Leave no Singaporean behind

ENSURING BIRTH IS NOT DESTINY: Building an inclusive society. Intervening earlier and doing more.

Meritocracy is fair, but it will not on its own ensure we keep up social mobility.

We therefore have to find every way to help kids who start with less, so that birth is never destiny.
 
Since 2006, we've been enhancing support for those with a weaker start. More specialists, smaller classes, more activities outside class to build confidence and perseverance.

We now spend 50 per cent more on the kids who have a weak start in learning than the average student in our primary schools.

We are also intervening earlier. We've made preschools more affordable, and are introducing many more, near the home. We are improving the quality of the preschool experience, which helps especially for those who come from lower-income homes. And as we go forward, we have to pay more attention to the initial years of life, before preschool.

In higher education, we've expanded subsidised places and have introduced a diversity of pathways. They cater to different interests, and open up strong, skills-based routes to advancement, including applied university programmes. This diversity makes for both an innovative and inclusive Singapore.

Excerpt from:
The Economic Society of Singapore SG50 Distinguished Lecture by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Tharman Shanmugaratnam