Tell me if i'm wrong...the average scholarship achiever now, has
hardcore tuition which their parents are able to afford, and on top
of that probably has studied in a top JC...And their parents drill
them into success, where there is no room for failure...thats the
elite child that Singapore is churning today...
What's the evidence for that statement? On the other hand, you
will find that the scholars selected have all performed well both
in academic studies and in extra-curricular activities, based on
the stringent selection criteria of the PSD. But I agree scholars
tend to come from a top secondary school or JC but that has nothing
to do with wealth. Any poor but talented student can get into a top
secondary school or JC, based on his PSLE and O level
results.
Sure, many may have had lots of tuition, but if most students have
it nowadays, it will not help. In any case, the truly talented will
do well despite not having any tuition at all, whether he be rich
or poor. Tuition may push the mediocre into consideration for a
scholarship but at the end of the day, the poor but talented
student will not lose out. There are a serie sof rigorous
interviews and assessments before a scholarship is awarded and the
selectors are experienced enough to distinguish the truly talented
from the mediocre made good with tuition.
And getting a scholarship is not the end of the matter. You have to
do well consistently in your examinations in University to retain
it. Many people do not realize this but I know of a President's
scholar who lost his scholarship because he failed his examinations
in Uni and made to give back his scholarship. Of course that is a
rare, isolated instance and despite the care taken in selection,
the selectors are human and can be wrong. That chap is now very
successful in his career in any case. But it sends the message loud
and clear: a scholar who does not perform will be thrown out
unceremoniously.
