Tan Kin Lian's Blog: Liberal arts education

Monday, April 12, 2010

Liberal arts education

There are two letters in the Straits Times on the need for a liberal arts education in Singapore. One writer said that it helps people to think out of the box and to have the confidence to be different.

I agree with the observations. I found that, in general, most Singaporeans are not willing to think for themselves. They like to have instructions given to them in detail and will follow them specifically to the letter.
We need people who are more flexible, more independent in their thinking and more willing to take the responsibility to decide.

Tan Kin Lian

Links to letters in Straits Times Forum
http://www.straitstimes.com/STForum/Story/STIStory_513369.html

12 comments:

Anonymous said...: I nominate a team of high-flying Young PAP members to undergo this 'liberal arts" education programme first.

Their feedback on the efficacy of a "liberal arts" programme carries more weight within PAP than 1 year's worth of feedback on this blog.; April 12, 2010 8:18 AM
Anonymous said...: What is 'liberal arts'? There are already arts education in Singapore. There are various colleges that teach singing, acting, mime and other artistic pursuits and performing arts pursuits.; April 12, 2010 8:24 AM
Anonymous said...: I think we should make Literature a compulsory subject from secondary 1 onwards. Literature teaches one to think, analyse, question and reflect. Of course a good Literature teacher is also very important.

Merlion; April 12, 2010 8:42 AM
Anonymous said...: I'd suggest that the FIRST batch of guinea pigs (uh ... I mean pioneers) be recruited (uh ... I mean volunteered) from a select team of high-flying Young PAP members.

It would be a great example of change from within.; April 12, 2010 8:58 AM
H.F. said...: what can you do with a liberal art degree in Singapore? It's a career suicide, no?; April 12, 2010 10:49 AM
Be passionate! said...: Our education system has always been tailored to our economic needs.
Very few programmes are available outside of this "need"

I remember when I was student in Sec1 and because of my below average scores, I was channeled to the "technical stream".. no debate and no choice.

Now, being a parent of 2 boys ( who will feed the mosquitoes in the jungles of Brunei ) I see the same happening again. The subjects allowed is so narrow and the methodology in teaching is still very textbook based.

Teachers seldom allow their own minds to seek experiential ways to impart a concept. Students do not see the value of the concept because there is no context at all.

Some schools introduce Tony Buzan's mind mapping techniques to students ( $10 per student ) which is being delivered by uninspired "facilitators". My sons perception of the technique was "useless"

What is wrong here? the technique of mind mapping or the delivery of the concept?

To capture another person's mind and inspire creativity requires the delivery to be passionate and involved. This is lacking because of mismatched teachers with subject matters.

Notice the numerous visits to this blog? why? the blogger is passionate in what he does and because of that, there is tremendous energy and effort to keep it fresh, interesting, engaging and appealing to many.

Do what you believe in and the passion will show. That will translate to sales and the rest is automatic. believe.; April 12, 2010 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...: This so-called liberal arts programme is tailored according to PAP principles and ideology, so what's so great about it that YPAPs
are boasting about? This is called blowing one's trumpet - no big deal.; April 12, 2010 5:33 PM
Anonymous said...: Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama all attended liberal arts colleges before they took postgrad law degree.

In contrast, Singapore's tertiary education system is focused on functionality in its design.

To make liberal arts colleges successful, we must make sure its grads can earn good living, or able to pursue professional degrees at shorter time.; April 13, 2010 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...: But what about employment?

Offering a liberal arts gead to the typical Hokkien towkay is like offering caviar and fois grai to an unrefined country bumpkin. They won't know how to appreciate it.; April 13, 2010 11:51 AM
Anonymous said...: To Anonymous @ 11:51am,

The typical Hokkien towkay may not appreciate caviar and fois grai at the beginning. However, if they eat them often enough with someone giving them pointers along the way, it is a matter of time they will learn to appreciate them.

The learning and appreciation process is the same whether they are country bumpkin or elite. This is called education.

Merlion; April 13, 2010 2:04 PM
Vincent Sear said...: I wonder, how can there be liberal arts eduction in an politically illiberal environment?

Singapore is famous for defamation suits, censoring movies and dramas, banning plays and songs, restriction of freedom of speech and expression etc.

If the government considers such measures to be important for national security and harmony, then may I humbly suggest, forget about contradicting itself oxymoronically by so-called promoting liberal arts.

Singaporeans interested in liberal arts can find them or learn about about in other countries where the arts are truly liberated.

I think this is a better way as some or most of these Singaporeans will return and add real experience of real liberal arts culture to the Singapore society, gradually and unthreateningly, in a truly progressive way.; April 14, 2010 1:02 PM
fong said...: To the second anonymous comment -- to clarify, the "singing, acting, mime..." arts you mention are considered "visual and performing arts." A liberal arts education, as used by many U.S. colleges, refers to an education composed of a broad range of subjects. This would include languages, politics, philosophy, science and mathematics. The goal is not to create artists, but to make you a well-rounded adult.

Some colleges in the U.S. offer bachelor degrees in liberal arts. Many more don't, but instead take a "liberal arts approach" by requiring first- and second-year students to choose courses from a "core" group of classes, including at least one class in philosophy, writing, maths, etc., before the student focuses on specialized classes in a particular field in the third- and fourth year of college. Students graduate with bachelor's in their respective specialization fields, e.g. bachelor's in anthropology, linguistics, economics, mathematics, engineering, etc.

H.F. says liberal arts is "career suicide." That opinion is common even in the United States. If you get a bachelor's in liberal arts from a college, prestigious or not, and then enter a graduate program to get an additional post-bac credentials in law, medicine, etc., employers consider you to have been very well educated and will hire you. If you get a bachelor's in liberal arts from a prestigious school like Yale, employers will also consider you to be well educated, well, because you went to YALE. But if you get a bachelor's in liberal arts from a little-known small-town college, you will not stand out from the crowd.

In my opinion, if the purpose of adding liberal arts curriculum in Singapore universities is to develop divergent and critical thinkers, NUS should really overhaul its entire undergraduate program to require all undergrads to study a core of subjects. Students should not have to declare upon application to the university what they intend to study. I have read suggestions that a liberal arts college should be created an independent unit within NUS and be filled with high-achieving students -- I disagree with that approach because I believe the point of liberal arts education is to have people from ALL professions have a basic understanding of what it is that creates a civil society, and that ALL students should be given the opportunity to do this, not just the students with the best grades.

Critical thinking should not start at the university level. As another commenter said, literature at secondary school teaches you to think. Our entire primary and secondary school systems should be revamped to put a lower emphasis on exam scores and streaming, and a greater emphasis on studying for the sake of learning how to think. Many middle schools in the United States (Singapore equivalent of primary 6 to secondary 2) have "core" classes in which students read literature classics, study social studies, and learn how to make sustained arguments in these related fields.

And lastly, I want to say if the government is serious about grooming critical, divergent thinkers, government agencies can start by expanding their hiring criteria. People should not get a higher salary just because they got a first-class degree rather than second-class degree. I've heard stories from friends that they were required to submit "O" level results, and even PSLE results when applying for a government job even though they have an university degree. People should be hired because they have good ideas for the job and a track record of success, not because they have a 16-year track record of being good at studying for tests!; April 22, 2010 1:18 AM