Thomas Friedman's recent piece describes his experience at a Primary School in a middle-class neighborhood of Singapore. The principal challenges her teachers to connect "What world am I living in," and, therefore, "What should I teach in my fifth grade science class." Their school system is based on the German model with 40% of high school graduates headed for universities and the others polytechnics or vocational schools. They gain skills that are needed in the world they are living in to become a plumber or scientist.
The following is the final quote:
"There is real puzzlement here about America today," said the dean of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, because we learned all about what it takes to build a well-functioning society from you. Many of our top officials are graduates of the Kennedy School or Harvard. They just came back home and applied its lessons vigorously."
That is an interesting lesson.
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