As Singapore embarks upon her journey to recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, the future of education is a major concern. The education sector was one of the hardest hit during the pandemic, with schools shutting down and classes turning to online e-learning.
Now the question arises: where do schools go from here?
In this instalment of the Asia Thinker Series (After the Pandemic) moderated by Associate Professor Suzaina Kadir, Vice Dean (Academic Affairs) at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, Minister for Education Mr Lawrence Wong and Mr Brajesh Panth discussed education in post-COVID-19 times.
Education in the face of COVID-19
Mr Lawrence Wong, Singapore's Minister for Education, began the session by outlining the ways in which the COVID-19 pandemic has changed Singapore's approach to education.
A key idea Minister Wong raised was the potential of a blended model of learning. "Teaching and learning are ultimately social and relational processes at their core," he explained. "Which is why there is now renewed interest in a blended model of learning,"
According to him, blended learning requires a rethink of pedagogy and instructional design in ways that can best integrate technology into the lessons, as well as relevant training for teachers and instructors.
"We are now thinking through how we can implement blended learning into our education system starting next year," said Minister Wong.
Indeed, there have already been efforts made by the government to reduce the emphasis on academic achievements and instead provide a better holistic environment that prizes soft skills and character.
Ultimately, the goal is to reduce curriculum content and free up teachers to focus on more important aptitudes and skill sets.
"More important than content is the mindset that we need to inculcate in our young people. That mindset must be one of agility, adaptability, and the ability to keep on learning through life," Minister Wong added.
Inequity in digitalised education
Mr Brajesh Panth, chief of the Education Sector Group at the Asian Development Bank, addressed the issue of inequity arising from the implementation of digitalised learning in many developing countries.
"COVID-19 has exacerbated inequity and further deepened the learning crisis due to massive closure of schools and disruptions in learning," said Mr Brajesh. It also exposed how ill-prepared society was for digitalised and online learning due to a lack of adequate infrastructure and poor media literacy.
In response, he believes that there is a need for governments to allocate more resources towards helping vulnerable learners, as well reskilling and upskilling as workers who have lost their jobs.
According to Mr Brajesh, cross-sector collaboration and public-private partnerships can reap great benefits by bringing in relevant expertise, capacity and innovative solutions into the education sector.
With such collaborations, schools will be able to learn about industry needs and adjust their pedagogical approach accordingly. Furthermore, Edtech companies can use their resources to make up for what the government cannot provide.
"The potential is enormous," said Mr Brajesh. "The private sector has a very important role to play, but they also need to recognise the scale and quality of learning… and the public sector needs to be more open to this idea."
Inequality and inclusivity in post-pandemic Singapore
When asked by Prof Suzaina about how Singapore will address inequality in the education landscape, Minister Wong highlighted numerous efforts put into ensuring schools stay open, as well as the government's hopes that more school activities can resume.
He also expressed the need to ensure that all students can have adequate resources to participate in online learning. He revealed that the government intends to accelerate a programme to distribute digital devices to every child in secondary school.
"We want to ensure that every child will have access to a digital device and the internet, so that they will not be left behind," he explained.
Secondly, there is a need to level up opportunities for students from more disadvantaged backgrounds. A possible approach to this, Minister Wong said, is to allocate more resources to these disenfranchised students through adequate funding for schools.
Lastly, the government aims to build a system of multiple pathways to allow every child to excel at what they are good at, no matter where their strengths lie. "Some students have strengths that are not in the academic area," he explained. "We should then provide them with a different pathway in order for them to progress and thrive in that pathway."
The role of educational technology
While technology is a means to delivering better education, policymakers should adopt a student-centric approach before thinking about how technology can aid learning.
Minister Wong expressed the government's openness to private companies investing in EdTech and venture capital funds, but also expressed concern about commercial incentives intruding into the space of education. Regardless, partnerships with technology companies will grant the government insights on how best to harness technology to deliver better outcomes.
However, there remains concerns about the impact of technology on the individual, such as excessive screen time, digital addiction and mental wellbeing. Minister Wong cautioned that we ought to be mindful of these risks and find ways to mitigate these risks while still harnessing the power of technology.
Private-public partnerships in Singapore's education system
As such, the private sectors can either serve as learning providers for students, training providers for adults, or as solutions for the public sector. Minister Wong welcomed the role of the private sector as a complement the public sector's efforts.
Local universities have also been working to strengthen industry linkages, so that knowledge created from universities will be relevant in improving the quality of life for everyone.
Aside from partnering with the private sector, other efforts made by local universities include reviewing university curriculum and encouraging a more multidisciplinary approach in local universities. According to Minister Wong, research showed how being exposed to more disciplines encourages adaptability and agility, mindsets that will be applicable at all stages of life.
"We do not want universities to be ivory towers," he added. "They should be towers of excellence."
What role does education play in the future?
To round up the discussion, Prof Suzaina asked the panelists about their vision for the future of education with the involvement of AI and robots.
In regards to this, Mr Brajesh asserted that there need not be a competition between humans and machines. In fact, it can be a win-win situation when the power of technology is paired with the creativity of humans and when technology can improve and transform the lives of students with disabilities.
Minister Wong also sought to assuage anxieties regarding the rise of technology. "We've been through many waves of technological change, and humanity has thrived and prospered," he said. He also emphasised that we ought to cultivate and harness our human strengths—our ability to build relationships, to work in teams and our creativity.
For him, education ought not to serve the utilitarian purpose of getting us our dream jobs. Rather, we should view education as a way to learn for good and to lead more fulfilling lives.
"It really takes everyone to do their part, and we hope that we can all move forward together in this journey of becoming life-long learners, and really embracing this mindset of continuous learning."