Until 1965, when Singapore became an independent republic, its 

population lived mostly as
simple fishermen, and the illiteracy rate was very high. In fact, when Great Britain withdrew
Singapore’s status as a British colony, this small country was so poor that no other nation wanted
to take over its territory. Only 40 years later, it ranks first in most international exams and its
students speak English as if it were the country’s first language. This is why the history of
Singapore is amazing.
The question is how did Singapore get to where it is today? According to local officials and
academics, the country’s founder, Lee Kwan Yew, had a vision to make Singapore an English-
speaking country with bilingual education, where students learn English as their first language
and their mother tongue (Mandarin, Tamil or Malay) as their second.
This contributed to making Singapore an important center of world trade. It also made the
education system one of the world’s toughest meritocracies, producing highly skilled workers
and exporting more and more high-tech products. Singapore’s academic meritocracy begins in
the first grade, where children are ranked according to their academic performance, from first to
last.
Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles founded the Singapore Institution (now known as Raffles Institution)
in 1823, thus initiating education in Singapore under British rule. Later, three main types of
schools appeared: Malaysian, Chinese and Tamil schools and English schools.
The Malaysian schools were free for all British students, while the English schools, which used to
have English as the language, were established by the missionaries and had to pay school fees.
Students in Chinese schools were very much in tune with the evolution of China, especially at the
height of Chinese nationalism.
During World War II, many students in Singapore dropped out of school, causing a huge backlog
of students in schools after the war. In 1947, the Ten-Year Program for Education Policy in the
Colony of Singapore was formulated. This program was not only the beginning of a universal
education system, but also a call to prepare for self-government.
During the 1950s and 1960s, when Singapore began to develop its own economy, Singapore
adapted a system of “survival-driven education” to provide a skilled workforce for Singapore’s
industrialization program, as well as to reduce unemployment. In addition to being an economic
necessity, education also helped integrate the new nation.

The policy of bilingualism in schools was officially introduced in 1960, making English the official
language for both national integration and utilitarian purposes. Universal education for children
of all races and backgrounds began to take shape as more children began to attend schools.
However, the quality of the schools that were created during this time had varied considerably.
Upon gaining its independence from British colonial rule in 1965, the government of Singapore
focused on developing an educational system based on equal opportunity while being aware of
the four major races that existed on the island (Chinese, Malay, Indian and Eurasian).
Singapore started its “Education for All” policy, a one-size-fits-all education system, to address
the problem of the many private schools that existed during colonial rule.
The “Education for All” policy served as a vehicle to welcome all private schools to the newly
created Ministry of Education funding, and to integrate not only the different races through a
common educational experience, but also a common set of educational standards and curricula
that would serve as the basis for its industrialization initiative.
Through an educational system that offers equal opportunities for all, regardless of race or
religion, students’ progress through the mainstream educational system is based on
achievement. After ten years of compulsory education, children had to enroll in the limited
vacancies of non-compulsory education. This enrollment is based on a system of meritocracy.
Some twenty years later, after realizing that a system of resource allocation based on educational
equity was not capable of accommodating the different needs and abilities of children, a system
was initiated that channeled students into different academic programs based on their abilities.
The objective of this change in educational policy, from a principle of equity to one that
recognized the different potential of each student, was to guarantee the individual rights of each
student, as well as the need for the government to fully develop the people who made up its
nation.
In order to improve the educational system in the 1980s, an educational reform was initiated: the
backbone of this new reform was the separation of students according to their abilities and
academic performance and, thus, to be able to provide them, in different educational programs,
with the educational response according to their abilities and interests, in accordance with their
potential. With this new system of education proposed by the Ministry of Education, students
were given the opportunity to learn and progress at their own pace.
The Gifted Education Program, as the new plan was called, was the result of the systemic reform
that took place in the government’s educational policy. With the new comprehensive education
system, based on the difference in potential and abilities of each student, there was a belief that
the most talented students should be given the same opportunity to progress according to their
high abilities; as well as the less capable students were allowed to learn at a slower and more
comfortable pace for them.
Singapore school system structure 
The learning system here in Singapore consists of 6 years of primary
education, 4 to 5 years of secondary school, and 1 to 3 years of post-
secondary education.  
Preschool, also known as nursery or kindergarten is not compulsory
and voluntary offered by both the Ministry of Education Singapore
and private providers. 
Stages Age Curriculum 
Nursery – –
Kindergarten 5 to 6
Primary School
6 years  Primary School Curriculum 
Primary 1 to 7 to 12 Takes National Exams at Primary 6 – Primary
Primary 6 years old  School Leaving Examination (PSLE) 
GCE O-Level Curriculum
Students will be streamed into different streams:
Express, Normal Academic and Normal
Technical depending on their PSLE score 
Takes National Exams at Secondary 4 or
Secondary 5
Secondary School  Takes either the N or O levels 
4 to 5 years International Curriculum 
Secondary 1 to Students may also enrol themselves into schools
Secondary 4/5 13 to 16/17 like School of the Arts (SOTA) 
  years old View SOTA’s curriculum here.
Post Secondary
School 
GCE A-Level Curriculum
Students will have to choose to stream into the
Arts or Science stream in their first year. 
Students will take National Exams (A-Levels) at
the end of their JC years – J2
Find out what does H1, H2 and H3 mean in JC. 
International Baccalaureate (IBDP)
Junior College  17/18 to There are certain post-secondary schools that
2 years  19/20 years offer Singaporean students to take the IBDP
J1 to J2 old  curriculum instead of the GCE A-Levels. 
 Students complete their three-year course to
17/18 to obtain a diploma. 
Polytechnic  20/21 years Read also: The Ultimate Guide to all the
3 years  old Polytechnics in Singapore
Students complete their course to obtain a degree
University or bachelors. 
The syllabus and curriculum
The Ministry of Education Singapore curates the syllabus and
curriculum for the PSLE , GCE O, N and A-Levels and it differs
from the Cambridge IGCSE  curriculum. The Ministry of Education
Singapore curates the curriculum to focus on students’ engagement
and creativity. The syllabus is constantly reviewed to develop newer
opportunities for teachers and students.
The stages of Singapore school system
overview 
Primary education
The six years of primary education in Singapore is compulsory and
all Singapore citizens living in Singapore must attend primary
school. 
 

The compulsory education act  is passed to ensure that every

Singaporean child can attain common knowledge that will provide a
strong foundation for further education. Singapore also hopes to
provide every child with the common school experiences that will
help build national identity and encourage social cohesion. 
Every child will study the primary curriculum for 6 years to sit for
their Primary School Leaving Examinations, also known as PSLE, at
the end of their sixth year. 
This is a national examination and will determine the schools and
streams the child will proceed to for their secondary school
education. 
Primary school curriculum 
The Singapore Ministry of Education oversees the development of
the national curriculum to attain the ‘Desired Outcomes of
Education. 
The primary school curriculum is focused on ensuring that children
build a strong foundation in the core subjects, English language,
Mathematics, Science and their Mother Tongue language. Children
will also take up several additional subjects such as civics and moral
education, physical education, arts and music. 
Mother tongue language

Mother tongue language, also known as a second language by other

countries, is a compulsory subject here in Singapore. 
Singapore is a multiracial country that homes the Chinese, Malays,
Indians as well as Eurasians. 
To preserve our multicultural and racial diversity, Singapore hence
established the Bilingual Education Policy in Singapore where MTL
is a compulsory subject to be taken in primary schools. 
 Henceforth, students can appreciate their cultural heritage and
communicate more effectively in their mother tongue languages. 
Subjects that primary school students will take up: 
 

English Language 
Mother Tongue Language 
Primary 1 – 2 Mathematics 
English Language 
Mother Tongue Language 
Mathematics 
Primary 3 to 6 Science
Science will only be introduced to the students after primary 2.
For a more in-depth overview of the PSLE curriculum, read All you
need to know about the PSLE curriculum.  
Learn more about the new PSLE scoring system too! 
Secondary school curriculum 
Children will attend secondary school education based on their
academic results for their PSLE. They will also be streamed into 3
different streams, Express (E), Normal Academic (NA), Normal
Technical (NT). 
Even though students are sorted into different bands, the subjects
that are taken by the students are essentially the same if not similar,
the only difference would be the level of difficulty. 
The core subjects taken by an upper secondary Express student are
as follows: 
 English language 
 Mother tongue language 
 Science 
o Double or Triple Pure Science
 Biology, Chemistry, Physics 
o Combined Science with Electives 
 Combined Science of (Physics and Chemistry or
Biology and Chemistry) 
 Design and Technology, Art or Home Economics 
 Mathematics 
 Humanities
o Pure Geography/ History/ Literature with Social Studies
or;
o Combined Humanities (Social studies and Geography or
History) 
The lower secondary school students (Secondary 1 and Secondary 2)
students will take all the subjects in their first two years before
the streaming exercise at the end of their secondary 2
years. 
Children will be able to choose the subjects they are interested in
and they are competent to take.
The selection of subjects at this stage will determine the subjects
your child will be sitting for their O level examinations at the end of
their final year in secondary school, showing on their final
transcripts and result slips. 
Different schools offer different subjects and choices for your child,
for example, not all schools provide triple pure science or pure
humanities. This is an extremely crucial point to note for it may
affect what your child is able to pursue in polytechnic or university. 
Hence it is important when it comes to choosing the right secondary
school after PSLE , it is important to be aware of what the schools
are able to provide for your child for their development. 
Tertiary education 

Students will sit for their GCE O or N level examinations at the end
of their secondary school journey. They will then decide which path
they wish to take moving forward. 
Junior College
The junior college education path is a 2-year path and students will
sit for the GCE A-Level examinations at the end of their JC 2. 
In junior college, students will also be streamed into the science or
art stream and they will need to take relevant core subjects with
respect to their stream. 
The basic subject combination for a JC student would be:
 Three H2 content-based subjects
 One H1 content-based subject
 Compulsory H1 subjects
 Mother-Tongue Language (MTL)
 General Paper
 Project Work 
H1 subjects are worth 1 point and H2 subjects are worth 2 points.
H3 subjects are offered to students who are academically able to
cope with the additional subject(s) on top of their H1 and H2
subjects.
H1, H2 and H3 refer to the depth of the subject taken by the student,
with H1 subjects being briefer than H2 and H3 subjects and H3
being a more advanced level of the subject. 
Read also: JC curriculum: what is H1, H2 and H3? 
Polytechnic 
The alternative path to Junior College is Polytechnics, students will
choose a specific course they wish to study and the course of study
is 3 years. Here’s the ultimate guide to all the polytechnics in
Singapore.  
They will be graded by a Grade Point Average of 4.0. 
There are many different courses offered by all the polytechnics in
Singapore and they are classified into different faculty. Under these
faculties, there are specific courses offered accordingly. 
Institute of Technical Education 
The ITE is a public education institution in Singapore that provides
secondary school graduates pre-employment training. The ITE
offers Nitec and Higher Nitec, both of which are 2 years courses to
complete respectively. 
Students from the Normal Technical (NT) stream will enter a Nitec
stream at one of the few ITE colleges in Singapore. 
Whereas a secondary 4 Normal Academic (NA) student can choose
to go Nitec, Higher Nitec or Polytechnic depending on their N level
results. 
Upon completion of their ITE education, the students will move on
to polytechnic education (or a private university) if they wish to
continue pursuing their course of interest. 

In a nutshell
The education here in Singapore is broad and offers every child an
opportunity to learn. There are also private universities that are able
to support children with their interest and passion. 
Every child is different and Tutopiya believes that every child
should be entitled to learn and study.