Commentary: PISA debate reveals Singaporeans may have limiting beliefs about creativity

SINGAPORE: Singapore’s 15-year-olds recently made headlines for topping the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) for creative thinking.

While they also excelled in mathematics, science, and reading, it was their creative thinking that ignited public discussion, given the common stereotype that Singaporeans lack creativity.

Even Singapore students doubt their own creativity - just 64 per cent said on the PISA study that they were confident of being creative, in contrast to the OECD average of 73 per cent.

Despite making documentaries for more than a decade, I don’t consider myself creative as well. Working with editors, musicians and others who dedicate their lives to their craft leaves me in awe every time. In comparison, what I do seems ordinary, undeserving of the “creative” label.

This recent discourse on the misalignment between our perception and reality of creativity in Singapore has made me rethink what creativity is and how we can embrace our own.

"LITTLE C" AND "BIG C" CREATIVITY

First, it is necessary to acknowledge that OECD’s PISA test assessed the “Little C” creativity that students can demonstrate by tackling everyday tasks in an original way. PISA tests for this in four areas: Written expression, visual expression, social problem-solving and scientific problem-solving.

In short, creativity in this context goes beyond the arts and is very much a trait of who we are and how we perceive challenges.

On the other hand, “Big C” creativity is often associated with breakthrough works and achievements that significantly impact people’s lives. This may refer to artists who sell out stadiums, scientists whose research leads to paradigm shifts and innovators who change how we live.

Perhaps this significant leap from “Little C” to “Big C” creativity explains why Singaporeans may underestimate their own creativity. They do not see themselves as creative even if they practise it in everyday life.

We are more likely to validate the “Big C” creatives such as the artistes we listen to on Spotify, the filmmakers we watch on Netflix and the content creators we follow on TikTok.

Even when our fellow Singaporeans achieve something, we often compare it to the deluge of global creative output and either diminish their worth or outright dismiss them. But despite its short history, Singapore has people with “Big C” creativity.

Examples include jazz musician and Cultural Medallion recipient Jeremy Monteiro, who recently released his 50th album, and actor Mark Lee whose performances have been acclaimed critically and commercially.

The late Sim Wong Hoo, founder of Creative Technology, made his mark on the world with speakers and gadgets, especially in the 1990s and 2000s.

Perhaps us Singaporeans are too results-oriented when we deem ourselves uncreative, and we stifle ourselves with our penchant to compare. What if we changed our mindset and viewed creativity from a different perspective?

EMBRACE CREATIVITY AS A PROCESS

Soon after the PISA results made news in Singapore, another discussion on creativity was sparked on the internet, this time by a Chinatown mural of a samsui woman holding a cigarette.

Though people initially quibbled over whether the mural promotes smoking and how accurately it portrays samsui women, the debate soon evolved to be about artistic licence and the role of art in public spaces.

Regardless of one’s position on the matter, the discourse was testament that people in Singapore have the creativity to see past the face value of an artwork.

The process of creativity goes beyond outcomes; it involves exploration, experimentation and refinement that lead to those outcomes. Neglecting this broader definition of creativity stifles our potential.

Liew Wei Li, director-general of education at Ministry of Education (MOE), said it best in a LinkedIn post: “Our students don’t believe they are creative. That might hold them back in the workplace as they might not put forward their ideas, self-censor, or (not) take the lead in project teams or new ventures.”

Not believing in our own creativity is a self-fulfilling prophecy. If we valued the process of creativity, we can cultivate an environment where experimentation is encouraged, and where each step, no matter how small, is seen as an essential part of creating something new.

SINGAPORE’S FUTURE DEMANDS CREATIVITY

Sometimes, fresh perspectives help us see what we have but do not recognise. Coaches do this for athletes, and the PISA results have done this for people in Singapore.

We have an opportunity now to shed our self-restricting mindset about creativity. Singapore has come this far in part due to how it innovatively played with the cards it was dealt.

There is a coming wave of unprecedented challenges for Singapore: Tectonic shifts in geopolitics, the rise of artificial intelligence and a maturing national identity. While we cannot change what’s beyond our control, we can be creative in our responses.

Singapore’s only natural resource has always been our people. As our story continues to be written, embracing our creativity is a necessity for adding more chapters.

Ong Kah Jing (OKJ) is a documentary storyteller based in Singapore.