1 CONTENTS 02 A PART OF SINGAPORE’S SUCCESS STORY 04 BRINGING OUT THE BEST IN EVERY CHILD 07 A SYSTEM THAT STANDS OUT 08 LAYING A STRONG FOUNDATION 10 PRE-SCHOOL EDUCATION 13 PRIMARY SCHOOL EDUCATION 16 THE SINGAPORE EDUCATION LANDSCAPE 18 BUILDING UP STRENGTHS 20 SECONDARY SCHOOL EDUCATION 26 GEARING UP FOR TERTIARY EDUCATION 29 PRE-UNIVERSITY Photography: Mr Tan Wen Chuan, Compassvale Secondary School Secondary WenChuan,Compassvale MrTan Photography: EDUCATION 32 SHARPENING The information contained in this booklet is correct as of March 2015 Produced by Design Branch, Communications Division, Communications and Engagement Group SPECIALISED SKILLS AND ABILITIES Acknowledgements 34 INSTITUTE OF The photos within this publication are courtesy of Institute of Technical Education, TECHNICAL EDUCATION LASALLE College of the Arts, 36 POLYTECHNICS Meridian Junior College, 37 UNIVERSITIES Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, Nanyang Junior College, 38 ARTS INSTITUTIONS National University of Singapore, Ngee Ann Polytechnic, SIM University, and 40 ADDITIONAL Singapore University of Technology and Design. INFORMATION 2 EDUCATION IN SINGAPORE EDUCATION IN SINGAPORE 33 A PART OF SINGAPORE’S SUCCESS STORY The Singapore education Over system aims to bring out the best in every child by World-Class Institutes enabling each student to 360 of Higher Learning discover his talents, realise his potential, and develop schools for primary, secondary a passion for learning that and post-secondary lasts throughout his life. education supported by This brochure provides an 33,000 overview of the Singapore education education landscape and of= cers explains the programmes Annual education budget of and curricula available to cater to our students’ in diverse aptitudes and $11.5b 2014 interests. 4 EDUCATION IN SINGAPORE 5 BRINGING OUT THE BEST IN EVERY CHILD OE is committed to giving a strong foundation of literacy and each child a broad and numeracy, our schools also develop the Mdeep foundation for a physical, aesthetic, moral, and socio- lifelong journey of learning, emotional aspects of our students. providing additional support for those Apart from the academic curriculum, who need it. To bring out the best in our students can develop their interests every child, the Singapore education in the arts, music and sports through system emphasises a broad-based and co-curricular activities (CCA). These holistic education, bilingualism, high activities provide our students with teacher quality and the integration opportunities to hone their talents and of information and communication leadership skills, as well as develop their technologies (ICT) to aid learning. We socio-emotional competencies. have created a variegated education landscape with diverse pathways to At the primary level, the Programme provide our students with a variety for Active Learning (PAL) engages of learning opportunities so as to younger students in learning and helps best cater to their different interests, them discover their interests and strengths, and learning needs. We also strengths. At the secondary level, the believe that our schools should work Applied Learning Programme (ALP) and closely together with parents and the Learning for Life Programme (LLP) offers community to create richer learning students more opportunities to pursue environments and better educational learning in line with their interests, outcomes. and helps deepen their 21st century competencies through a combination BROAD-BASED AND of applied learning experiences HOLISTIC EDUCATION and life-skills experiences. This is in Holistic education is about nurturing addition to the enrichment and co- the whole child, developing in our curricular programmes that cater to our children an enduring core of skills, students’ interests. Contributing to the dispositions and competencies, steeped community around the school through in values and character, to enable them Values-in-Action (VIA) projects is also an to thrive in the future workplace, and integral part of school life. In addition, more importantly, lead purposeful and education and career guidance offers meaningful lives. Our broad-based perspectives beyond the classroom basic education exposes each child to help our students discover their to different possibilities and ensures interests and strengths, and choose the a strong foundation for learning in a pathways that allow them to achieve variety of domains. their fullest potential. Our schools play a key role in providing All these learning experiences help a rich diversity of learning experiences our students cultivate qualities such for our students. Besides building as creativity, con dence, compassion 6 EDUCATION IN SINGAPORE 7 and resilience – life skills essential in a Education (NIE). Opportunities for rapidly changing world. They also learn our teachers to strengthen their values such as respect, responsibility, skills and deepen their craft on-the- integrity, care, and harmony; all of job are present through in-service Photography: Mr Chan Guang Hui, Woodlands Secondary School Secondary MrChanGuangHui,Woodlands Photography: which are important for safeguarding professional development led by the our cohesive and harmonious multi- Academy of Singapore Teachers (AST), racial and multi-cultural society. which are supported by other teacher Collectively, these are the Education academies and language institutes Ministry’s efforts to ensure that all our and complemented by networks of students acquire a broad and deep learning communities in schools and foundation for a lifelong journey of school clusters. In-service professional learning. development helps to foster a stronger culture of dedication, collaborative BILINGUAL ADVANTAGE learning, and professional-led Bilingualism is a key feature of excellence. Singapore’s education system. While the medium of instruction in school ICT-INFUSED CURRICULUM is English, all students are expected We are constantly working to enrich and to learn an of= cial Mother Tongue transform the learning environments of Photography by: AlvinToh by: Photography Language. our students and to equip them with the critical competencies to succeed in a Our bilingual policy aims to equip knowledge-based economy. our students with the language competencies necessary to access Asian Teachers collaborate with one another cultures and develop a global outlook. and stakeholders to develop innovative This gives our students a competitive teaching practices. Together with the edge by helping them appreciate use of purposeful integration of ICT their own culture and heritage and and the provision of online quality connecting with people from different learning resources to enhance the A SYSTEM THAT STANDS OUT backgrounds so that they can thrive in a student-centricity of students’ learning globalised world. experience, we bring about new Singapore’s education system is also learning experiences for our students NE OF THE WORLD’S Singapore identi ed as one of the world’s consistently ranked amongst the best GOOD TEACHERS AND even as we prepare them for the future. BEST-PERFORMING best-performing school systems SCHOOL LEADERS OSCHOOL SYSTEMS in terms of the ability to meet the McKinsey Report, published November 2010 Teachers, allied educators, and school PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS We set ourselves apart needs of a competitive economy in the Singapore students ranked among the top in Mathematics and Science leaders form the core of Singapore’s Parents are our key partners in with our consistent and outstanding Global Competitiveness Report. The Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study education system. We are committed to delivering a holistic education for our accomplishments in Mathematics and McKinsey Report, which studied the (TIMSS) 2011 nurturing and motivating our teachers students. Their involvement and support Science across all students at all levels. characteristics of school systems that to grow and reach their personal in school programmes is crucial to Singapore ranked among the top in Students also build strong linguistic consistently produce students who Literacy and Informational Reading and professional best, in line with bring out the best in all our students. Progress in International Reading Literacy Study their aspirations and interests, and to To this end, we encourage parents and foundations through our bilingual policy. perform in international benchmarking (PIR LS) 2011 the community to work together with Consequently, they have excelled in studies, placed Singapore high on embody the qualities articulated in our Singapore students ranked among the top Teacher Growth Model1. Our teachers schools to create a conducive learning international benchmarking studies its list of best-performing school in Reading, Mathematics and Science Programme for International Student Assessment receive comprehensive pre-service environment in schools and within systems. Quality teachers and rst-rate such as the Trends in Mathematics and (PISA) 2012 training at the National Institute of students’ homes and the community. Science Study (TIMSS), the Progress in instruction are highlighted in the report Singapore ranked among the top in International Reading Literacy Study as the key reasons for the success of the “Quality of the Educational System” and 1 To re ect the multi-faceted nature of their work, the TGM presents a holistic portrait of the 21st century Singapore teacher with “Quality of Math and Science Education” (PIRLS), and recently, the Programme for Singapore