, academia, math and science in the professional world.

Shanmugaratnam's sees driving ambition, creativity, and adventuresomeness as lacking in Singapore students -- characteristics that are not measured in global testing. He says, "Most of all, America has a culture of learning that challenges conventional wisdom, even if it means challenging authority. "

Funding and academic-private partnerships are another factor in U.S. favor, he says. Foundations are critical for funding research in the U.S. "For example, you could not imagine American advances in biomedical sciences without the Howard Hughes Foundation," says Shanmugaratnam.

But Shanmugaratnam is not all praise for U.S. education system. "[It] as a whole has failed. Unless you are comfortably middle class or richer," he explained, "you get an education that is truly second-rate by any standards.... In Singapore we get the poor kid who is very bright and very hungry, and that's crucial to our success."

Posted by Larry Winkler at January 16, 2006 6:46 PM
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