In late 2015, I was attending a talk at Civil Service College (CSC) on social enterprises and the varied, interesting, and exciting work that many of these social enterprises and voluntary welfare organisations do on several fronts, when one of the presenters impressed me with a rather curious idea.
Through the guise of tuition (or tutoring, teaching, coaching, or any other phrase that conveys the same idea), this particular social organisation would spread and seed ideas on social change, so as to build social capital in Singapore.
In other words, instead of direct advocacy or promoting social ideas, this organisation used General Paper as a medium to teach and engage on what they thought was useful, relevant, and important.
Tuition became something more than just drill and practice, but also something that could get students to think, analyse, reason, and reflect on.
Tuition became something far larger than it was normally conducted, and for that reason lessons were discussions, innovative engagement methods, and seminar sessions instead of drills, rote-learning, and direct instruction.
I had a talk with the boss of the enterprise during the Question and Answer segment, and also had the opportunity to learn more about him and his exciting work, right from the horse's mouth.
I thought that this whole idea and conceptual set-up was a brilliant idea.
Simply brilliant.
I also then thought of how I could apply these insights to improving my economics site as well.
In a similar way, in a large part, this entire economics website has been mainly devoted to A level economics essays, with some useful and relevant articles on economics essay questions, economics case studies strategies, and examination-related materials. In fact, this economics site started many years ago with contributions from economics students on various test or examination questions. On certain occasions, in this economics site, I have also posted undergraduate and masters economics essays, but these were often for academic purposes - writing that was meant to address examination questions or to respond to tests, assignments, and qualifying examinations.
The CSC presenter got me thinking:
I should have a series on social and economics issues, perhaps with a focus on Singapore but also on the region (since Asia is after all, a rising force to be reckoned with - socially and economically - and Singapore is right at the heart of Southeast Asia and ASEAN, and by extension the rest of Asia).
That way, while it is a slight departure from the A level economics essays focus of my site, and moves a bit away from academic economics essays, I can take this opportunity to hopefully inspire, encourage, and bolster social and economics education.
Economics can take on a more positive form of relevant posts, no longer a "dismal science" and not purely an academic exercise for the sake of passing, or excelling, in examinations, but a real subject of interest.
Through this series, I hope to add value to the economics essays focus of this site, and bring about some inspiration, encouragement, and strengthening of a social and economics education.
All in all, hopefully this will help readers see the importance and relevance of a beautiful subject meant, among other things, to address society's issues and to help government policymakers promote employment, keep prices stable and affordable, create new jobs for citizens while raising their standards of living, and embracing globalisation.
This is a beautiful subject meant to encourage critical thinking about issues that we read about in the newspapers today, on companies merging, closing, opening, and expanding.
Important social issues of why schools close (due to demand and supply), why population and demographic issues matter, why income inequality is a consequence of market failure rather than a problem with capitalism and useful markets, and why Singapore's workfare might be a more useful and long term solution rather than welfare (and what is welfare anyways) can be better understood in the light of a relevant economics education.
I have requested contributions of essays, posts, and articles from some of the most curious young minds I know, and have also drafted some essays of my own for this series.
Special thanks to my friends and talents who have contributed.
Hopefully, these essay contributions can expand readers' thinking and inspire readers to understand the beauty of this subject.
Thank you very much for reading and cheers!
JC Economics Essays - JC Economics Essays is an economics blog with model A level (H1, H2, H3) economics essays and responses on a range of themes and topics. These economics essays are written by former economics students, NIE-trained teachers, and JC economics tutors, and the editor of this website himself. While this economics site is primarily aimed at A level economics students, undergraduate students and the general reader can also benefit and learn economics. Thank you for reading and cheers!
