SINGAPORE, June 21 (Xinhua) -- Globalization and rapid technological evolution have considerable impact on education in the 21st century, Singapore's Minister of State for Education and Manpower Gan Kim Yong said here Wednesday at the inauguration of the World Education Forum.

"In today's knowledge-based economies, human resources have become the key competitive advantage of many countries. The education of a country's citizens therefore becomes a critical factor in determining its future," Gan noted.

He said that as economies are becoming increasingly interdependent, countries like Singapore, which do not have abundant natural resources, need to give their people the best education they can afford so as to develop their potential to the fullest.

"We must prepare our people and encourage them to adopt a global perspective," Gan stressed.

As for the impact of technology on education, new information and communication technologies such as Internet and multimedia player have changed the way of teaching, while students are more able to use technology as a learning tool, according to the minister.

"We must therefore capitalize on these emerging technologies to improve the effectiveness of our education system," he said.

Themed "redefining the learning paradigm," the three-day forum provides education policy makers, academics and practitioners with a platform to share their views and learn from each other's experience. Enditem