Sharing networks, opportunities key to social mobility: Chan

Those who succeed due to meritocracy system should pay it forward, he says 

- Gabrielle Chan

Uplifting those who are less privileged will take more than sharing financial resources - it will also involve sharing of networks and opportunities, said Education Minister Chan Chun Sing.

This is how Singapore can sustain the system of meritocracy, where those who succeed because of the system pay it forward, he added.

"This will be the type of meritocracy with Singaporean characteristics that we would like to see," said Mr Chan, who was discussing the topic of social mobility with chief executive of DBS Group Piyush Gupta on April 5.

He was speaking to about 450 guests at the Access Social Mobility Summit at the Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore. The event marked the fifth anniversary of Access Singapore, a social mobility charity founded in 2019 that aims to provide career exposure opportunities for disadvantaged students in Singapore.

The summit featured several panel discussions on the challenges and opportunities of ensuring social mobility in Singapore.

A meritocracy with Singaporean characteristics starts with ensuring that dimensions of merit are not overly narrow, said Mr Chan.

"Different people develop different strengths and abilities, and are able to make different contributions in different life stages," he ception of increasing inequality desaid.