Education issue - Singaporean anime enthusiast realises his dream in Japan

This article tells us that Vong Yonghow is the first foreigner to work at a top animation firm in Japan. His journey to success tells us a lot on how the education system in Singapore can be improved.

Firstly, he said learning Japanese has benefited him. I agree with him as being able to speak Japanese is important for good communication and acceptance. To be readily accepted as one of them, you must be able to communicate with them. However, the three years was still insufficient as his level of Japanese was not good enough to know all the technical terms.

In the future, there is a high possibility of jobs requiring us to work overseas, with the rise of many nations like China and India. To avoid the difficulty of not being able to communicate, I feel that Singapore should not only continue enriching students with other languages like Japanese, but also ensure that Singaporeans are capable of speaking advanced Chinese and proper English, as India and China would be important business partners in the future. I suggest that the education system should place an emphasis on language by helping students to master English and their mother tongue, and making it compulsory to learn a third language.

On top of language, knowledge of culture is important to cope when working overseas. In order to succeed overseas, we need an understanding of cultural values and practices, so that we can be accepted as one of them. Thus, schools should enrich students with knowledge of different cultures, so that they can blend into a society with a different culture in the future.


Another reason for his success was motivation, which came from a music video. Motivation is important as it encourages us to work hard and persevere. The education system should include activities or talks to motivate students to work hard. For example, students should know about the benefits of working hard, such as a luxurious life and a good job, and also success stories so that they are motivated and know the importance of working hard.

One other reason was his interest in animation. From young, he had a “burning desire” to become an animator. Thus, he took subjects related to it. Students should have a clear idea of their interest as taking jobs of interest will cause us to not only be motivated to work hard, but also have less difficulty enjoying the job, thus making life more meaningful and enjoyable. Planning is also important as it will enable students to choose the appropriate subjects, which will determine the type of job in the future.

However, being merely a student, I have no experience in working overseas and my understanding of it is entirely based on this article. This article does not provide me with all the details and thus, I may miss out other factors when suggesting improvements on the education system. However, I still hope the government would consider and implement my suggestions if possible.

Teenager Issue - Looking Kohl

This article tells us that teenagers are now paying a lot of attention to their looks, with many using kohl, a black eyeliner. In my opinion, this is not beneficial to the society.

There are some benefits of this trend. Firstly, paying attention to looks will occupy them and reduce the chances of them creating trouble. Thus, the society will be a safer place to live in, and the low crime rates will attract more tourists and investors, boosting Singapore's economy. This trend also creates another similarity between men and women, thus making both sexes seem more equal. Presently, women are discriminated as inefficient, and they have less chances of getting promoted or hired. However, these teenagers will grow up to see women as more equal, and thus reducing the discrimination against women.

However, I feel that the consequences outweigh the benefits. In my opinion, teenagers, both boys and girls, should not waste their time on appearances, but instead, concentrate on their studies. With an increasing number of people using kohl, more people will get influenced and less will focus on their studies. Singapore’s economy and politics will be badly influenced as these teenagers will grow up to take over the workforce and govern the city. With focus on appearance, these teenagers will be less capable and efficient of bringing Singapore to success.

As a result of peer influence, more eyeliner, costing up to sixty dollars and finishing in about two months, will be bought. As most parents find this behaviour unacceptable, it will result in quarells and relationships will be strained. Furthermore, with expenditure on eyeliner, some might not be able to afford educational classes, resulting in them not being able to develop fully their potential.

Research done has showed that one cause of this behaviour is being influenced by the subculture Japanese Goth and emo-punk music. This shows us how culture can influence teenager behaviour. Thus, I believe it is necessary to develop teenagers’ analytical skills and also teach them about culture, thus enabling them to see the consequences of such a trend.

Another cause is the desire to look good. As mentioned by Kenneth Teng, “eyeliner helps to define your eyes”. Although it is human nature to desire good looks, I believe there should be a limit and using eyeliner is not encouraged at this age, because of its consequences. Schools should teach teenagers the importance of studying hard, which would change their attitude and priorities so that studying will become the highest priority, which will be beneficial to the society.

However, the things that are most beneficial to the society cannot be decided by me, as I do not see the entire situation, unlike the government which has the experience and maturity to consider all the different factors and decide on the most appropriate actions to take. Thus, this is my opinion on the article and I hope the government would take into account my views when deciding whether to take action.