Why I’m giving up on education in Singapore

A lot has been on my mind since I attended the Hakuba Forum about a week ago. It was invigorating spending four days with 30 progressive educators discussing schools as a center for well-being, but it also made me reconsider how I spend my time.

Ultimately, it led me to realize that I have to give up on Singapore’s education system and take my edtech startup elsewhere. Let me explain why.

Photo credit: Bigc Studio / Shutterstock

An entrenched system

I founded Doyobi in 2020 as a spin-off of another education company I founded, Saturday Kids. Doyobi designs online quests based on different forms of literacies like environmental, financial, future, etc to help kids learn about the world and develop life skills like critical thinking and problem-solving.

When I posted on LinkedIn that I was giving up on Singapore, both negative and positive reactions were vociferous. Some commenters criticized me for blaming the Singaporean system for Doyobi’s low sign-ups.

That couldn’t be further from the truth, as I’m not saying Singaporean education is failing to achieve its goals – which appear to be academic rigor and strong test scores – but is that what our kids need?

All I am saying is that I cannot change parents’ mindset, which is shaped by the system. My inability to do so is my failure.

The truth is I am giving up on Singapore because education is broken all over the world, and if I can’t tackle the problem here, I have to try somewhere else.

Focus in the wrong place

So what is wrong with education in Singapore? It is a complex question with a simple answer: Kids are suffering through an education that does not prepare them for the future.

Children who are already bored and disengaged in school attend endless tuition classes after school and on weekends.

Parents tell their kids the sacrifice is worth it if they can get into a better school, a better university, and land a well-paying job. The typical Asian childhood is about sacrificing present-day happiness for future rewards.

On a recent Saturday, I was at a cafe. On my left, an angry mother slammed an assessment book on the table, verbally abusing her son for not understanding the question.

On my right, a middle-aged man was gleefully telling his friend how he’s accepting job interviews after getting a bonus so he can squeeze a raise from his boss.

A microcosm of Singapore as a society.

Wake-up call