“But why should we have to be useful and for what reason? Who divided the world into useless and useful, and by what right?” — Olga Tokarczuk, Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead

The School of Useless Use 无用大用学院, a.k.a. U + U, is an alternative education institute which cultivates knowledge that is undervalued in the mainstream. We are particularly interested in hidden curricula — tacit forms of social and cultural capital which reinforce social disparities; tools for reclaiming aspects of life that are suppressed by systemic conditions; and any other forms of knowledge that give us agency, wisdom, and joy.

Our work challenges the useless/useful binary that underpins education systems, work pathways, and their attendant syllabi in Singapore. We seek to reinstate curiosity and pleasure in learning, and increase public access to education programmes which are rigorous and low-stakes. We believe in the exchange of knowledge and skills beyond formal education settings—in what can be shared between u and u.

We aim to nurture a space for people of all backgrounds to enjoy learning what they want to learn, regardless of whether it is deemed useful by other people, your workplace, or the economy. Useless or useful, it’s up to u.

A world where learning is a continual process of developing our agency to engage with the known and unknown world. People who cherish and develop forms of knowledge beyond quantifiable metrics and productivity.

Co-Founders
Ang Kia Yee, Lee Han Shih

contact@nothingisuseless.world