Plight of a " humanities" student

Not sure how many people in Singapore know about the humanities (humans) program offered in JCs. Students who have the literary flair can opt for this program where history, literature and economics are taught by expatriate teachers. These teachers groom the kids to aim for top universities in UK and US.

Maybe because of the interesting manner the subjects are being taught, quite a good number of humans students acquire a love for literature and history; and wish to major in these subjects in college. For those who are on scholarship, they are often "excused" for pursuing something so "impractical" because they are not spending their parents' money anyway. Not so when they are self financed.

Poor kids, even if their parents think that it's money well spent to pursue a liberal arts education abroad, they receive comments a plenty from other adults and even peers about being impratical and "wasting" their parents' money. Mind you these young people are only 18 years old or thereabout and may not have developed that kind of maturity and confidence to focus on their goal. Such comments coming from adults may cause them to feel guilty about overspending and not being practical;and they may truly wonder whether they have faltered in their choice. This is especially so when almost every one around them is pursuing business studies and law; and aiming to be an investment banker or lawyer and competing to make the first million.

Young people whose goal is to be rich have less of a dilemma. They just need to pursue an education that promises to meet the objective in the shortest time span, clearly straight forward. They also get lots of assurances from parents, friends and relatives who cheer them on and congratulate them for their wise choice.

But I salute all those students who dare to be different and pursue their own interests. Yes, it could well be that when they are older they may find that they were too idealistic once; and realise that money and status is still very important. They can still subsequently pursue education towards that end . But the fact that they dare to try something different from the main stream is most admirable. The world needs more of them . Else the whole society will just be on a mindless pursuit for wealth and status with their trappings of luxurious living and blinded ego. Some soulfulness is needed admist this sterile onslaught.

Here I would like to quote Prof Shih Choon Fong, President of NUS who himself was not able to enter NUS but remarked that studing overseas helped shape the way he now led NUS:
"I had the good fortune of meeting people who were enlightened, who understood education as really opening up the mind and encouraging students to think critically and independently and to pursue their passions......And so I brought that experience to Singapore and NUS".