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I REFER to the new book on Dr Goh Keng Swee (Goh Keng Swee: A Portrait). Dr Goh has certainly impacted all spheres of our society, the material and the esoteric, like music and the fine arts. I was a professional officer with the Ministry of Education when he became its minister in 1979/80, and, despite being a layman on educational matters, he displayed the brilliance of an insightful thinker in setting about revamping the ministry HQ, as the following initiatives bear testimony: Significant reduction of attrition that then went beyond 50-60 per cent of each cohort. Introduction of a systems approach. The ministry then was having lengthy meetings with copious minutes, without individual accountability for decisions made. Dr Goh's view was that any meeting that went beyond an hour should be treated as a seminar, and beyond three hours, as a conference. Removal of cults of secrecy, obedience and tardiness in decision-making. Dr Goh was appalled by the slavish mentality of professional officers. He empowered all professional officers and enhanced their accountability. He explained that it was easier to refer decision-making 'upwards', but this was not the most effective. He publicly commended an officer for writing to him directly on a professional matter. Establishment of monthly Schools Council meetings that included the minister, directors and representative principals of schools and junior colleges. These ensured greater transparency and accountability to stakeholders. Establishment of weekly press briefings. Officers responsible for executing decisions were tasked with explaining their rationale so that the wider public would appreciate them better. Computerisation in mid-1980, way before the World Wide Web was launched in 1989. Professional officers had Dr Goh to thank for enhancing their image through a much bigger remuneration package. Teachers' salaries were equated with those of equivalent professional officers in other services. It was, therefore, a sad commentary that, towards the end of his tenure as minister, he remarked to a senior professional officer that 'attempting to change teachers was like pouring water over ducks'. The question that we should ask is whether our mindsets have changed over the 20 years since Dr Goh left the ministry. S. Ganesamoorthy
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