ACHIEVEMENT IN NATIONAL SERVICE AND SCHOLASTIC/ACADEMIC/PROFESSIONAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS (Correlation)

[Mr Speaker in the Chair]

Mr J. F. Conceicao asked the Minister of Defence whether, as a result of experience or through any research studies, there can be traced any significant correlation between achievement in national service on the one hand, and on the other (i) number of years of schooling previously; (ii) academic ability shown previously; (iii) any training (including professional training) acquired previously; and (iv) previous work experience.

The Minister of Defence (Dr Goh Keng Swee): Mr Speaker, Sir, experience shows that there is an association between a soldier's performance and his educational background. Army commanders prefer better educated soldiers because they know that whether these men are riflemen, storemen, medical orderlies, clerks or cooks, experience has confirmed that better educated soldiers are easier to instruct, carry out their orders and daily chores with fewer mistakes and generally pose fewer disciplinary problems.

In the past there have been research studies conducted by the Personnel Research and Educational Department of Mindef to evaluate how useful criteria such as education level and IQ test performances have proved in assigning recruits to various army vocations. Statistical computation shows that a significant level of correlation exists between performance in course results and education level. If we take education level and IQ results together, the correlation is even better than education level alone.

In February 1973 the study covered five vocations - clerk (class II), pay clerks, technical storemen, linesmen and recce troopers. At other times similar studies have been made in respect of other vocations, both in the army and navy as well as in the officer cadet courses. As expected, the association between performance in these courses and education level is statistically significant.

These studies will be made available to the hon. Member if he wants them.

Regarding the second part of the Member's question, that is, relating to training and work experience, these are taken into account in assigning recruits to military vocations. Naturally, training and experience in a particular civilian vocation would result in better performance in the SAF in related vocations, particularly in technical vocations such as mechanics, electricians, draughtsmen, fitters and so on. However, it often happens that the supply of technically trained recruits in particular lines exceeds the requirement for that intake. When this happens, the surplus will have to be assigned to other vocations.

Mr Teong Eng Siong (Sembawang): (In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like to ask the Minister whether national servicemen are assigned to jobs according to their educational qualification. I would like to cite an example. A national serviceman who is an architect is assigned to the Navy where he is required to teach the men how to maintain ship's machinery. This assignment is irrelevant to his line of education. If he were assigned to the Architect Division, his knowledge would be put to proper and better use. I hope the Minister will give consideration to this point.

Dr Goh Keng Swee: Sir, of course, there are many lines of education for which there is no equivalent work in the armed forces. Architecture is one of them. True, we can make use of the architect in a civilian role but then he will not be doing national service. He will be doing civilian work. What about Mathematics? How do we employ mathematicians in the armed forces as mathematicians? So, in many vocations, they are assigned to do combat work. In fact, for most University graduates, the policy is to assign them to an appropriate combat arm where they will be trained in the officer cadet school so that eventually they can provide leadership in the SAF.