Grades and recognition mattered, but where was the room for critical thinking, curiosity, emotional understanding, and individuality? If students learn to follow expected answers, how do they learn to ask their own questions? I wondered whether equating success with recognition could leave us less willing to explore what we actually cared about.
Recalling my sadness, I realized that all of this has been self-inflicted from pursuing a superficial definition of success. Do I need another medal to find meaning ? And so do my students: if someone missed an admission result, did that mean they lacked curiosity, determination, or talent?
So, I set out to seek the answers to three questions: Which forms of potential are devalued by the current outcome-driven system, how much waste in human capital is generated by this devaluation, and how can we redesign the curriculum to foster a student’s holistic growth?
In the middle of grade 12, I was already prepared to end high school with mixed feelings. It wasn't just about my disconnection with competitive mathematics. I saw underprivileged students who were very curious and hardworking not passing the entrance exam, while some with better starting points got in and failed to keep up with the competitive environment. In them, I remembered my old self, competing with integrity and self-determination, and still falling behind those with access. I kept thinking about this misallocation of opportunities in the current education system. And wondered: Is there any way that education can reward the most in need and the most deserving?
The turning point hit when I decided on a whim to take a budget solo trip to Malaysia. Don't ask me why I chose Malaysia, because even I didn't know myself! Anyway, the focal point of the trip is in the "budget" part. Since it's a budget trip, I got the chance to travel like a nomad: jumping on and off buses, trains, trams…, all types of cheap public transport. I also traversed tens of kilometers on its streets. Once, I hiked for four hours on the Penang Hill rather than taking the 15-minutes cable car.
I was surprised. All the public infrastructure was in better condition than Vietnam's- cleaner, more advanced, more widespread. Reflecting on my country, I was confronted with a huge difference in economic development and life quality. This confused me at first. Malaysia's GDP is only triple ours, but its quality of life is comparable to a developed Western country. Meanwhile, we boast the highest GDP growth rate per year, but it isn't tangible. My adult friends still lament to me about overworking. The environment is polluted but deforestation persists. Looking at Malaysia, I suddenly wondered: is GDP per capita a reliable proxy for sustainable development? Do we give back to the world the things we take from it, and with this, providing a future so the succeeding generations could thrive?
I began to see and question our outcome-driven mindset, where immediate, quantifiable result is preferred rather than impactful long-term investments. It set foot deeply in our economy, which still relies on labor and natural resources extraction. It reminded me of our education: are we actually paying attention to investments that have a longer maturity date?
To what extent are merit recognitions an accurate measure of long-term merit?
the epiphany
At the same time, my black Converses were …