Opposition leader emphasizes the need for genuine critical thinking in education.
Opposition leader Chee Soon Juan recently attended his daughter’s graduation ceremony at the National University of Singapore (NUS). In a Facebook post on Saturday (July 9), he expressed his agreement with founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, who was quoted in the commencement program notes, emphasizing the necessity of innovative and critical thinking to address complex challenges ahead.
Mr. Lee had stated, “I hope that Singaporeans will continue to seek out an education that nurtures them to think critically and innovatively to meet the diverse and complex challenges ahead.” However, Dr. Chee, who leads the Singapore Democratic Party, critiqued the use of phrases like “innovative and critical thinking,” suggesting they are merely buzzwords meant to placate discontent and maintain appearances.
While he acknowledged the pride and expectation visible on the faces of the graduates, he also criticized NUS as an institution heavily influenced by the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP). He remarked that the ceremony epitomized the highest traditions of academia, but upon closer inspection, it revealed the troubling reality of an institution “dominated and domesticated by the PAP.”
Dr. Chee pointed out the notable presence of former PAP members among the chancellors and deputy chancellors, listing figures such as Devan Nair, S. Jayakumar, SR Nathan, Tony Tan, Ong Teng Cheong, and Halimah Yaacob.
Additionally, he highlighted concerns regarding the China Daily Prize awarded to graduates, criticizing the publication as being owned by the Chinese Communist Party, which controversially denies the Tiananmen Square massacre of 1989. He asserted that NUS does not serve as a “hotbed for innovative and critical thinking.”
Dr. Chee also shared a personal anecdote regarding his criticism of the university, recalling his dismissal in 1993 after joining the SDP. “Little has changed,” he stated, reflecting on past experiences when he was confronted by a lineup of police and security officers during campus visits, warning him to leave or face arrest.
“Lee Kuan Yew was right; we need innovative and critical thinking to meet complex changes going forward. But it’s one thing to say these words and quite another to implement them. Therein lies the danger for this nation,” Dr. Chee concluded.
