. 4G Ministers Out of Depth
Education is treated as a “posting,” not a calling. Neither Chan Chun Sing (a former army general) nor Desmond Lee (a lawyer and career politician) have backgrounds in pedagogy, psychology, or youth development. Their appointment reflects PAP’s internal succession politics, not merit in the field. The outcome? Policies that appear tone-deaf, reactive, not least ineffective on the ground.
Worse, today’s ministers are increasingly focused on curating social media personas — posting school visits, dialogues, and photo opportunities — while delivering little significant results to match their high salaries and elevated status. Appearances on Facebook or Instagram cannot mask the reality of disengaged students, burnt-out teachers, and policy failures.