Education in Singapore

A Response to Economic Challenges

& Nation Building
 Education during the Colonial Period
(1819-1945)

 Mission Schools – English medium

 Singapore Free School (1834) – later RI (1963)
 King Edward VII College of Medicine (1905) University
Of
 Raffles College (1926) Malaya
 Vernacular Schools – Chinese, Malay and Tamil
 Govt support for Malay schools (not all)
 Role of community – clan associations, businessmen
 Strengths

 Enterprise & pioneering spirit of the various

community
 existed entirely on their own resources
 Preservation of cultural & linguistic differences in
Singapore
 Challenges

 Education was limited to those who could afford

(end of colonial period, >40% were illiterate)
 Divided along racial lines
 Due to world events (revolutionary fervor & changes in
China in the early 20th C)
 Politicized  threat to the govt
 Post-War Years (1945-1965)

 1947 – Ten-Year Plan

 Free Education – ages 6-12 yrs
 To foster capacity for self-govt
 MT as medium of instruction
 EL from 3rd year

 Standardised curriculum

 Selection for English Primary School

 Training College
Meanwhile,
Unrests continued
 Post-War Years (1945-1965)

 1955 – Limited Self-Government

 All-Party Committee
 Proposed education policy that met the •1959- Policy took shape
needs of various committees 
nationhood  NE All & emphasis on Maths
 Bilingual primary education and Science
 Trilingual secondary education •1960- 2nd Lang
 ECA compulsory in Primary
 Teaching of civics
School
 Parity of treatment for all 4
language streams
 Technical education and industrial
training emphasized
 Challenges of Independence
Political
•Confrontasi
•Clashes with Malaysian leaders
 Highlighted our vulnerability
Economic
•Lost Malaysian hinterland
•Unemployment (double digit)
-fall in entrepot trade
-1967 withdrawal of Br forces
Social
•Lacked built-in reflexes
(loyalty, patriotism, shared
history/ tradition)
•Population divided by race,
language, religion…
- 1964 racial riots
Solution?
Dual role of education
Economic transformation
Disciplined cohesive society
 Post Independence Years
Labour-Intensive Industries
(1966-1970s)
 Aims:
 Nation Building
 Economic Development
 Education for more people
•Different types of education
were provided for different
age groups
•Malay as the National Language
•Overall increase in student
intake at various levels
•Focus on Mathematics, Science and
Technical subjects
 Post Independence Years
Labour-Intensive Industries
(1966-1970s)
Meeting Economic Challenges
•1966- Second Language in Secondary
schs
•1969- Lower Sec – Tech Subject
Girls had a choice/ VITB/ Science Labs
in all Sec/ SP and NA Tech College •Improved quality of
education
 Nation Building •Attention to teaching
 Pledge taking, flag raising resources, planning
& lowering
(facilities), research,
 ECA grades organisation, and evaluation
 1969, common curriculum •Promote use of Mandarin
for all Sec 1 & 2 in all 4 •1978, SAP schools
language stream schools •1971, GCE ‘O’-levels
 Problems

 High education wastage

 Attrition rate 29% for primary
 36% for secondary
 Variation in academic performance

New Economic Challenges

 Labour Shortage
 Competition from Other Countries
 Lower cost
 Lower productivity
 Industrial Restructuring -1980s
 Higher/ Tertiary •Improved quality of
education was education
encouraged •Streaming introduced to
 Increased intake bring out the best in every
 NU merged with U of individual and to reduce
Singapore = NUS dropout rate
 NTI, 1981 (engineering and •GEP, 1984
technology)
 1991, NTU •Increased investment
 BEST (EL, MA) for large •Building more schools,
protion of the workforce single-session schools
who have less tha P6 •1988,89 – Independent
education Schools
•Relaxed entry to Secondary school
 Moving into the 1990s

Economic Restructuring
What was the focus in the 1990s?
 1990s

 Further concentration on
post secondary and •1992, SIM – Open U
tertiary education •1997, became privatized
to develop the manpower •1992, ITE
needed for the push to •1993, Edusave
high tech and knowledge •1994, 4th Polytechnic, TP
intensive products and
•1994-6, Autonomous schools
services
 1990s

 Twin forces of
globalization and
technological change •Ability-driven
•Curriculum
•School environment
•Teaching service
•Education structure
•Education hub
•Administrative excellence
 1990s

 1997, $2 bil on IT in classrooms

 IT Masterplan
 PW
 NE
 ECA CCA
 Post-grad and Arts education encouraged
 PRIME
 SEM
 Cluster Schools
 Compulsory Education, 2000
 Education Policies & Practices
in Singapore
60s-70s 80s-early 90s Late 1990s
•Flag-raising & •Streaming •Caring Thinking
Pledge-taking & Creative thinking
•Moral Values
•Billingualism •IT
•Vocational Traning
•ECAs •NE
•Schools given
•Technical Education Greater Autonomy •CIP

•Compulsory Pri
Education (2000)
 Education Policies & Practices
in Singapore
21st Century
TLLM (2003)
Integrated Programme/ Through Train (2003)
Future Schools (2008)
Specialised Schools
- NUS Maths & Science School
- School of Science & Technology
- School of the Arts
- Singapore Sports School
- Pathlight & Northlight Schools
 Education Policies & Practices
in Singapore
Leveling up for all economic-social classes?
• Financial Assistance Schemes
• Government Bursaries
• Edusave Scheme (1993)
• to maximise opportunities for all Singaporean
children
• rewards students who perform well or who make
good progress
• provides students and schools with funds to pay for
enrichment programmes or to purchase additional
resources.
 Summing Up

What are the features of our education

system?
Do you agree with what the
government has done so far?
What would you do differently?

http://www.moe.edu.sg/
 Practice Question

‘Instilling and reinforcing national

loyalty through National Education is
the main consideration of our
education system’.
Do you agree with the statement? EYA