A mistake parents of bright kids and even naive kids is that the belief that with a solid wholesome education right up to Uni level, it would lead to a financially rich life. Such is a fallacy and wrong perception.
Education ONLY means to inculcate the lessons and mistakes made by others in order for one to progress and evolve, to see honest opportunities and uplift one's life as well as others - loved ones, family, relatives, friends and society.
Parents and naive grads think that by scoring straight As would lead to a silver platter of life. No matter how good at academic work a grad is, he/she still is a novice in the WAY THE WORLD WORKS, and it takes EXPERIENCES, not from past books as Human development and evolution moves at light speed - what was taught yesterday is no longer relevant today and will be obsolete tomorrow....
Education only prepares a child with the 3 'r's - Reading, wRiting and aRithmetic - even with a Primary 3 education, to be ready to face the realities of the REAL WORLD when they grow up. Should they persevere in education discipline, become grads, they would have a whole wealth of further education behind them to seize opportunities in life, way ahead of others.
But their mistakes is to presume that with a degree, it would open doors. In REALITY, it does not. It helps, but relevant EXPERIENCE matters, which is why foreigners who come from bigger countries, with larger job opportunities thru employment in their varied and diversified companies dealing with far more services and products that Singapore does not have in our limited land space, and thus foreigners are chosen than locals....
However, ALL IS NOT LOST, as MOM is dealing with it, with restrictions on employment numbers that a company operating in Singapore must have in favor of locals, without Singapore losing the opportunities of MNCs setting up companies here. A delicate balance.
Secondly, do consider how those even with just primary 3 education became successful, proven in the history of modern Singapore such as CK Tang, and many more entrepreneurs, starting out with only pennies in their pocket, but as they have the 3 'R's, the rest is history.
Thirdly, on a more personal level, it is SAVINGS that makes one wealthy, not SPENDTHRIFTINESS.
It does not matter if one takes low level but honest jobs, even if it is far below their education level. As it is an honest job, it comes with security and monthly income, which will sustain life and grow savings thru dedicated and meticulous sacrifices...spending only on the necessary during the lean years, gaining critical experiences and when opportunities arrives, either as an employee or entrepreneur, to seize it and leapfrog to honest success that one desires....
It only matters if one is educated, with hands and legs and a brain, and yet is poor or without a job, more so in opportunities galore Singapore. Even a HDB hawker earns at least $20,000 a month..... and when he dresses up and walks into Raffles Hotel to visit the luxury stores to buy a Rolex watch, the sales staff will fawn over him and NONE will ask what he works as for a living....
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