Singapore Democrats
The SDP awarded bursaries worth $300 each to three lower-income families. The Mohd Isa Bursary Award is part of the SDP’s commitment to helping students from poorer backgrounds get a headstart so that they can compete fairly with their peers.
We believe that while individuals possess different innate abilities and talents – which should be rewarded according to merit – all citizens must be given the same opportunity to succeed.
There are many needy children in Singapore who need financial assistance for their school needs. This is a travesty in a society as rich as ours. Our education system should ensure that every single child can get an education without having to apply for bursaries or depend on handouts.
The SDP’s policy to achieve equality through education and how to prepare our students for the future is spelt out in our policy paper Educating for Creativity and Equality: An Agenda for Transformation. To read the full paper, click here. Below are some measures proposed in our policy:
1. Remove PSLE and delay streaming
The stress of exams inflicts psychological trauma on children. It is not an intelligent approach to assess the abilities of primary-school students on a single examination.
2. Cultivate creative minds
Build confidence in children by helping them develop independent thinking, willingness to make mistakes, and perseverance in the face of failed attempts
3. Broaden curricula, reduce syllabi
Subjects such as music appreciation, speech and drama, literature, etc. as well as periods for students to collaborate and interact to develop their creativity will be introduced to al schools.
4. Reduce class size
The SDP will reduce class size in our schools to 20 pupils per class from the current 40 to provide students with the necessary individual attention to help them develop academically.
5. Scrap school and class rankings
Comparing examination results and ranking students and classes detracts from the real purpose of education, which is self-improvement and self-actualisation.