Fixation on academic qualifications will be hard to break

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most research indicating that each additional year of schooling increases one's future earnings by between 7 per cent and 10 per cent.

schooling provides skills and knowledge which enable people to be more productive on the job.

employers might perceive people with more schooling to be more capable. Hence, they may make hiring and salary decisions, at least initially, based on educational credentials. The second explanation implies that, even if two people have exactly the same skills and knowledge, the person with the higher educational credentials will enjoy better earnings and employability.

employers often find it very difficult to tell a person's true ability at the point of hiring.

Many skills are unobservable, including how capable the person is, whether he works well with others, whether he is hardworking, or whether he pays attention to details

Albeit imperfect, academic qualifications do convey something about a person's ability. 

in recent years, the Government has explicitly urged Singaporeans not to be too fixated on paper qualifications and to focus instead on mastery of skills. The message is clear: Acquire an education, not because of the certification it gives you, but because of the skills and knowledge you receive.

Qn: Discuss the view that education guarantees progress.