Lessons for South African Education from the Singapore Government’s Commitment to and Practice of Equity and Meritocracy in Education

Abstract

In contrast, Singapore has demonstrated a consistent commitment to equity and meritocracy. Meritocracy, a foundation of Lee Kuan Yew’s government from the beginning, guided the state’s path on the most efficient way to run a government and the only way to create a peaceful multi-ethnic society. The colonial education system was highly elitist as well as ethnically and religiously divided. Lee Kuan Yew sought to replace this system with a universal state-funded system in which talent and hard work would prevail. Singapore’s leadership argued that ruthless pragmatism was the only way to survive. Leadership also mobilised its multiple religious and ethnic groups around the Singapore pledge, “One united people regardless of race, language or religion” (Yew, 2000), using a thematic analysis: a hybrid approach of inductive and deductive coding and theme development. Under this pledge there was a shared view to intelligence as an important national and international human resource and as a possible vehicle for the advancement of society. Gifted education was accepted as reasonable and not elitist. Thus, educational investment had to be directed toward providing a suitable educational environment that would prepare talented youths for responsible leadership and service to country and society.