Education for Tomorrow's World

What are the skills and experiences that will make a difference for a young person today entering the work force in tomorrow's world?

Tomorrow's world requires a young person to have some foundation in the hard subjects - science and mathematics. Technology will continue to drive fundamental changes in our future and will transform our lives. Developments in the internet and mobile telephony, breakthroughs in biotechnology and the life sciences, renewable energy and the conservation of water resources will make fundamental changes in our lives. Those of us who understand the science and mathematics behind these developments will be in the best position to see the trends and take advantage of them.

But it is also important that young people blend an education in hard sciences with humanities. Globalization has changed the way we live. It is an irresistible force, driven by cross border economics, global media, ease of communication and travel. We increasingly interact and do business with people from different countries, backgrounds and languages. And appreciation of cultural differences, the history of a country, the politics of the present, the social issues of the day, the understanding of religious beliefs will put anybody in a much better position. Fluency in more than one language I believe is critical. Already half the world has decided to learn Mandarin, a language that will increase in importance over our lifetimes. But so will knowledge of other languages like Indonesian, Vietnamese, Hindi, Arabic and Spanish. Knowledge of any of them will open so many doors.

Societal attitudes are also changing. Younger people entering the workforce are spoilt for choice, are more demanding and want challenges. Communication skills and leadership skills will be very important. Having high IQ is insufficient. High EQ coupled with high IQ will separate the good from the average.

To succeed in tomorrow’s world, a young person will need a lot more breadth in their education than their predecessors. I remembered one Minister telling me in 1985 that Singapore simply needs more Engineers. What he said was for then, not for tomorrow. Sure we need specialists, but we need a blend of people for tomorrow's Singapore. I think the realisation of this is what is driving a lot of the change in our education system. There are attempts to broaden the syllabus and giving more choice. There is encouragement to learn Mandarin. Yes, this makes education more challenging – for parents, teachers and students. But in the end, we get educated not to pass exams. We get educated to help us succeed in life.

Be open to learning. Be hungry to improve yourself. I have met amazing learners during the course of my young life. I have met a designer of a combat tank whose first degree was international relations, a mathematician who became an expert in the life sciences and a chemical engineer who is a central banker. Its never too late to learn. I learnt how to speak a third language, Indonesian, late in my life. I devoted myself to getting good at Mandarin even later. I speak both reasonably well. I will write in another blog about this.

Travel offers plenty. I would recommend every young person to spend some time visiting, living or working in a foreign country early in his life. You will learn to see the world in a different way and appreciate the differences in attitudes people have. Spend some time in particular in countries of tomorrow - ie developing countries, and not of yesterday.

This strive to grow and learn is congruent with what I regard as success in life. Success in life is not about the accumulation of material wealth or power but is best defined by two things. First, it is having the peace of mind and satisfaction of knowing that you did your best to develop the talent the God gave you. Secondly, that you did something meaningful with that talent, something that made a great difference not only to those close to you, but to the wider community. For it is only then, that the the people you touch, the admirers you gain hold you great esteem not because of your power you have (which is temporary), or the money you have, but because of the person you are. That is true success.