Quora Answer: Do Singaporeans Lack Critical Thinking?

The following is my answer to a Quora question: “Do Singaporeans lack critical thinking?”

I would not say that Singaporeans lack critical thinking; I would say that critical thinking is not a skill that is nurtured and emphasised in our education system.  This does not mean that what we have is inadequate.  It is the same all over the world, except at the highest institutions of learning, or through the experience of struggling to the top.

The purpose of an education system is not to encourage thinking.  It is to educate; in that it is meant to equip the next generation with the necessary skills to drive the machinery of economy.  We need executors of policy, not thinkers.  A political system with too many thinkers would eventually be overturned.  No government plans for its replacement.

The question, then, should be, if Singaporeans have the capacity for critical thinking.  The answer is obviously yes, since Singaporeans are well educated.  You cannot be a critical thinker without knowledge.