Effects of an elite education on Singaporeans with special needs

There is a certain university that accepts only 8% of its applicants in Singapore. This is roughly equivalent to the admission rate of prestigious universities, such as Harvard, Stanford and Yale - three of the most selective universities in the United States.

I know a few friends who get admitted to that university in question. The low admission rate for their stringent requirements exalts their social standing in their friends. They deserve it wholeheartedly though, because they really have the passion, competence and most importantly, critical thinking, to be able to be deemed able to get admitted to the university.

I think of the possibility if any student with special needs gets admitted to that university. If it is true, then I thought, at least, in the context of current society, it shows that the person with special needs is indeed able to go to the university and do good for the world in general. He has a better chance of creating acceptance for the special needs community if he feels like, and wants to, doing all he can for the special needs community.

However, even with a 8% admission rate, does it mean that the students in the universities are really unique and be successful for being chosen for a common social goal - be the social force of the society?

I doubt so.

Society chooses an elite. So long as the people in general decides the attributes to leadership: credibility, intelligence, connection with the people, inspring social change, moving all of society forward and effective improvement of the society as a whole.

Going through a narrow door means one can be in a better position as an elite, to move and shake society. To succeed in leading the society upfront, one has to lead the way. Through his (or her) high competencies in intelligence through IQ or standardised tests, his place of birth, his life experiences, his connections with other people and his intrinsic positive motivation to do good things, he can have a better chance to succeed to be the cream of the crop of society.

However, it is difficult to ascertain the ability, however, to inspire social change. Some able and credible people just do not have the opportunity to bring about social change, connect with the people, improve society and move all of his society forward - because of different circumstances. The elites may be recognised in some way or another, but because of their special needs, or because of society's reluctance, society may still not change, even when special needs students get into elite placing. Indeed, in my observations, the PDSNs in elite schools may be consumed with their own circumstances, that they may slowly lose the ideals and visions they have when tasked with dealing with problems on an immense scale.

Say, these people are dealt with investigating the exclusion of special needs people from pay rises and training due to age, tainted relationships with bosses and perceived inability. There is a certain moral hazard in these people to deal with these issues half-heartedly, especially when they themselves are subjected to lower pay and slower promotions than their normal counterparts, because they themselves are victims, and do actually aggressively leadership positions to assert their existence in the Earth. They, being previous elites, now do want to be the elites of the disadvantaged. This is in contrary to the original purpose of propelling the disadvantaged into the elite - to make a more accepting society for the society, and to change the elites to create more opportunities, for special needs people to move forward with upward social mobility in life.

To me, it is one thing to say, 'you should have gone to JC and NUS, for it is good for you', when others did the same and still achieved nothing. It is also another thing to say, 'too bad, your conditions are just not suitable, try other professions' when one is excluded from industrial training.

Maybe it would be good to instead try to say, 'just do what you can. I am sure you have talents in a certain area - just try it. Who knows you can do it? I'll support you in your endeavors.'

So, elitism even in the special needs society may stray the community further from its common pursuit of an inclusive society. It, if badly managed, could harm more than help Singaporean society. It would be best if the society begins with accepting amongst themselves, to give support to each other.