Examining models of twenty-first century education through the lens of Confucian cosmopolitanism

ABSTRACT

Today, the intensification of global interconnectivity is a key characteristic of the twenty-first century. This has spurred governments and policymakers to envision how best to equip future-ready citizens who can navigate increasingly globalized workplaces resulting in the worldwide popularity of models that articulate twenty-first century competencies. Twenty-first century education models perpetuated by transnational and multinational organizations posit an idealized vision of the future-ready citizen equipped with requisite skills to compete in the global economy. Informed by economic rationality, such models promote a consequentialist approach to education where the primary aim of schools is to develop citizens as human capital who can thrive in globalized workplaces and ultimately contribute to the progress of their nation. In this paper, I focus on the twenty-first century education model currently infused across schools in Singapore. Using this as an example, I examine models of twenty-first century education from the lens of Confucian cosmopolitanism. I explore how the application of Confucian cosmopolitanism can facilitate an ethical re-orientation of twenty-first century education that shifts the focus from instrumental competencies to humanistic virtues needed for a more hospitable future.

KEYWORDS:

• Cosmopolitanism
• twenty-first century competencies
• Confucius
• Singapore
• moral education

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

1. Consequentialism is a branch of normative ethics that posits that actions should be judged on the basis of outcomes. Classical utilitarianism, a branch of consequentialism, centres on the maximization of happiness.

2. Moral integrity is one of the developmental outcomes of the MOE’s Desired Outcomes of Education, formulated in 1997, to articulate key attributes that students should have on completing formal education. The Singapore 21 vision was launched in 1999 and articulates a national vision to develop a cohesive and resilient nation to face the challenges of globalization.

3. For the etymology of yi, see Hall and Ames (1987).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Suzanne S. Choo

Suzanne S. Choo is Associate Professor at the National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.