I AGREE with Mr Tan Jiaqi ("No template for creativity"; Dec 18)
that the absence of creativity among Singaporeans stems not merely
from the pressure within the classrooms but also from our
socio-economic circumstances.
I also agree that creativity can be nurtured only by giving the
child space and freedom to pursue his strengths and interests.
However, in the Singapore context, if a child is given too much
space and ventures too far from the mainstream and fails, he will
be on his own, unlike some countries where there is a good social
safety net to take care of him.
Furthermore, in these countries, the wage gap is not as great
between white collar professionals and blue collar ones, so there
is less pressure on the child to conform and do well in school so
that he ends up with a good white collar job.
Dr Lee Woon Kwang
