Inspiring Purpose in High-Performance Schooling

In these times of ideological polarization in education, Dr. Mary Anne Heng provides us with a nuanced and persuasive approach to redefining our goals for children’s time spent in school. Purpose-driven education, which offers a sustainable rationale for the acquisition of academic skills and knowledge, is central to engaging potential student motivation and creativity. Concurrently, Heng argues that academic excellence remains essential, and that purpose-focused education cannot be about intellectual mediocrity. As countries such as the U.S. struggle not only with youth disengagement, but also basic skills acquisition for a vast array of children, Heng’s balanced, well-crafted policy approach takes on increasing urgency.

Rena F. Subotnik, PhD, Academic Talent Development Program, University of California Berkeley Graduate School of Education, USA

As countries worldwide seek to upgrade their education systems by emulating Singapore, Mary Anne Heng challenges the assumption that high-performing schools are necessarily better schools. Heng’s research looks behind the raw figures of educational attainment and offers another perspective on school success. Heng warns that the problems facing the future of our planet require skills of inventiveness and creativity based on a larger vision of education with purpose where self-discovery and transformation go hand in hand with academic achievement.

Inspiring Purpose in High-Performance Schooling belongs on every educator's desk.

Frances Schoonmaker, Professor Emerita, Teachers College, Columbia University and Award-Winning Author, USA

Mary Anne Heng presents an accessible and clearly argued challenge to narrowly focused high-performance schooling. Drawing on empirical work conducted in Singapore and Israel, two countries noted in international studies for the quality of schooling in terms of student achievement, she observes distinct differences in student commitment and engagement. Her proposals for a more expansive, purpose-driven schooling, with student experience and the development of individual and collective creativity, fulfilment and well-being at its heart, will provide insight and inspiration for anyone with an active interest in re-shaping schooling to enable us to thrive in the face of current and emerging local and global challenges.

Andrew Brown, Emeritus Professor of Education and Society, University College London Institute of Education, UK

Small, successful nations such Denmark, Israel, Singapore, and Switzerland dominate performance rankings across a range of metrics, usually head and shoulders above large nations. The one attribute they share are outstanding education systems which ensure inclusivity and foster equality of opportunity (not outcome). In Inspiring Purpose in High-Performance Schooling, Mary Anne Heng draws big lessons from Singapore and Israel to solve slow and unfolding yet critical problems in education. Her research encourages us all by showing that societies benefit greatly when schools inspire students to discover their life purpose with broader notions of success for a greater good.

R. James Breiding, Author of Swiss Made and Too Small to Fail, and Founder, Smart Nations, Big Impact Global Initiative, Switzerland