Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized

BUILDING
HUMAN CAPITAL
LESSONS FROM COUNTRY EXPERIENCES

How Singapore Does It

Abstract
 Contents
1. Introduction ................................................................................. 1
Analytical Framework..................................................................................... 1

2. Singapore’s Economic Performance and the Role Played by

Human Capital ................................................................................... 2

3. Driving Economic Growth in a Resource-poor Economy .............. 4

Capitalizing Learning...................................................................................... 5

Capitalizing Health ......................................................................................... 6

4. The Making of a World Class Schooling System ........................... 7

Round One of Education Reform .................................................................... 9

Round Two ................................................................................................... 10

Round Three ................................................................................................. 12

Financing Education ..................................................................................... 13

5. Making Human Capital Healthy .................................................. 16

Controlling Disease and Mitigating Effects of Heat ...................................... 16

Staffing and Providing Healthcare ............................................................... 17

6. Key Lessons on Building a World Class Education and Training

System ............................................................................................ 25

7. Singapore’s Healthcare Recipe ................................................... 30

8. Concluding Observations ............................................................ 32

References ...................................................................................... 35
 Table of Figures
Figure 1 : Per Capita GDP of East Asian Economies: 1975–2017 ........................................................ 3
Figure 2: Knowledge Capital and GDP Growth: Comparing East Asia with LAC 1960–2000 ............. 5
Figure 3: Singapore Education System Timeline 1965–2015.............................................................. 8
Figure 4: Literacy Rates for Singapore 1960–2016, Total, Male, and Female .................................... 8
Figure 5: Mean Years of Schooling, Total and by Gender, 1980–2016 ............................................... 9
Figure 6: Public Expenditure on Education as a Percentage of the Government Budget 1970–2014
.................................................................................................................................................... 14
Figure 7: Public Expenditure as a Percentage of GDP, 1970–2016 .................................................. 15
Figure 8: Tax/GDP ratios 1990–2014 ................................................................................................ 15
Figure 9: Healthcare Coverage and Responsibilities in Singapore.................................................... 19
Figure 10: Organization of Singapore’s Healthcare System .............................................................. 20
Figure 11: Life Expectancy at Birth in Singapore in comparison with Finland, South Korea, Sweden
and Hong Kong, 1960–2017 ...................................................................................................... 22
Figure 12: Infant Mortality in Singapore in comparison with Finland, South Korea and Sweden (per
1,000 live births), 1960–2017 ................................................................................................... 23
Figure 13: Healthcare Expenditure in Singapore as a Percentage of GDP........................................ 23
Figure 14: Shares of Public and Private Expenditures on Healthcare in Singapore ......................... 24
Figure 15: Healthcare Spending as a Percentage of GDP for Selected OECD Countries, 1980–2017
.................................................................................................................................................... 24
Figure 16: Annual Spending on Healthcare in Singapore .................................................................. 25
Figure 17: Elements of Singapore’s Development Strategy .............................................................. 34
Acknowledgments
 1. Introduction

Analytical Framework

•
•
•
2. Singapore’s Economic Performance and the
Role Played by Human Capital
0F 1F

2F

3F

4F

5F

6F

7F

8F

9F
 10F

1F

Figure 1 : Per Capita GDP of East Asian Economies: 1975–2017

 12F

13F

14F

15F

3. Driving Economic Growth in a

Resource-poor Economy

16F

17F
Capitalizing Learning

18F

19F

20F

Figure 2: Knowledge Capital and GDP Growth: Comparing East Asia with LAC 1960–2000

Source: Hanushek and Woessmann (2016)

 21F

2F

23F

24F

25F

Capitalizing Health

26F
 27F

28F

29F

30F

31F

32F

3F

4. The Making of a World Class Schooling System

34F
 Figure 3: Singapore Education System Timeline 1965–2015

1960–1970 1970–1980 1980–1990 1990–2000 2000–2010

Survival-driven Efficiency-driven Ability-driven Thinking Schools, Teach Less,
phase phase phase Learning Nation Learn More
1960 1970 1987 1995/1999 2002
Bilingualism Universal Secondary English taught as a Trends in Integrated
Education first language in International Programme
1965 Singapore schools Mathematics and
Universal Primary Vocational and Science Study 2003
Education Industrial Training (TIMSS) Innovation and
Board (VITB) Enterprise
1965–1970 1997
Enrollment in 1976 Launch of master plan
secondary schools Technical Education for IT in education
almost doubled
1979 By 2000
Introduction of Curriculum content
streaming cut by 30 percent

Figure 4: Literacy Rates for Singapore 1960–2016, Total, Male, and Female
 Figure 5: Mean Years of Schooling, Total and by Gender, 1980–2016

Round One of Education Reform

35F 36F

37 F
Round Two
39F

40F
41F

42F

43F
 4F

Round Three

45F

46F

47F
 48F

Financing Education

50F

;
 51F

Figure 6: Public Expenditure on Education as a Percentage of the Government Budget

1970–2014
Figure 7: Public Expenditure as a Percentage of GDP, 1970–2016

Figure 8: Tax/GDP ratios 1990–2014

 5. Making Human Capital Healthy

52F

53F

Controlling Disease and Mitigating Effects of Heat

54F 5F

56 F

57F
 58F

59F

60F

Staffing and Providing Healthcare

 61F

62 F

63F

• 64F

65F
Figure 9: Healthcare Coverage and Responsibilities in Singapore

6F
Figure 10: Organization of Singapore’s Healthcare System

67F
69F
Figure 11: Life Expectancy at Birth in Singapore in comparison with Finland, South
Korea, Sweden and Hong Kong, 1960–2017
Figure 12: Infant Mortality in Singapore in comparison with Finland, South Korea and
Sweden (per 1,000 live births), 1960–2017

Figure 13: Healthcare Expenditure in Singapore as a Percentage of GDP

Total Expenditure/GDP %
5.0%
4.4% 4.4%
4.2% 4.5%
3.9%
3.6% 3.7% 4.0%
3.4% 3.4% 3.4% 3.4%
3.2% 3.2% 3.0% 3.2% 3.2% 3.2% 3.5%
3.0% 2.9%
3.0%
2.5%
2.0%
1.5%
1.0%
0.5%
0.0%
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
 Figure 14: Shares of Public and Private Expenditures on Healthcare in Singapore

80.0%
Private expenditure % Government expenditure %
72.1%
68.7% 67.5% 67.0% 66.1% 66.5%
65.1% 64.1% 70.0%
63.7% 62.9% 62.7% 62.9%
60.7%
58.3%
55.0% 60.0%
52.9% 52.7% 51.8%

50.0%

40.0%

30.0%

20.0%

10.0%

0.0%
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017

Figure 15: Healthcare Spending as a Percentage of GDP for Selected OECD Countries,
1980–2017
 Figure 16: Annual Spending on Healthcare in Singapore

6. Key Lessons on Building a World Class

Education and Training System
 71F

72F

73F
 74F

75F

76 F

7F

78F
 79F

80F

81F

82F

83F

84F
 85F

86F

87F
 8F

89F

90F

7. Singapore’s Healthcare Recipe

91F

92 F

93F
 94F

8. Concluding Observations
95F

96F
Figure 17: Elements of Singapore’s Development Strategy
References
Report on the Ministry of Education ”