[h=2]German Football Team is like SG’s Education System??[/h]
July 16th, 2014 |
Author: Contributions
According to Andy Chen, Deputy Editor of ST Life!, [link]
German football team is like Singapore’s education system. In his article he
said,
“Singapore’s rigorous education system is increasingly being derided for the
very same reasons the German football squad is now being celebrated – it drills
its kids in the basics and beyond to maximise their potential.”
Before anything, let’s provide a little bit of Germany world cup history for
the benefit of non football fans. The Die Mannschaft (including the east and
west days) won a total of four World Cups out of their world record of appearing
in 8 World Cup finals since the inception of the competition, and have be placed
third a further 4 times. Germany is also the only European country that
qualified for every FIFA World Cup they were permitted to enter. It is also the
only nation to have won both the men’s and women’s World Cups. In short, Germany
is World Cup royalty. Outside their World Cup success, they also won three
European Championships and one Olympic Gold.
Behind the success of the German national team were darker times that
bandwagoners chose to forget. One of which happened only a decade ago, not too
long in football terms. Germany finished at the bottom of their group at Euro
2000 and failed to progress to the knockout stages at Euro 2004. These was
defining moments that led to the decision that a radical overhaul was required.
Their World Cup victory just a few days ago was the certification that not only
did the Germans showed willingness to change but also carried out their
conviction in decisive collectiveness.
In contrast, I wonder what Andy Chen, the ST deputy editor who compared
Germany’s recent success to Singapore’s education system will say to Singapore’s
very own Goal 2010 – the exciting aim to get the Lions to appear in their first
World Cup Finals ever. Did our education system produce a nation of quitters who
dissipate at the first sight of failure instead of carrying on the goal the
manner we would expect from people who went through a ‘rigorous education system
that should be celebrated’?
Football aside, what have Singapore’s own talents produced with the current
education system? Interestingly, Singapore’s famous economic miracle happened
from the late 1960s to 1980s when the education system back then was not so
‘rigorous’. So where does such a system led us today? For the last ten years,
Singapore has been on a social decline.
Time and again, we are being told by our government officials that
Singaporeans are not good enough and that we need foreigners to ensure our
survival. As a result, a large percentage of university spots have been reserved
for foreigners. In contrast, the revitalised German national football team’s
success was hinged on a relentless pursuit of local talent development by
introducing news rules for the Bundesliga that stipulate all 36 clubs in the top
two divisions must run an academy and that at least 12 players in each intake
who must be locals. Since the system was introduced, the Bundesliga has changed
from a 50% foreign players to having around 65% now eligible to represent
Germany’s national side. The success of this strategy does not limit to the Die
Mannschaft, top German clubs such as Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund has
been enjoying the rewards of having more young talented Germans in their teams,
taking the gloss away from the Spanish clubs in the European Champions League in
recent years.
A better team to compare to Singapore’s current state would be England’s
national side. A team which is overhyped by the media, plenty of ‘boomz’ as
always but no results to show for. A team who believes they are much better than
they are, with an FA behind them that is not liberal and willing enough make the
radical changes that the English system badly needed. In the English Premier
League, there has been a sharp increase of foreign players over the last two
decades. Many tops teams in the leagues were regularly fielding teams with only
1-2 English outfield players in their league games. No coincidentally, the last
time the English side came close to any honours was a semi final appearance in
Euro ’96. England die-hards find themselves reminiscing good old times of the
1966. Sounds familiar to Singapore’s situation?
The first question which pops up is that, behind the merits of the
Singapore’s education system as claimed, why is there a contradiction that the
locals are constantly deemed not being good enough to lead Singapore to
sustainable success, and to recreate our new miracles (not by building casinos)
– by having less and not more foreigners in our set up, like how the Die
Mannschaft benefited from?
A Singaporean in Australia
* The author blogs at http://asingaporeanson.blogspot.com
German football team is like Singapore’s education system. In his article he
said,
“Singapore’s rigorous education system is increasingly being derided for the
very same reasons the German football squad is now being celebrated – it drills
its kids in the basics and beyond to maximise their potential.”
the benefit of non football fans. The Die Mannschaft (including the east and
west days) won a total of four World Cups out of their world record of appearing
in 8 World Cup finals since the inception of the competition, and have be placed
third a further 4 times. Germany is also the only European country that
qualified for every FIFA World Cup they were permitted to enter. It is also the
only nation to have won both the men’s and women’s World Cups. In short, Germany
is World Cup royalty. Outside their World Cup success, they also won three
European Championships and one Olympic Gold.
Behind the success of the German national team were darker times that
bandwagoners chose to forget. One of which happened only a decade ago, not too
long in football terms. Germany finished at the bottom of their group at Euro
2000 and failed to progress to the knockout stages at Euro 2004. These was
defining moments that led to the decision that a radical overhaul was required.
Their World Cup victory just a few days ago was the certification that not only
did the Germans showed willingness to change but also carried out their
conviction in decisive collectiveness.
In contrast, I wonder what Andy Chen, the ST deputy editor who compared
Germany’s recent success to Singapore’s education system will say to Singapore’s
very own Goal 2010 – the exciting aim to get the Lions to appear in their first
World Cup Finals ever. Did our education system produce a nation of quitters who
dissipate at the first sight of failure instead of carrying on the goal the
manner we would expect from people who went through a ‘rigorous education system
that should be celebrated’?
Football aside, what have Singapore’s own talents produced with the current
education system? Interestingly, Singapore’s famous economic miracle happened
from the late 1960s to 1980s when the education system back then was not so
‘rigorous’. So where does such a system led us today? For the last ten years,
Singapore has been on a social decline.
Time and again, we are being told by our government officials that
Singaporeans are not good enough and that we need foreigners to ensure our
survival. As a result, a large percentage of university spots have been reserved
for foreigners. In contrast, the revitalised German national football team’s
success was hinged on a relentless pursuit of local talent development by
introducing news rules for the Bundesliga that stipulate all 36 clubs in the top
two divisions must run an academy and that at least 12 players in each intake
who must be locals. Since the system was introduced, the Bundesliga has changed
from a 50% foreign players to having around 65% now eligible to represent
Germany’s national side. The success of this strategy does not limit to the Die
Mannschaft, top German clubs such as Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund has
been enjoying the rewards of having more young talented Germans in their teams,
taking the gloss away from the Spanish clubs in the European Champions League in
recent years.
A better team to compare to Singapore’s current state would be England’s
national side. A team which is overhyped by the media, plenty of ‘boomz’ as
always but no results to show for. A team who believes they are much better than
they are, with an FA behind them that is not liberal and willing enough make the
radical changes that the English system badly needed. In the English Premier
League, there has been a sharp increase of foreign players over the last two
decades. Many tops teams in the leagues were regularly fielding teams with only
1-2 English outfield players in their league games. No coincidentally, the last
time the English side came close to any honours was a semi final appearance in
Euro ’96. England die-hards find themselves reminiscing good old times of the
1966. Sounds familiar to Singapore’s situation?
The first question which pops up is that, behind the merits of the
Singapore’s education system as claimed, why is there a contradiction that the
locals are constantly deemed not being good enough to lead Singapore to
sustainable success, and to recreate our new miracles (not by building casinos)
– by having less and not more foreigners in our set up, like how the Die
Mannschaft benefited from?
A Singaporean in Australia
* The author blogs at http://asingaporeanson.blogspot.com
