I count myself very fortunate to live in Singapore as people from both East and West work, live and play here. Before Sir Raffles Stamford landed on our shores in 1819, Singapore was a trade centre in the Malay archipelago by virtue of our geographical position and our natural deep harbour.
When I look back at my growing up years, the education I have received is a blend of both East and West. With only myself as the sample, here is what I observe to be good and bad about both East and West in the area of education.
What is good about the West: The scientific method of inquiry and conclusions.
What is good about the East, specifically Chinese: Concise articulation of values. My secondary school’s motto is 诚信勇忠which approximately translates to honesty / integrity, trustworthiness, courage and loyalty. The Chinese characters have only 4 sounds to capture all that. Pretty amazing stuff.
What is bad about the West: Wide boundaries. This complements the scientific mind but somehow does not fit my Asian / Chinese / Singaporean mind.
What is bad about the East: Rote learning without knowing the context.
What shall I teach Medium Boy and Small Boy? How shall I even live my own life for that matter, keeping what is best from each system and de-emphasizing the rest…
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