SINGAPORE: In a TikTok video from last month, a woman said that India has much to learn from Singapore and zeroed in on the city-state’s education system.
“How good it is here,” said the TikToker who goes by @kd28918, going on to say that it was not necessarily the quality of education she was referring to, but the infrastructure and how poor and rich children can all get the same education.
“It doesn’t matter if you’re from a poor or a rich family,” she said, as each student can get an education that is equal in quality.
@kd28918 How poor and rice kids go the same school in Singapore very nice work by SgGov.#tiktok #singaporelife #india #moeschool#education
“So you will not get judged on your economic status,” the woman added.
Some citizens even get a “top-quality education” at subsidised rates, which she called “really commendable. India should definitely learn from Singapore.”
“Very nice work by SgGov,” she wrote in the caption to the video, which has been seen tens of thousands of times.
Her video has sparked some debates among commenters, who had a lot to say.
For example, one wrote, “Singapore is very small and has fewer people, very easy to control, but India is a very big and populated country.”
To this, another answered, “Education has got nothing to do with the size of the country; it’s about meritocracy for all.”
Some commenters got a bit defensive, arguing that in spite of the points the post author made, many Indians enjoy top leadership positions all over the world.
As one put it, “You are comparing the Singapore River to the River Ganga! The SG river may look clean and rich, but the resources of the Ganga river can’t be imagined!”
The post author, however, shot back with “Yeah, highly polluted. India has every natural resource and human talent,” but lacks many things.
Another chimed in to say that it was an unfair comparison, since “Singapore is at a different level.”
A commenter put in a good word for their home state, writing, “Hello, hello, excuse me …. Pls look into Tamil Nadu …. Totally different from other states.”
When a TikTok user asked, “Do you think India can have the same system?”, @kd28918 answered yes, but added that it depended on the country’s leadership.
Another, however, wrote, “Both systems have their pros and cons. India’s approach encourages innovation and variety, while Singapore’s method prioritises orderliness and useful abilities.” /TISG
