Debate on President’s Address: Shahira Abdullah on access to education and meritocracy

Education may be a social leveller, but access to education may not be equal, said NMP Shahira Abdullah in Parliament on Tuesday (Apr 18). She noted that there is still intense competition among parents to get a Primary 1 place for their child and more privileged families may have an advantage for certain more popular schools - for instance, those who can afford to move close to the school or who can spare the time to volunteer, or those with alumni places in prestigious schools in wealthy areas. With that in mind, ACS (Primary)’s impending move to Tengah is a “forward-looking one”, she said. Dr Shahira raised the question - could it embolden the boards of other popular primary schools, especially those in affluent neighbourhoods, to do the same? She also spoke about the need to promote a diverse range of pathways to success, valuing not just careers of knowledge and intelligence but skills- and care-based careers too. She said Singapore needs a fundamental mindset shift, to be willing to recognise that every individual has something to offer and be willing to remunerate them for it.