How does the world see education in the 21st century?

We were discussing this question in a 'sociology of education' class, and when my turn came, the Professor made a joke:

'Singapore's education is about making everyone Singaporeans, isn't it?'

In jest, I gave a simple but succinct reply:

'Yup.'

To the fervent nationalist, pardon my insolence. I'm still a Singapore-loving Singaporean, though I do have doubts about my allegiance to the State - I mean, in this age of globalization, what does 'the State' mean for/to the individual?

I have been going in circles trying to understand Plato, Aristotle, Rousseau, Foucault, Heidegger over the past few years, but while I am aware of the phenomenological aspects, I always find it hard to pinpoint exactly the essence of the 'generational shift' happening in our society is about.

Things took a turn yesterday.

I discovered that the essence of post-structuralism is the shift from socialization to individualization. The economic instrumentality of the global education 'turn', characterized by discourses like 'knowledge economy' and 'life-long learning', only turns the quest for self-identity into extreme self-centredness. The way human relationships and social dynamics are structured are fundamentally challenged - though very often we dismissed this notion with the belief that homo sapiens are social animals.

It's time we come to grips with issues as such, particularly in our tropical enclave that (still) prides itself as Confucian. (Hang on, did I say 'Confucian', or 'conservative'?) When children are spending more time 'interacting' with their computers than with their parents, do you expect 'National Education' to succeed in moulding children into Singaporeans loyal to their State and the Great Party?

If you ask me, it is time we move learning from 'acquisition' mode to 'inquisition' mode. Freedom is an absolute, and that includes the freedom to explore who we are. Micro-level sociology believes that everyone is a world in themselves. It is time we move from 'ideological indoctrination' to guiding children in their quest to seek their own identities without forgetting there is such a thing known as 'collective responsibility' that cannot be dismissed at one's fancy.

突然想到，原来周氏兄弟不只是文学家，还是社会学家。上文所曰，便是100年前，周作人所提出的“个人主义人间本位”。