You won’t learn much studying in Singapore.

This is because you’re not being educated. You’re being trained. Critical discussions aren’t a norm of the curriculum. There are many better institutions to learn from than Singapore. It’s a heavily test-focused system.

Most Singaporeans don’t remember what they learned in school, as Singapore promotes rote-learning and discussion-based learning isn’t encouraged. The educational approach is centered around chalk and talk teacher-student Q&A sessions – imagine replacing the chalk with a whiteboard marker! In fact, Q&A rarely occurs because it’s mostly lecture-style. Seminars have a nice ring to them, but the approach is the same.

The problem is fundamentally political. It’s the hegemonic application of maintaining political power that has produced a culture that doesn’t permit questioning authority or critical thinking. Schools avoid creating curriculums that involve critical questioning of policies, systems, values, race, religion, and more. The result is a pressure-cooker system where faculty members who can’t meet international rankings requirements are “chopped” – a harsh approach that hides behind international university rankings.

With this system in place, Nobel winners will never exist in Singapore, just like they won’t win the World Cup. Japan produces dozens of Nobel winners because it has a freer and more democratic political system. The society is shaped by its education system. Look around you – why are so many elderly working well into their end-of-life stage? Most Singaporeans can’t afford subsistence retirement.