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) Raffles College (1926) Vernacular Schools – Chinese, Malay and Tamil

Govt support for Malay schools (not all) Role of community – clan associations, businessmen

UniversityOf Malaya

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 instructionEL from 3rd yearStandardised curriculumSelection for English Primary School

Training CollegeMeanwhile, Unrests continued

Post-War Years (1945-1965)

1955 – Limited Self-Government All-Party Committee Proposed education policy that met the

needs of various committees nationhood NE

Bilingual primary education Trilingual secondary education ECA Teaching of civics

Parity of treatment for all 4 language streams

Technical education and industrial training emphasized

•1959- Policy took shapeEmphasis on Maths and Science•1960- 2nd Lang compulsory in Primary School

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?Solution?Dual role of educationEconomic transformationDisciplined cohesive society

Post Independence YearsLabour-Intensive Industries

(1966-1970s) Aims:

Nation Building Economic Development Education for more people

•Different types of education were provided for differentage groups•Malay as the National Language•Overall increase in student intake at various levels•Focus on Mathematics, Science and Technical subjects

Nation Building Pledge taking, flag raising

& lowering ECA grades 1969, common curriculum

for all Sec 1 & 2 in all 4 language stream schools

•Improved quality of education

•Attention to teaching resources, planning (facilities), research, organisation, and evaluation•Promote use of Mandarin•1978, SAP schools•1971, GCE ‘O’-levels

Meeting Economic Challenges•1966- Second Language in Secondary schs •1969- Lower Sec – Tech SubjectGirls had a choice/ VITB/ Science Labs in all Sec/ SP and NA Tech College

Post Independence YearsLabour-Intensive Industries

(1966-1970s)

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 education was encouraged

Increased intake NU merged with U of

Singapore = NUS NTI, 1981 (engineering

and technology) 1991, NTU BEST (EL, MA) for large

protion of the workforce who have less tha P6 education

•Improved quality of education

•Streaming introduced to bring out the best in every individual and to reduce dropout rate•GEP, 1984

•Increased investment•Building more schools, single-session schools

•1988,89 – Independent 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 tertiary education

to develop the manpower needed for the push to high tech and knowledge intensive products and services

•1992, SIM – Open U•1997, became privatized

•1992, ITE•1993, Edusave•1994, 4th Polytechnic, TP•1994-6, Autonomous schools

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•Flag-raising & Pledge-taking

•Billingualism

•ECAs

•Technical Education

80s-early 90s•Streaming

•Moral Values

•Vocational Traning

•Schools givenGreater Autonomy

Late 1990s•Caring Thinking& Creative thinking

•IT

•NE

•CIP

•Compulsory PriEducation (2000)

Education Policies & Practices in Singapore

21st CenturyTLLM (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