1. Key Ideas
1.1. Organic vs. Industrial Education
1.1.1. Organic
1.1.1.1. An organism-like system that is supposed to allow and promote greater flexibility and innovation
1.1.1.1.1. Less hierarchical
1.1.2. Industrial
1.1.2.1. Organized like a factory, with hierarchical, or vertical, command-and-control structures.
1.1.2.1.1. Little flexibility and no openness to innovation
1.1.2.2. Dislocates people from their natural talents
1.1.2.2.1. Causes people to endure what they do in life instead of enjoying it
1.1.2.2.2. Get no pleasure from what they do
1.1.3. Application in Singapore
1.1.3.1. I strongly believe that Singapore stands to benefit from this - in particular, organic education
1.1.3.1.1. Currently, Singapore has what some would call an "Industrial Education" system. We certainly have churned out lots of talented individuals.
1.2. Enthrallment in Education
1.2.1. Idea of Linearity
1.2.1.1. By going through certain lessons, one will end up set for the rest of one's life
1.2.1.2. E.g. The idea that for one to be successful in life, one must go to University
1.2.1.3. In the Singaporean context, The "Singaporean Plan" would be an excellent example. The idea that achieving or meeting certain goals would ensure success in life is the main focus of the "Singaporean Plan", one of the goals is to graduate from University
1.2.2. Trying to expose younger and younger children to more and more difficult and advanced topics in the hopes that it will make them more intelligent
1.2.2.1. E.g. In the TED talk, the speaker referenced a policy which stated "College begins in Kindergarten"
1.2.2.1.1. The policy incorrectly assumes that by exposing children to advanced topics and preparing them for college,m it would allow these children to have a higher chance of getting into college
1.2.2.2. In the case of Singapore,there are parents and schools who do this. Parents and teachers drill students on Mock Examination papers and get them to learn advanced topics in the hope that it would make it easier for students to excel, and thus get into a good school or even a good University in the future.
1.3. Conformity
1.3.1. Fast-food model of Education
1.3.1.1. Everything is standardized
1.3.1.1.1. Prevents students from reaching their full potential and impoverishes them.
1.3.1.2. In order to solve this, there is a need to customize education to each and every student
1.3.1.2.1. One way of doing this would be the "Organic" model of education
1.4. Passion
1.4.1. Education does not provide the necessary motivation to ignite the fiery fires of passion in an individual.
1.4.1.1. Method of delivery
1.4.1.1.1. Certain methods of delivering the information to students are just plain boring
1.4.1.1.2. Solution: Alternative methods
1.4.1.2. Content covered
1.4.1.2.1. Often, students are only interested in certain topics
1.4.1.3. In Singapore's context
1.4.1.3.1. There has been much effort to produce and provide more interesting methods of delivering lessons to students
1.4.1.3.2. In primary and secondary school, content covered is fairly general, in order to provide students with an idea on how the different subjects are like