Revisiting Education
They say that you won’t ever forget your first, and although this line is usually said in the romantic context, I think it applies to my professional life too. In this case — my first internship at Praxium.
As someone who has been largely content and privileged with her education journey in Singapore, I was still aware of some of the flaws and challenges faced in education. The most common arguments against the best education system in the world are the increasingly unhealthy levels of competitiveness among youths and the lack of social mobility where the level of prestige in your education journey is closely tied to your career.
These were perspectives and experiences that I witnessed in my own life, hence I believed that this was the reality of what was happening on the ground and that those from lesser-known schools were suffering the brunt of the system due to their lack of resources to keep up with the rat race.
In turn, I never really cared for those who had the privilege of extra guidance or resources that provided them with the opportunities to discover their passions in life or even what course they wanted to pursue after graduating from secondary/tertiary institutions. I suppose that ignoring those from a ‘better’ school morphed into a form of prejudice and proved hypocritical for someone who preaches about treating everyone with equal respect.
Thus, when I was provided with the opportunity to work at Praxium, previously situated at Nanyang Girls High School, I was curious as to how and why they were in such a position.
“To relook at education from the top down” (or something along those lines) was the response that I will remember in the time to come.
With such a strong focus on uplifting those in need, it does not change the fact that the inequality gap between those in neighbourhood schools and elite schools will only grow bigger as the rich get richer and the poor get poorer.
Praxium’s position as an outsider situated within school grounds made it possible for a change in education to happen on the ground, to observe and recognise the issues students face that go unseen. They also took this opportunity to allow students at a higher vantage point to turn around to acknowledge and think about how they can play their part to uplift their fellow youths from different socio-economic backgrounds.
This was a perspective that I had never considered as I was so used to seeing direct help be offered to the underprivileged, without a thought that their same-aged peers in more resourced positions were capable of contributing to a more equal education system for all.
Hence, to describe my first impression of Praxium in one word — admiration. Admiration for their insights on education, admiration for the community that they have created and admiration for the people who are committed to making change in the education space.
With this being my first internship experience, it was heartening to know that their goals aligned with what I believed in and this proved to be motivation for me to contribute to the work that Praxium does.
I realised that I haven’t really introduced Praxium as a company, but it’s actually all in the title of this article; striving to rethink education, providing youths the space needed to discover their passions and purpose. Sounds slightly cheesy, and slightly cliche, but it is very charming considering the problem that they’re trying to solve may seem bigger than themselves at times.
Their long-term partnership with Lifelong Learning Institute (LLI) served as a taster of how Praxium chooses to work in parallel with what is expected of MOE schools. They conduct learning journeys for primary and secondary school students, allowing them to explore the resources provided by LLI, infused with learning materials designed by Praxium.
This not only allows for greater touchpoints with students across schools, but it also ensures that Praxium’s goals can grow alongside what is already provided by MOE and doesn’t come off as a ‘threat’ or a challenge to the system.
Praxium’s renowned career guidance program, Pathways, stands as a testament to their dedicated efforts in acquainting students with diverse industries that may often go unnoticed or remain unknown to them. This initiative serves to broaden their perspectives, revealing career possibilities beyond conventional expectations. Take the sustainability industry, for instance, a sector experiencing significant growth. Unfortunately, many students remain unaware of its potential due to limited exposure to emerging industries.
To further their impact in the education sector, I also had the opportunity to work on some projects at Crater, a soon-to-be non-profit that also focuses on supporting the passions of students from the ground up. This includes a community trail known as ‘Streets to Dreams’, where students could step out of their schools and into the community spaces around them to learn about the different people and professions that were all around in their daily lives.
This project felt special as it combined my passion for the community and it offered students an invaluable opportunity to recognise the significance of the individuals they encounter daily, whether it be the person serving coffee at the café or the school’s security guard. This makes the idea of knowing what they want to do in the future seem a little less scary.
Out of the countless experiences I have gone through in the past 5 months, the most memorable moments would come from the people whom I have met on this journey. It’s always a pleasure to know that every day when I come into work, I’m met with people who are passionate about building our community and improving the lives of others around us.
To just be compassionate and take pride in this field of work is one that I find to be commendable in this passion-based industry. Without the love and belief in the spirit of people, nothing will ever come to fruition even to the best of our abilities.
With that, thank you Praxium for taking me on this journey of revisiting what it means to go through education in Singapore, what it means to think critically about our experiences and what it means to care for our community.
At the end of the day, I’m just a girl, a lucky and grateful one at that, to have gone through such an enriching and memorable first internship with them. Thank you for being my first ❤.
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If you would like to revisit and reimagine your education journey for others, you can explore their jobs page. They may have an opening for you to join them!
