As far as further education goes, most Singaporeans tend to stop after acquiring their degrees to enter the workforce.
However, during the second Budget 2022 debate on Tuesday (1 Mar), MP Ang Wei Neng put forth the idea of ‘expiring’ degrees conferred by Singapore’s Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs).
In his view, this would ensure that the workforce has skills that are relevant.
Graduates would need to attend a series of courses every 5 years and risk having their degrees lapse if they fail to do so. This means that one may not be able to claim their degree as part of their qualifications if they fail to upgrade themselves.
According to TODAY Online, Mr Ang lobbied the ‘radical idea’ against the backdrop of rapid industry changes.
He noted that skill sets and real-life world experiences have proven to trump university degrees.
Speaking in Parliament, he said that even without a university degree, a person who possesses the skills, knowledge, and experience can go very far in life.
He then implored universities to undertake the role of providing lifelong learning.
Netizens have not taken this suggestion lightly, with many comments lambasting the idea.
One Facebook user highlighted that graduates may not have the time to complete these upgrading courses as responsibilities pile up as they grow older.
Another user wondered if practising doctors and lawyers would suddenly be out of their jobs if they fail to upgrade themselves within 5 years.
This netizen, meanwhile, thinks that the concept of lifelong learning is not something that requires regulation.
While the core idea behind Mr Ang’s suggestion is commendable, there must be a better way of arriving at the same goal.
Initiatives like SkillsFuture courses are still widely available and adopted by many Singaporeans.
Perhaps a marketing push for the programme into the forefront of Singaporean’s minds when they think of upgrading themselves would be a better pursuit.
This would ensure that Singaporeans have a choice and perform the necessary upgrades on their terms.
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Featured image adapted from MCI on YouTube.
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