IN AN effort to get Singaporeans to be more innovative, schools are focusing on making students critical thinkers instead of masters of a defined body of factual knowledge.
The uproar over the National Library Board banning children's books as well as the debate over a commercial columbarium in Fernvale Lea are good signs that the shift in focus is producing results.
Unfortunately, it also means that more government policies will be challenged, and officers will be expected to have critically thought through their responses.
To keep up with the times, our public institutions need to get their leadership teams together on a regular basis to assess if they are meeting the public's needs in fast-changing Singapore. They also have to apply new insights to reinforce or reposition the institution to the public.
To ensure that the institution's direction is effectively executed, it is important that the underlying rationale is communicated to all relevant staff and steps are taken to ensure that everyone is on the same page.
This would lay the foundation for a proactive decision-making culture that is aligned with and supports the institution's purpose and direction.
Failure to do so would result in further erosion of the public's confidence in our institutions.
Liu Fook Thim
The uproar over the National Library Board banning children's books as well as the debate over a commercial columbarium in Fernvale Lea are good signs that the shift in focus is producing results.
Unfortunately, it also means that more government policies will be challenged, and officers will be expected to have critically thought through their responses.
To keep up with the times, our public institutions need to get their leadership teams together on a regular basis to assess if they are meeting the public's needs in fast-changing Singapore. They also have to apply new insights to reinforce or reposition the institution to the public.
To ensure that the institution's direction is effectively executed, it is important that the underlying rationale is communicated to all relevant staff and steps are taken to ensure that everyone is on the same page.
This would lay the foundation for a proactive decision-making culture that is aligned with and supports the institution's purpose and direction.
Failure to do so would result in further erosion of the public's confidence in our institutions.
Liu Fook Thim
