A Policy of Meritocracy
Who does a policy of meritocracy favor?
The academically-inclined, bright and hardworking students, of course.
They are the ones who excel in their studies, get government scholarships and get cushy high-paying jobs in the civil sector after they get their degrees with first class honors.
For those who are not as academically-inclined, chances are: They would have difficulties landing cushy high-paying jobs as civil servants.
Our system works like this: If you have not been performing excellently in terms of academics from primary school to university, it is highly unlikely you would ever get an nice, big iron rice bowl working for the government.
So what does that leave you? You’re likely to join the massive hordes of average-salaried Singapore workers who have to work for peanuts until their dying day.
Only way for you to make big bucks as much as your rich counterparts working in a high-ranking civil post, is to do sales. Be it insurance, property, etc.
Or you can start your own business if you have the initial capital to do so and become a rich towkay, make your 1st million bucks between the age of 30 and 40.
Bottomline is this: For someone whose academic performance has not been outstanding (filled with distinctions) but only average or above average but below superior standards as dictated by the government, he is likely to join the massive majority hordes of average-salaried workers working for peanuts until their dying day with little or no chance of a decently rich retirement.
It’s a very hard uphill task for you to break out of this mould if you have not fit into the original mould and path set for you to take from day one. Like I said, only way for someone who has not shown stellar academic performances from his primary to tertiary education, to be as rich as or richer than a high-ranking civil servant, is to go into sales or start his own business selling stuff in high demand.
This is how our so-called meritocracy policy put us in our places. Those of us who don’t do well in our studies are made to feel like we are local trash. Those who do well are considered as talents, whether they be local or foreign ones.
posted by Mockingbird at
8:52 AM
4 Comments:
What about private sector? I'm sure you can climb up the corporate ladder if you do a very good job.
Beside most people aren't interested to work in the public sector. Even scholar quit after few years of bond.
Private sector also favors a good degree too albeit they don't place much as much emphasis on it as the gahmen does.
Many who climb the corporate ladder all the way to the top are usually in sales or begin their career in the company as a salesman. i think considering the number of job candidates that the public sector has been rejecting on grounds of having a degree that is not 1st class upper honors is still quite considerable. it seems like the SAF is having the toughest time of getting fresh graduates to sign on with them :p
"it seems like the SAF is having the toughest time of getting fresh graduates to sign on with them"
Hmm this is why we have to serve National Service. Out of 4 million population in Singapore only few ten-thousand [Estimate] are willing to sign up.
"Those who do well are considered as talents, whether they be local or foreign ones."
Well as you say some who climb the corporate ladder all the way to the top are usually in sales. Not everyone doing sales are good in their education.
precisely. Many salesmen don't do well in their studies but they end up making much more money than those who get good degrees and make a living out of their degrees.
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