Mulla Nasrudin stood up in the market place and started to address the throng. “O people! Do you want knowledge without difficulties, truth without falsehood, attainment without effort, progress without sacrifice?” Very soon a large crowd gathered, everyone shouting: “Yes, yes!” “Excellent!” said the Mulla. “I only wanted to know. You may rely upon me to tell you all about it if I discover any such thing.”
~ “The Pleasantries of the Incredible Mulla Nasrudin” by Idries Shah

Sometimes when I think about Indonesian schools and their attempts at improvements, I am reminded of this story. Too often schools want quick ready made solutions to launch them into the world. Often also they think that to become a Sekolah Bertaraf Internasional (SBI) all you need to do is shop.

And all too often, there will be snake oil peddlers promising them this! Today, the snake oil that is being peddled to Indonesian schools include “Singapore education” or “Singapore syllabus”, “ICT”, “English language” and “international examinations”. Indonesians will do well to heed Mulla Nasrudin.

For more Mulla Nasrudin stories that gets you pondering, click on the book cover.

I came across a list of traits that creative people should possess. While studying the traits listed I wondered whether such traits would be welcome in schools as we traditionally know them today. Will schools be able to cope with such people? More specifically, will schools in Singapore ensure that the nurturing of creative people become one of its hallowed goals?

Singapore schools have long prided itself on an examination-centric system and also on characteristics like team work and discipline. The last two often are just an euphemisms for rigid and unquestioning conformity. The examination-centric approach is never healthy for the kind of divergent thinkers, non-conformists, the imaginative and the severely critical, traits that usually characterize the creative. Neither is the mis-emphasis on team work and discipline

Will schools in Singapore be able to recreate the school environment to encourage such traits? How do schools create an environment where habits of minds related to creativity like persistence, intuitiveness, adaptability, tolerance to ambiguity and even risk-taking? What must schools in Singapore give up before such traits can be seriously nurtured?

I was watching on cable TV recently about what will happen after humans have disappeared from the face of the  earth. I thought that it would be fun today that we try to imagine Singapore schools without its well-known high stakes examinations system.

What would it be like to be in such a scenario? What will it be like for all the concerned with school and education, namely, the students, teachers, school administrators, parents and even potential employers? What will a day in school be like? What will remain and what will change as a result fo the removal of of high stakes testing?

Will the actors in the educational stage die? Will they change and embrace the absence of high stakes testing? Will the manner of teaching and learning change? Will the teachers be taught new skills? Will they have to unlearn many things? Will they welcome it?

Will what is deemed important for learning in school also change? Will it be the same for all schools? Who will considered bright in such an environment? How will learning be assessed? Will students be happier? Will parents be happier?

Will there be more dropouts or fewer? How will the school leavers find their places in the economy?How will employers choose employees? How will the workforce change? How will the workplace change?

What do you think? These are just some of the questions that come to my mind. You may have more. Do share your thoughts with us.