Singapore’s Evolving Meritocracy

Abstract

This case study looks at how Singapore had been implementing the principle of meritocracy in the education system, and in politics. Singapore had been implementing meritocracy by type, creating undesirable social effects. However in recent years, the education system had become more pluralistic, creating additional pathways for students to specialise in, depending on their ability and interests. The case study also notes how the political system had been consistently meritocratic, using the market as a means of identifying possible political candidates.