Rethinking Education, Work, and Worth in Singapore: A Call for a Mindshift

In recent months, conversations around Singapore’s education system, particularly the PSLE, have intensified. From political manifestos to parenting and educator forums and reflections, the question of how we are preparing our children for the future has taken center stage. But beyond curriculum tweaks and assessment reforms, the deeper challenge lies in shifting our collective mindset about education, about work, and about value.

Academic Pathways: The Only Route?

Singapore’s academic excellence has earned global recognition. It has shaped one of the world’s most rigorous education systems and built a highly skilled workforce. But this success has also reinforced a common belief: that a university degree or a polytechnic diploma is the golden ticket to career success and social standing.

While this pathway works for many, it can unintentionally marginalize those who take alternative routes—those pursuing vocational skills or working in trades that are essential to daily life. Are these individuals less skilled or less valuable?

Reframing the Value of Work

While economic realities influence wages and demand, shouldn’t all work be viewed with dignity? A society cannot function with leaders and specialists alone. We need nurses, waitstaff, receptionists, and housekeepers just as much as doctors, chefs, and hotel managers.

The hierarchy we've created—based on education, income, and job title—fuels wage disparity and social stigma. But what if we valued people based on the quality and impact of their service rather than the prestige of their position?

This is not about equal pay, but about fair compensation and respect for contribution. Let’s recognize that a waiter who brings joy to customers is just as crucial to a restaurant's success as the chef who prepares the food.

No Job Is Greater Than Another

Revaluing work means affirming that every job, when done with skill and integrity, contributes to society. Whether it’s a florist arranging a display or a software engineer writing code, each role is meaningful.

This perspective isn’t just ethical—it’s practical. Without appreciation and fair compensation, essential service sectors face chronic understaffing and low morale.

Can Mindset Shifts Solve Singapore’s Labour Shortage in the Service Sectors?

Singapore has long grappled with labour shortages in key service sectors: retail, food & beverage, hospitality, and eldercare. While government policies allow for foreign labour to meet these gaps, the deeper question we must ask is: Why aren’t more Singaporeans choosing these jobs?

The answers are layered, but one factor stands out: social perception. Many Singaporeans, shaped by a success narrative rooted in academic achievement, view these roles as "low-skilled" or undesirable. And so, we return to school, to the values we nurture early, and to the stories we tell our children about what work is worth.

From Classrooms to Careers: How We Shape Aspiration

From a young age, children in Singapore are conditioned to aim for university. The PSLE, streaming, and scholarship systems reinforce the idea that paper qualifications lead to status, comfort, and respect.

Service jobs, on the other hand, are often seen as last-resort roles for those who "don't make it."

But here's the irony: these same roles are essential to our daily lives. They demand communication, adaptability, problem-solving, empathy, and resilience - 21st-century competencies that we say we want to nurture.

What If We Changed the Narrative?

What if:

• A career in hospitality was viewed as a path to leadership, not just a stepping stone.
  

• Being a waiter or retail assistant is respected for the real-time human intelligence it requires.
  

• ITE graduates are celebrated for mastering trades that keep Singapore running smoothly.

This isn't just a matter of pride - it's about retention and sustainability. When people feel valued, they stay. When there's a career ladder, they climb. When there's dignity, there's motivation.

Three Strategic Shifts That Could Help

1. Rebrand Service Work in Education and Media. Start in primary schools. Normalize stories of service excellence, not just entrepreneurial or academic success. Include more local role models in the media who are thriving in these roles.
   

2. Strengthen ITE and SkillsFuture Pathways. Ensure vocational training comes with clear progression, mentorship, and industry-recognized certifications. Build bridges between ITE and polytechnic programs so skills can stack over time.
   

3. Public-Private Partnerships to Elevate the Sector. Employers should collaborate with ministries and media to spotlight success stories and rethink recruitment. Could a national campaign do for service work what SAF has done for national defence?

What Society Gains When We Shift Our Mindset

This isn’t just about filling roles. It’s about:

• Reducing over-reliance on transient foreign labour

  
  

• Building a resilient, locally-rooted service economy

  
  

• Creating meaningful careers for Singaporeans across the spectrum

  
  

And most of all, it’s about recognising that no job is beneath dignity, and that a thriving nation is one that honours all contributions. If we want long-term solutions to our labour shortages, it may not start with recruitment quotas, but with the mindset we cultivate in classrooms, boardrooms, and dining rooms.

Because when we start seeing value in all work, more people will be proud to do it.

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Reflection Question

How do you think we can better recognise and elevate the value of essential service roles in our society, and what role should schools, employers, and families play in this shift?

I welcome your thoughts, experiences, and stories in the comments below.