MS JESSICA Walker's descriptions of the compulsive exam-study efforts of Singaporean youth in her letter, 'Appalled by 'obsessive' study habits' (Nov 26), question the very validity of our examination-based education system.

This issue was addressed in a 2006 Newsweek interview with then Education Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam, where he pointed out that although both Singapore and America are meritocracies, America is a 'talent meritocracy' while Singapore is an 'exam meritocracy'. America rewards those with talent while Singapore rewards those who do well in examinations.

The implications of this difference are huge. While Singapore is No. 1 in the global mathematics and science rankings for school children, very few Singaporeans grow up to be top-ranked scientists, entrepreneurs, inventors or academics. On the other hand, US children fare worse in tests but do better later on in life.

Singapore's obsession with examinations churns out rote-learners who score excellently in examinations but who lack the initiative, creativity, passion and courage needed to succeed in the real world.

However, reforms towards a 'talent meritocracy' need to be made in society at large. As long as employers judge a person's worth by his paper qualifications, students here will continue to emphasise more on examination excellence than other aspects of personal development.

Nowhere is reform more needed than in the government sector, where the pay scale for a fresh graduate is still pegged to the class of honours achieved in university. This discourages learning that will not improve grade point average.

I suggest paying all graduates with an honours degree the same starting salary, and basing pay increments on on-the-job performance. We can also lower differentials in starting wages among those with different levels of academic qualification.

These moves reward talents who can do a job efficiently and well - and it is such people that the country really needs.

Jonathan Kwok

This article was first published in The Straits Times on 1 Dec, 2008.