Editorial: Minister visits reveal cracks in students’ skills

Posted On 04 Apr 2016

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Last week, undergraduates had the rare opportunity to pose questions to Minister for Home Affairs and Law K Shanmugam at this year’s Ministerial Forum.

But those anticipating a thought-provoking discussion at the School of Art, Design and Media auditorium on 28 Mar would have been sorely disappointed. Although the forum was professionally organised, with a choice venue and an articulate emcee and moderator, the quality of questions put to Mr Shanmugam by students failed to match up.

While the issues behind some of the questions were pertinent, such as the rights of transient workers and the effectiveness of the death penalty, the way these questions were asked left some attendees looking baffled.

From mispronouncing words to using incorrect terms, the students seemed to fumble for words when they stood in front of the microphone. To be fair, most people would probably be intimidated by the prospect of asking a minister about a touchy issue. But perhaps these incidents are indicative of a larger issue.

Two weeks before the forum, Acting Education Minister (Higher Education and Skills) Ong Ye Kung pointed out in an interview with the Nanyang Chronicle that undergraduates are still lacking in their communication skills. These soft skills, he added, are becoming increasingly important for fresh graduates to remain attractive to employers.

This is especially so in an ever more competitive labour market, as later pointed out by Mr Shanmugam in his forum speech. He added that undergraduates should not be complacent when they enter the workforce as their foreign counterparts are quickly catching up.

While the two ministers visited NTU separately, the common thread in both their visits underscored the importance of being more than just book-smart. For students preparing to embark on their careers, let’s hope they can connect the dots better.