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VISITS

Purveyors of Knowledge: Lemann Foundation
and Singapore’s Education by Carlos Brian Pheysey

Singapore’s success story attracts attention of Brazil, which is reassessing and
revamping its public education model

The revolutionary econom- caught the eye of the Lemann
ic configuration of the Foundation. The country tops
21st century demands a the score in the PISA exams

re-skilling of humankind and its (Programme for International

relationship with the realm of Student Assessment), thus

production, innovation, qualifi- there’s a case to be made for

cations, entrepreneurial drive the superior method of math

and more. Gone are the cer- and science teaching on this is-

tainties of the past century land-state. Singapore also adds

regarding one’s set of skills, now an emphasis on financial

job security, static frameworks, literacy, digital innovation and

local logistics and captive mar- a pro-entrepreneurial stance,

kets. The new world is far more fostered in the schools so as to

volatile and less forgiving of lead youngsters to break free

outdated workforce profiles. (Top): At the Academy of Singapore Teachers: excellence in from the job-for-life expecta-

Brazil, in particular, needs ur- teaching. (Above): HE Ambassador Damico addressed the visit- tions of previous generations
gently to reassess and revamp ing delegates
and older trade unionism.

its public education model, which no lon- public administrators themselves need

ger takes into account the radical social, some serious re-training of their mana- Heavyweight Visit

technological, free-market and supply- gerial styles. Experts from Lemann Foundation have

chain reorientation that is taking place It is in this spirit that Lemann Foun- visited Singapore in previous years, but

globally. What’s more, the public admin- dation was created in 2002 by busi- this time, in September, they ratcheted

istrators in charge of building capabili- nessman Jorge Paulo Lemann. The en- up the challenge, by bringing a VIP del-

ties among the workforce are often out tity partners with universities abroad, egation of heavyweights from Brazil’s

of touch with new realities, new modes start-ups and countries that have taken state machinery: 3 Governors, 3 Vice-

and new trends and thus they don’t al- the lead in education, so as to enact a Governors, various Secretaries from

locate resources correctly. Instead, they change in the mindset and horizons of federal state governments and even a

pump money and efforts into old frame- Brazil’s public educators, managers, renowned TV presenter, Luciano Huck,

works and ossified ideologies that, ulti- teachers, officials, students and other definitely an influencer for a huge cross-

mately, don’t provide the upskilling that stakeholders. section of Brazilian viewers. Despite the

is needed. In effect, the managers and Singapore is a success story that has short notice given, the delegates re-

14 It’s Time for Brazil in Singapore 2019