The Singapore Education Journey
The Singapore education system aims to help our students discover their talents, realise their potential, and develop a passion for learning that lasts through life. The infographic below provides an overview of the Singapore education landscape.
source: Ministry of Education (MOE), Singapore; http://www.moe.gov.sg/education/landscape/
The Key Strengths of Singapore Education System
Among the key strengths of the Singapore education system include:
· bilingual policy,
· broad-based and holistic learning,
· teacher quality
· Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)- infused curriculum
· Strong partnership with parents and the community.
Bilingual advantage
Bilingualism is a key feature of Singapore’s education system. All students learn the English language and an official Mother Tongue language. English is the main medium of instruction in school. The bilingual policy equips the students with the language competencies to access both eastern and western cultures, and to develop a global outlook. These strengths will give students a distinct competitive edge, helping them to appreciate their culture and heritage and connect with people from different backgrounds, so that they can thrive in a global world.
Broad-based and holistic learning
The Singapore education system aims to equip the students with the key competencies and mindsets to thrive in the 21st century while maintaining its strong fundamentals in teaching and learning. The schools provide a rich diversity of experiences to help students grow holistically. Apart from the academic curriculum, the students can develop themselves in music, arts and sports through co-curricular programmes. Participation in community service is also part and parcel of school life. All these help nurture in students qualities such as creativity, confidence, compassion and perseverance– life skills essential in a rapidly changing world.
Good teachers and school leaders
The teachers receive comprehensive pre-teacher training at the National Institute of Education (NIE) and have many opportunities for continual development to build up their capabilities as teaching professionals.
ICT - infused curriculum
The use of ICT is integrated into lessons to enhance students’ learning. This enriching learning will equip the students with the critical competencies to succeed in a knowledge economy. Additional funding and resources are also used to seed innovative teaching methods in schools.
Partnership with parents
We value parents’ involvement in, and support for, school programmes, and actively encourage parents and the community to work together with schools to help our children learn better.
A System that Stands Out
Singapore education system - One of the world’s best performing school systems. Our achievements include:
- Singapore ranked 1st in quality of the educational system – Global Competitiveness Report 2010–2011
- Singapore identified as one of the world’s best-performing school systems – McKinsey Report, published November 2010
- Singapore students ranked among the top in Reading, Mathematics and Science – Programme for International Student Assessment (PI SA) 2009
- Singapore students ranked among the top in Mathematics and Science – Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TI MSS) 2007
- Singapore ranked 4th among 45 education systems – Progress in International ReadingLiteracy Study (PIR LS) 2006
- Both the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and the National University of Singapore (NUS) have been ranked among the top 60 in the 2011 global ranking of universities by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), a company that provides information on higher education and career choices. In the Asian ranking, NUS scored overall third placing with NTU ranked in 18.
- The National University of Singapore (NUS) Business School and Nanyang Business Schools (NBS) are both among the top 35 Business schools worldwide according to the 2011 Financial Times (FT) Top 100 Global MBA ranking.