Debate on President’s speech: Gerald Giam on giving every Singaporean a fair shot at success
Inequality is a fundamental fault line in Singapore society and must be addressed with the same level of attention and effort given to maintaining racial and religious harmony, said MP Gerald Giam in parliament on Thursday (Sep 25). He said measures must go beyond giving everyone the same opportunities in school, as children of privilege have private advantages that provide them the best opportunities to thrive at every stage of life, with a strong safety net to catch them if they fall. Mr Giam said the challenge is not to suppress privilege, but to level up everyone else. He made several proposals. A Junior SkillsFuture Credit scheme would “democratise access” to the hard and soft skills that are often the privilege of the affluent, ensuring every child has the chance to build their confidence and competence from a young age. A "global horizons fund", perhaps managed by the Singapore International Foundation, could provide financial support for international student exchanges, internships and volunteer trips to build global exposure and cultural capital. Education and career guidance services in schools should be enhanced and personalised to match college preparation provided to higher-income students. To level up the advantage of wealthy parents giving seed capital or passing on their businesses to their children, Enterprise Singapore should revert to its one-to-four co-matching ratio for its Startup SG Founder programme.
Inequality is a fundamental fault line in Singapore society and must be addressed with the same level of attention and effort given to maintaining racial and religious harmony, said MP Gerald Giam in parliament on Thursday (Sep 25). He said measures must go beyond giving everyone the same opportunities in school, as children of privilege have private advantages that provide them the best opportunities to thrive at every stage of life, with a strong safety net to catch them if they fall. Mr Giam said the challenge is not to suppress privilege, but to level up everyone else. He made several proposals. A Junior SkillsFuture Credit scheme would “democratise access” to the hard and soft skills that are often the privilege of the affluent, ensuring every child has the chance to build their confidence and competence from a young age. A "global horizons fund", perhaps managed by the Singapore International Foundation, could provide financial support for international student exchanges, internships and volunteer trips to build global exposure and cultural capital. Education and career guidance services in schools should be enhanced and personalised to match college preparation provided to higher-income students. To level up the advantage of wealthy parents giving seed capital or passing on their businesses to their children, Enterprise Singapore should revert to its one-to-four co-matching ratio for its Startup SG Founder programme.
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