Educational System

in Singapore

Presenter:
Karen F. Canlapan, EdD Student
Introduction

 The Government of Singapore invests heavily in education to equip citizens with

the necessary knowledge and skills to compete in the global market place.
 Singapore currently spends around a fifth of its national budget on education. To
boost its economic standing, the Government of Singapore created a mandate that
most Singaporeans learn English.
 English is the language of governance and administration in Singapore and
English is also the medium of instruction in most, if not all, schools in Singapore.
As a result, the country rose from one of the most impoverished Asian countries
to one with the strongest economies and highest standards of living.
Introduction

Singapore’s education system has developed a powerful set

of institutional arrangements which is centralized,
integrated, coherent and well funded. It is characterized by
prescribed national curriculum, assessments and instruction.
Besides Singapore unique configuration, authoritative
vernacular facilitate understanding of teaching and learning
across whole educational system.
Introduction

Singapore universities have managed to the ranked top on

the OECD’s program for international student assessment.
The transforming of the Singapore educational system
 from traditional to highly scripted and pragmatic drawing
a range of procedural knowledge and prepares students
for national high stakes examination.
Introduction

And because teachers rely on the high practices, it helps

students in mastering the concept. Hence Singapore
universities coined as a product of a distinctive and
unique set of the historical instructional regime.
Singapore created a world-class educational system and
become able to form the best instructional regime.
 Objectives of Education in Singapore

Singapore's education system

aims to bring out the best in
every child.
“We seek to nurture the
whole child and develop them
into lifelong learners, with an
enduring core of competencies
to thrive in the 21st century.”
National Goal of Education in Singapore
Objectives

 Multiple educational pathways cater to the different strengths and interests of

every student.
 Schools provide a rich diversity of learning experiences for our students.
 In building a strong foundation in literacy and numeracy, they cater to
educational needs in physical, aesthetic, moral, social and emotional aspects, and
develop them holistically of the students.
 Besides academic learning, students can develop their interest and talent in
music, arts, and sports through co-curricular programs and outdoor education.
 Learning experiences also give them opportunities to hone students’ leadership
skills, as well as social and emotional competencies.
Objectives

 There are also opportunities for their students to contribute to communities through various Values-in Action
programs, which are an integral part of school life as well as Applied Learning experiences, which allows them to...
(i) learn by doing;
(ii) learn about the real world; and
(iii) learn for life.

 Schools offer education and career guidance to help our students discover their interests and strengths and choose
the pathways that allow them to achieve their fullest potential.
 Learning experiences help to cultivate in students’ qualities such as creativity, collaboration, and compassion – life
skills that are essential in a rapidly changing world. Through nurturing the joy of learning and encouraging
‘entrepreneurial dare’, our students can develop the intrinsic motivation to explore and discover their interests as
well as pursue their passions. We also want to inculcate in them values such as respect, responsibility, resilience,
integrity, care and harmony, all of which are important for a cohesive, multi-racial and multi-cultural society
Objectives of Education in Singapore
and Philippines
Educational Structure

 Primary Education ( 6 years, 7-12 years old)

At the primary level, students go through a compulsory six-year course designed to give them a strong
educational foundation. This includes developing literacy and numeracy skills, building character, and nurturing
sound values and good habits.

Core Curriculum:
 English Language
 Mathematics
 Mother Tongue Language
Educational Structure

 Primary Education

Other Subjects:
 Art
 Music
 Character and Citizenship Education
 Social Studies
 Physical Education
 Science
Educational Structure

 Primary Education

At the end of Primary 6, students take the

Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE),
which assesses their suitability for secondary
education and places them in the secondary school
course that suits their pace of academic learning
and aptitude. Students can also seek admission to a
secondary school based on their demonstrated and
potential talents across a diverse range of areas
(such as art and sports) through the Direct School
Admission exercise.
Educational Structure

 Primary Education

Teachers consider the ability of their students when designing lessons and assessment tasks to ensure that
they are able to learn at a pace that best suits them. Students who require more help in acquiring literacy and
numeracy skills will receive additional support through targeted programmes that combine flexible teaching
approaches and small group instruction so that they can learn at a more manageable pace. The Gifted Education
Programme (GEP), meanwhile, caters to the educational needs of intellectually gifted students. High ability
learners who are not in the GEP can also benefit from the enriched learning derived from school-based and
MOE-run programmes.
 Curriculum

 Secondary
Education
(Grades 7-10
4-5 years,
13-16 yrs old)
Educational Structure

 Secondary Education
Three courses designed to match students’ academic progress and interests.
Educational Structure

 Secondary Education
Three courses designed to match students’ academic progress and interests.
Educational Structure

 Secondary Education
Three courses designed to match students’ academic progress and interests.
Educational Structure

 Secondary Education
 Educational Structure

 Post-Secondary Education
(Grades 11-13, 2-3 years)

After Secondary 4 or Secondary 5,

most students proceed to one of the
following post-secondary education
institutions.
Educational Structure

 Tertiary
Universities prepare students for the knowledge economy, equip them with skills to
thrive professionally, and contribute to the research and innovation ecosystem. There
are six publicly-funded Autonomous Universities (AUs) in Singapore that provide a
wide range of academic, research, work-learn and student life options to cater to
students’ diverse interests and learning styles. There are two types of AUs in
Singapore: • Research-intensive universities that are more academic in nature; and •
Applied-degree pathway, where students receive more hands-on experience and
industry exposure as part of their university education.
University Autonomy
(Autonomous Universities)
 National University of Singapore (NUS) is a comprehensive and research-
intensive university with 17 faculties and schools at three campuses. Its
international collaborations include the setting up of a second medical school with
7 Duke University, a music conservatory with Johns Hopkins University, and
Singapore’s first liberal arts college with Yale University.
 Nanyang Technological University (NTU) is a comprehensive and research-
intensive university with a strong focus on engineering, science, and technology. It
offers undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. NTU also has the Lee Kong
Chian School of Medicine, which was established in collaboration with Imperial
College London, and aims to be a model for innovative medicine education and a
centre for transformative research.
University Autonomy
(Autonomous Universities)

 Singapore Management University (SMU) is a specialized and research-

intensive university that offers undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.
Students also take the SMU-X curriculum, which allows them to work on real-
world industry issues under the guidance of faculty and industry partners.
 Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) is a specialized and
research-intensive university, with a multi-disciplinary human-centric and design-
focused curriculum. It offers unique architecture and engineering, and more
recently, the world’s first design and artificial intelligence degree programmes
that equip students with the relevant skills to create products, systems and
services to address real-world challenges.
University Autonomy
(Autonomous Universities)

 Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) pioneered the applied degree pathway,

with a focus on science and technology. It offers its own applied degrees, and
degree programmes offered in partnership with reputable overseas universities
that strongly emphasize practice-oriented learning and connection with industry.
8 The Integrated Work Study Programme is a distinctive feature of SIT degree
programmes. During the course of their studies, students can undertake 6 to 12
months of relevant work to develop specialized skills in their chosen field.
University Autonomy
(Autonomous Universities)

 Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) provides an applied education

that targets both fresh school leavers and adult learners, in the domain of the
social sciences, and disciplines that have a strong impact on human and
community development. It offers more than 70 undergraduate and graduate
programmes in five schools.
Educational Administration and Finance
Teacher Education and In-Service Training

 Singapore's 21st-Century Teaching Strategies

Adult and Continuing Education

 As Singapore makes more investments on Continuing Education and Training (CET) and expands the
Singapore Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ) system to meet the growing skills needs of industries, the
demand for professionals in Continuing Education and Training (CET) and Workforce Skills Qualifications
(WSQ) will increase in tandem.
 The Training and Adult Education (TAE) WSQ Framework has been developed to improve the capabilities
and professionalism of TAE Professionals in areas such as: adult education, human resource development,
training management, and workforce development. This will meet the continuing demands of quality
education as well as training and development in Singapore.
 In order to raise the Adult Educators’ professionalism through quality curricula, we need concerted efforts to
focus on centralized strategies on how TAE WSQ programmes are being offered. Therefore, with effect from
1st January 2016, the Institute for Adult Learning (IAL) will be the sole provider of TAE WSQ programmes
to qualify WSQ adult educators to perform roles as WSQ trainers, assessors and curriculum developers.
Educational Policies, Reforms and Recent Development

 At the end of World War II, Singapore implemented the first in a succession of economic development
strategies rooted in improved education and training.  Since the 1990s, the nation has focused on boosting
creativity and capacity for innovation in its students.
 In 2004, the government developed the “Teach Less, Learn More” initiative, which moved instruction
further away from its early focus on rote memorization and repetitive tasks and toward deeper conceptual
understanding and problem-based learning. Educators abandoned the practice of funneling students into
ability-based tracks and began sorting them into three different “bands” in secondary school based on their
ultimate educational goal. Although students take most of their classes within their bands, they can take
classes in other bands depending on their aptitude and interest in a given subject. The goal is to achieve full
subject-based banding, with students freely mixing and matching classes from different bands, by 2024.
Educational Policies, Reforms and Recent Development

 Singapore’s current priorities for its education system are reflected in the title of
its initiative “Every School a Good School.” This set of reforms aims to ensure
that all schools have adequate resources to develop customized programs for their
students; raise professional standards for teachers; encourage innovation; and
foster partnerships between schools and communities.  In addition, Singapore
launched the “Learn for Life” initiative in 2018 to promote greater flexibility in
teaching, learning, and assessment. With more opportunities for self-directed
learning in and out of school, Singapore hopes to encourage lifelong learning for
all Singaporeans, in ways that bring them satisfaction and meaning.
Selection of Teachers

 Qualifications needed to teach in Singapore

For the majority of teaching positions in Singapore, a Bachelor's degree is essential. For roles in public and
international schools, a degree in Education or your subject area is strongly preferred. For ESL positions, a
Bachelor's degree and a TEFL certification is usually required.
Examinations

 In 2009, when Singapore participated for the first time in the Programme for
International Student Assessment (PISA), the results of Prime Minister Lee’s
efforts were already clear.  That year, Singapore’s 15-year-olds were among the
top performers in all three subjects. In 2015, the nation was first in the world in
all three subjects; in 2018, four Chinese provinces outperformed Singapore, but
the small island nation continued to outperform every other nation.
Reference:

 https://ncee.org/country/singapore/
 https://www.moe.gov.sg/-/media/files/about-us/overview_of_singapore_education_system.pdf?
la=en&hash=06AFC12085D9647AC26DF9A4A3599A0FBC1A6364#:~:text=Page%201-,Singapore's
%20education%20system%20aims%20to%20bring%20out%20the%20best%20in,and%20interests%20of
%20every%20student.
 https://wenr.wes.org/2009/06/wenr-june-2009-feature
 https://bridge.edu/tefl/online-tefl-certification