Tensions between meritocracy and equity in Singapore: Educational issues in preparing a workforce for the knowledge-based economy

Abstract

While Singapore’s education success is often attributed to its meritocratic and rigorous education system, critics question whether Singapore’s “brand” of meritocracy is now fit-for-purpose as the economy changes from an industrial to a knowledge-based economy (KBE). This paper argues that a KBE privileges intellectual and other talents across a larger spectrum of society than is presently rewarded and, consequently, tensions arise between meritocracy, social equity, and mobility. It highlights the roles played by schools and, in particular, education policy and leadership practice in both sanctioning and mitigating the adverse effects of meritocracy in the city state. It argues that Singapore leaders’ pre-occupation with quality rather than equity results in important inequalities in learning experiences and opportunities for students of different socioeconomic backgrounds. It identifies the competencies needed by students in the KBE and how principal leadership can help address these in more equitable ways. Finally, it suggests how principals can contribute to Singapore’s development trajectory by acting as agents of social change in realising a more socially just society, re-orientating their leadership to emphasise both quality and equity in learning, revisiting the definition of success in schools, and transforming them into learning organisations that are fit-for-purpose in the KBE.