We need to stop tying our personal worth to academic success
The unhealthy link between self-worth and academic achievement has been a long-standing issue within Singapore. Be it from time in school or even at the workplace, we are always chasing after the last point or going towards meeting our KPI for the month. But I think the pandemic has made us, including myself, rethink all these things, and finding balance and fulfillment is the way to go in the long term.
Understanding the limitations of academia
Endless mugging, back-to-back tuitions during the weekends… we are a “Tuition Nation,” as seen in this article. All these are too familiar memories for us even after growing up.
But after going through the entire education journey, and having been rejected by the system multiple times, I have learnt that personal growth and fulfillment come from enjoying what you are most passionate about as well as working on yourself even though the path you have taken might be less desired than the common one.
Shifting Focus on Personal Growth
Our education system's shifting focus on holistic development instead of solely academic achievements is a move in the right direction. Still, the changes cannot be felt for the earlier batches of Gen Zs as most of us have already left the school system.
Finding value in personal growth, family time, and cultivating meaningful relationships is something that should be emphasized when we’re young, in order to build mental resilience in our society, but having had to chase grades, fill up our free time with tuition and other enrichment courses, many in my generation were deprived of this in childhood because of how the education system is designed. While the traditional academic system is changing, removing certain exams might not help in stress management. Many are still enrolled in at least one type of enrichment class, ballet, robotics, coding, or even Artificial Intelligence (AI).
This Straits Times Article on the number of suicides in 2022, which saw the number reach a 22-year high, puts things into perspective the seriousness of the problem, especially as youth suicide rates continue to climb steadily. This does bring up the question of whether the system is changing enough to discourage the link between academic success and self-worth, and whether a shadow system comprising tuition and enrichment is causing more problems for future generations of children in their mental and psychological development.
Mindfulness and Acceptance
Practising mindfulness teaches us to pay attention to the present moment without getting caught up in our thoughts or emotions. We simply observe what is happening, without judging it as good or bad. Acceptance, on the other hand, involves embracing our experiences, both positive and negative, without trying to change or control them.
Self-worth and academics are usually tied to our academic achievements and the pressure to excel. I discovered mindfulness following the disastrous results of my national examinations, further accelerated by the pandemic. The need to care for my personal well-being was one of self-discovery to find out what suits me best, be it spending more time with myself or occupying myself with the things I like to do, such as enjoying the subjects that I study as well as my love for Communications and Marketing. This eventually increased my self-worth tremendously and my purpose to continue living the life I wanted. This helped in clearing my negative thoughts which had put me in good stead to face the challenges ahead in the years to come.
References
[1] – https://www.ricemedia.co/tuition-singapore-every-centre-a-good-tuition-centre/
[2] – https://www.brookings.edu/articles/singapores-educational-reforms-toward-holistic-outcomes/