Singapore’s Meritocratic Education System
Since her inception as a nation-state in 1965, the notion of meritocracy has remained a key principle of governance and educational distribution in Singapore (Lee, 2000). Defined as the allocation of rewards in congruence with human excellence (Ritzer, 2007), meritocracy is built upon Davis and Moore’s principle of structural functionalism. They posited that stratification is a functional necessity as social roles and position differed in society, with some requiring special skillsets. As a result, allocation of appropriate roles is necessary to maximise the capability of every individual in society. Education is thus used as a tool, or an influence exercised by adult generations “to stimulate and develop in the child a certain number of physical, intellectual and moral states which are demanded of him by the political society as a whole” (Durkheim, 1972, p. 204).
In Singapore, the 1979 New Educational Policies (NEP) and post-NEP policies implemented academic streaming that stratified students into express and technical stream based on academic abilities (Chong, 2014). Within the express stream, majority of the students progress to Junior Colleges or Polytechnics while students in the normal stream enter either Polytechnics or the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) upon completing their secondary education. According to the Ministry of Education (MOE), in 2014, 23.7% of a cohort was admitted into the Nitec or Higher-Nitec Course (ITE), 47.8% to publicly-funded diploma course (Polytechnics), 28% into pre-university courses (Junior Colleges) and 30.0% to publicly-funded degree courses (Local Universities). Furthermore, polytechnic graduates comprised only a third of local university intake in 2015 (Teng, 2016). As the aspiration of gaining university qualifications is pervasive in society today (Law, 2008), Singapore’s streaming process has thus created a culture where an individual’s social standing is predicted based on his or her level of academic excellence.
Educational Stratification in the Church
With the Singapore society operating on this system of meritocracy, it is no surprise that such social stratifications are also observed in social institutions such as the church. Moberg (1962) stated that “one’s relative status within a church also is connected with his status in the total community structure and in society” (p. 132). One such example is the role of an elder, which is an office of leadership held within the church. According to John Watkins’s (1895) Hand-book for Ruling Elders (as cited in The Duties and Qualifications of Ruling Elders, 2011), the elder’s “influence for good and usefulness in the church depends largely upon the character he maintains in business and society”, with his usefulness “severely crippled if regarded by the community as lacking purity and integrity of character”. Hence, it is observed that successful career or a high social standing in the secular workplace is taken into consideration and brought into the church setting.
This leads to an exploration of whether such social stratification is observed among youths and their peers in church, particularly as society has stratified them according to their academic abilities. However, since there is a lack of local academic research papers on this subject matter, this essay will instead explore the dynamics of the youths in my church, Providence Presbyterian Church (PPC).
Case Study – Providence Presbyterian Church (Orchard Congregation)
[The following statistics are representative of a church community where most youths excel academically. I understand that this varies across the churches in Singapore, with some having a community where the majority does not pursue a university degree, while others might have a good mix of youths with varying levels of academic abilities.]
Out of approximately 100 youths attending PPC (Orchard)’s youth service, more than 90% of those aged 17 and 18 are pursuing tertiary education at either a junior college or polytechnic. In one of the young adults fellowship that consists of about 50 members aged 19 to 28, more than 80% of the young adults have graduated or will graduate with a degree from either a local or overseas university. The Straits Times reported that the Cohort Participation Rate, otherwise known as the age group’s rate of entry into university, increased to 32% in 2015 (Davie, 2015). This shows that in PPC (Orchard), more than 80% of the young adults belong to the top 32% of their cohort when ranked according to their academic abilities.
Problem of Educational Stratification among Youths in Church
Integration.
Thus, this begs the question of how individuals who belong to the other 68% of the cohort that does not achieve such academic excellence will integrate into such a church community. The bible teaches us to be united as one body, with 1 Corinthians 12:14 stating that “the body does not consist of one member but of many”. Paul further elaborated that the whole body cannot be an eye, if not the sense of hearing would be missing; it also cannot be an ear, or the sense of smell would be missing. However, Singapore’s meritocratic educational system highlights that although different parts need to work together for society to function, certain parts are still of a higher standing as compared to others. For example, despite the government’s advocacy on the technical functions and importance of the ITE educational pathway, it is recognised that the ITE pathway is still considered less prestigious when compared to the university education. An individual’s educational institution is often viewed as a marker of one’s academic abilities and future potential. Comparison of their academic standing thus creates a hierarchical structure based on the standards of the secular world and can lead to divisions within the church instead. For those who excel academically and have been affirmed by society that they have the potential and capability to be highly productive and important members of society, there exists the potential for them to have arrogance and pride during personal sharings. They might also end up as stumbling blocks towards those who do not excel academically, as comparison of situations or how easy another has it can occur, especially as encouraging fellow brothers and sisters through their daily walk is essential in fellowship. Such differences in life journey can result in a lack of empathy when supporting one another in church.
Studying the word.
During the protestant reformation, the primacy of the Bible as the only source of revealed truth was emphasised. In line with 2 Timothy 3:16-17, which states that “all scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work”, studying the word is essential for spiritual growth and bible studies are a core activity conducted in church. Originating from a culture that promotes academic excellence possibly allows for a student to value the process of studying the word more easily as compared to a student that values practical skills. The primary role of ITE is to ensure its graduates have the technical knowledge and skills that are relevant to the industry, as compared to universities that pursue excellence in education, research and service (MOE, 2017). The culture and values inculcated within students of different educational institutions have produced individuals who excel in different aspects. Bible study is thus possibly an activity that is better appreciated and pursued by those who excel academically. In turn, non-academically inclined members may view fellowship activities that emphasise on studying the word as dreary and boring, resulting in them choosing not to attend fellowship when such activities are conducted. When conducting bible study with a group that has different levels of academic abilities, the question of whether to delve into topics that are harder to grasp is often a source of contention.
Fellowship Despite the Diversity
However, true Christian fellowship does not reflect the social stratification observed in the secular world. In Romans 12:3(a), Paul stated, “For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think” and in Philippians 2:3, “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves”. Christ’s example of humility and obedience serves as our model. In acknowledging that we are totally depraved, God’s unconditional election truly realigns our heart and mind in living as new creations in Christ. Receiving the Holy Spirit unites us with Christ, and it is this power of the Holy Spirit that enables us to bear fruits and to serve with a humble heart. If not, we might possibly carry ourselves with a prideful attitude, giving glory to our own actions instead. In His high-priestly prayer, Jesus prayed for complete unity among His followers, which is illustrated by Paul as one physical body. He highlighted that the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are actually indispensable and those parts of the body that we think are less honorable, we actually bestow the greater honor. Ultimately, the purpose of every part is to serve the whole body and there should be no schism in the body.
At the same time, the reality is that there are indeed churches with a majority-minority ratio of youth or young adult members with different academic abilities. It is essential that churches are grounded in the word and this is not a matter to be compromised on. However, connecting with the diversity of people and personality in the group is of utmost importance. University students are attuned to lectures and tutorial discussions, which are similar to most “boring” bible study sessions where inductive bible study occurs – observing, interpretation and application whilst reading the bible. However, it is possible to move beyond the printed page and add differences to engage people. For example, adding colour charts to highlight the passage can be helpful for visual learners. It might also be helpful to rotate bible study leading among members in order to better understand how teaching and learning styles differ. Ultimately, the focus and emphasis on studying the word should not be lessened, yet sensitivity to different learning styles and personalities needs to be factored in as well.
Culture varies across time and space. The academic culture among the church community in PPC (Orchard) might change as the Singapore government moves towards reducing the stigma of the less-academically inclined and the bias towards elite schools. However, while it is still present and the community is composed of more academically-inclined student, it would be mindful for the church community to be aware of providing an inclusive environment that is rooted in our identity as children of God, as well as to be sensitive to the different struggles that members across different walks of life are facing.
References
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