*Educational System in Singapore

Subject: ED 608_Trends and Issues

Reporter: Fredoh M. Torena and Jane Baldo

Date: September 8, 2013

Professor: Dr. Napoleon P. Hernandez

History of Education in SingaporeOrganizational Structure

Outstanding Practices

Aims of educational system

Mission and Vision

Curriculum Framework

Special Education

Mathematics Education

Science Education

*Overview of Educational System in Singapore

* History of Educational System in Singapore

Educa

tional Syst

em

1823 WW2

Raffles Institution

1997-present

MOE

1947 1950 1960 1969 1980

3 Main Type of schools

Malay, Chinese/ Tamil, English

Backlog of education

Colony of Singapore

10years programme of Education policy

“survival driven education”

“bilingualism policy”

“english is official medium of instruction”

“National Junior college”

“vocational and gifted education programme”

Splitting of normal stream (academic and technical)

Malay Schools provide free for all students by British

While English schools charged school fees and

english is the main medium of instruction .

Chinese and Tamil schools taught mother tongues.

Rise of chinese nationalism.

Later

*Organizational StructureMINISTRY

Political Heads

MinisterSenior

Minister of State

Two senior Parliamentary secretary

Senior Management

Permanent Secretary

(MOE)

Mr. Heng Swee Keat Ms. Indranee Rajah Mr. Hawazi Daipi

Ms. Sim Ann

*Organizational Structure

Permanent Secretary

(MOE)

Deputy General

Education

Deputy Director –

Curriculum

Curriculum Planning and Development

Student Development Curriculum

Curriculum Policy Office

Deputy Director – Schools

Deputy Director – Prof. Development

Academy of Singapore Teachers

Director Educational Technology

Director Educational

Services

Deputy Secretary of

Policy

Deputy Secretary of

Services

Asst. Director – Internal Audit

By Education

By deputies

*Organizational Structure

Permanent Secretary

Deputy General Education

Deputy Secretary of

Policy

Director -Corporate

Communications

Director – Higher

Education

Director-Organizational Development

Director -Planning

Director -Strategic

Communications and

Engagement

Deputy Secretary of

Services

Asst. Director – Internal Audit

By Education

By deputies

*Organizational Structure

Permanent Secretary

Deputy General

Education

Deputy Secretary of

Policy

Deputy Secretary of

Services

Asst. Director – Internal

Audit

Director – Finance and

Development

Group Director - HR

Director – Legal Service

Director – School

Planning and Placement

By Education

*Outstanding practices

*High standards of teaching with a distinctive record of topping among 49 countries in the TIMSS – third International Mathematics and Science Study

*Bilingual policy (english, tamil, mandarin, malay)

*Broad-based curriculum (more courses – special, express, normal, technical)

*High quality and rigorous education system

*Strong belief in investing in education, science laboratories and technology facilities

*Universities fall in good rankings in Asia’s best universities

11 Basic Education Cycle and 12/14 Pre-University Educ.2nd Ranked in the Quality of Education System in Global Competitiveness (2011-2012 report)One of the World’s best performing school system (Mckinsey report, published November 2010)Singapore Students ranked among the top in Reading, Mathematics and Science (PISA 2007)Singapore Students ranked among the top in Mathematics and Science ( TIMMS 2009)Singapore Ranked among the top in Literacy (PIRLS 2006)

*Issues and problems

*According to critics including parents, education system is very specialized, too rigid and elitist

*Excessive educational streaming at a young age

*Addressing the Issues

*While streaming still exists, various refinements have been made

*There is not greater flexibility for students to cross different streams

*Government now experimenting with ability-banding in other ways such as subject-based rather than overall academic performance

*Principle of continuous improvement is valued

*Aims of Educational System

The Ministry of Education aims to help students to discover their own talents, to make the best of these talents and realize their full potential, and to develop a passion for learning that lasts through life. To achieve this aim, the task of schools and tertiary institution is to:

Give students the chance to develop the skills, character and values that will enable them to continue to do well and to take Singapore toward the futureTo provide an education system that is more flexible and diverse with greater choice to meet their varied interest and ways of learning and being able to choose what and how they learn will encourage them to take greater ownership of their learningTo provide a more broad-based education to ensure all-round or holistic development, in and out of the classroom

To be committed to improving society To be proactive in surmounting our constraints To have compassion towards others To be able to inspire, motivate and draw out the best from others To be able to chart our destiny and lead To be able to forge breakthroughs in a knowledge-based economy To be creative and imaginative To have the tenacity to fight against the odds and not quit

What we expect of our young who aim to be national, community, business or professional leaders:

*Mission

The mission of the Education Service is to mold the future of the nation, by molding the people who will determine the future of the nation. The Education Service will provide students with a balanced and well-rounded education, develop them to their full potential and nurture them into good citizens, conscious of their responsibilities to family, society and country

Broad-based, holistic education

Our schools are striving to provide students with a holistic education, focused on both academic and non-academic areas. We want to give our students a broad range of experiences and help them make the most of their years together in school where they will interact with one another and form strong friendships for life. As they grow up, we want to provide them with the full opportunity to develop the skills and values that they will need for life. Besides judging our students’ performance through examinations, we are also looking at other and broader measures of how well they do in education.

8 CORE SKILLS & VALUES

Character Developmen

t

Self Managemen

t Skills

Social and Cooperative

Skills

Literacy and Numeracy

Communication Skills

Information Skills

Thinking Skills and Creativity

Knowledge Application

Skills

* HOLISTIC DEVELOPMEN

T

*Desired Outcome of Education

*BROAD BASE CURRICULUM

Formative and summative

Aims & objectives, content, skills & competencies, values & attitudes

CONTENT ASSESSMENT

TEACHING STRATEGIES

Classroom management, pedagogy, teaching & learning resources

Students ’ Learning

Experiences

*Vision

Ministry of Education’s vision of “Thinking Schools, Learning Nations” (TLSN was frist announced by Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong in 1997.

This vision describes a nation of thinking and committed citizens capable of meeting the challenges of the future.

Thinking schools will be learning organizations in every sense, constantly challenging assumptions, and seeking better ways of doing things through participation, creativity and innovation. Thinking schools will be the cradle of thinking students as well as thinking adults and this spirit of learning should accompany our students even after they leave school

*Curriculum Framework of

Primary, Secondary and Tertiary

Education

PRIMARY SCHOOL6 YEARS

SECONDARY SCHOOL4-5 YEARS

* SINGAPORE EDUCATION

SYSTEM

START

POST SECONDARY/PRE-UNIVERSITY

* SPED in Singapore

*History 1947 – Trafalgar Home conducted by volunteers for children physically disabled with leprosy.

1949 – British Red Cross Society set up home for children who were crippled.

In 1950s and 60s, the children with disabilities were mostly treated at the Singapore General Hospital. The Singapore Children’s Society conducted an enquiry into the needs of children who appeared unable to benefit from regular schooling. Hence, Schools Social Work and School Psychological Services within the Ministry of Education was set up.

1951 – British Red Cross Society started provisions for deaf education.- Singapore Association for the Blind was founded

1952 – The Singapore Children’s Society provided services for children with a multitude of social problems.

1956 – Singapore Association for the Blind raised enough funds to set up a school.

1957 – Spastic Children’s Association attended children with cerebral palsy

1960 – Inclusion International was established

1962 – Singapore Association of Retarded Children was established for children with intellectual disabilities.

1964 – International Association for the Scientific Study of Intellectual Disabilities was formed.

1968 – Woodbridge Hospital initiated a service for child guidance.- special school built on the land leased out by the Singapore government at 844 Margaret Drive

1970 – the 1st Child Guidance Clinic to help children with emotional disturbance and their families was established under the aid of the Ministry of Health- the Asian Women’s Welfare Association provided playgroup for children with severe handicaps.

1987 – Margaret Drive Special School was established for children with multiple handicaps

1988 – Structured Teaching for Exceptional Students (STEP) programme for language delayed children, especially those with Autism was added to MDSS.

1995 – Balestier Special School was set up to accommodate a long waiting list for admission

2001 – Metta School for children with mild intellectual disability and mild autism ages between 6 to 18 years were run by Metta Welfare Association.

Education for children (of typical school- going ages) with disabilities is managed by the voluntary welfare organisations (VWOs). The National Council for Social Services (NCSS) is the primary oversee with its Programme Evaluation System, while the Ministry of Education provides support. Singapore takes the “many helping hands” approach, with families, communities and the government all playing role.

AIMS:

Developing the potential of pupils and helping them to be

independent, self-supporting and contributing members of society.

Mission:

The mission of SPED schools is to provide the best possible education and training to children with special needs so as to enable them to function optimally and integrate well into society.

Special Needs Schools

As of January 2009, there are 20 Special Education (SPED) schools run by Voluntary Welfare Organisations (VWOs) receiving government funding, with a total of 4,619 students and 737 teaching staff.

Of these schools, three cater to those with sensory impairment (e.g. visual, aural) and offer curriculum similar to those of mainstream primary schools. Students take the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) at the end of their education and proceed to secondary schools. Five schools cater to those with autism, and one of which has curriculum similar to mainstream schools, thus offering a pathway for students to take the PSLE and the GCE N/O Levels. The remaining 14 schools cater to those intellectually disabled or with multiple disabilities.

In addition, there are four privately run SPED schools and a Foreign System School offering special education.

INCREASED SUPPORT SINCE 2004

The Ministry of Education took a more active and leading role in special education, working with special schools to develop targets for learning outcomes and VWOs to appoint school management staff.

There was also better integration between special and mainstream education, with more opportunities for students with and without disabilities to interact and partnerships between mainstream schools and special schools.

Special Needs Officers (SNOs) were introduced into mainstream schools in 2005 to support students with learning needs such as mild to moderate dyslexia or high functioning autism. To support this scheme from 2005 to 2010, S$15 million has been set aside.

To help mainstream teachers learn to teach students with disabilities, training schemes in special education were created, with a target of 10 percent of all mainstream teachers by 2010, through a part-time 108-hour Certificate in Special Needs Support that is offered by the NIE. Also, since 2005, all pre-service teachers have been introduced to the issue of disability through a 12-hour segment within a core course on student differences.

GOVERNMENT SUPPORT

Politically, the 1950s were turbulent times in Singapore. Apart from the efforts of VWOs, treatment and help for children with disability were usually found in hospitals. In 1958, the Singapore Council of Social Services (now NCSS) was set up to coordinate the efforts of VWOs.

1988 was a turning point as MOE became an equal partner with NCSS in special education. This was based on the initiative of the Advisory Council for the Disabled (established by Dr Tony Tan, then Minister for Education). MOE would provide land for schools and financial support at twice the amount for a primary school student. The Community Chest would match the financial contribution. As a result, the maximum per capita cost per child was S$4,700 from MOE and S$4,000 from the Community Chest. The total is four times the amount spent on educating a primary school student.

In 1996, the government extended the Edusave Scheme to children in the SPED schools, three years after the scheme started in 1993.

Teacher Training

Local teacher training specific to special education began in 1984 when the Institute of Education, presently known as the National Institute of Education  (NIE), launched a 3-year programme leading to the Certificate in Special Education. In 1991, when it was re-organised as NIE, it launched a 2-year Diploma in Special Education. In 2003, a Masters in Special Education programme was established. This portended further degree and post-graduate programmes in Special Education.

Educational Pathways for Children with Sensory Impairment

Children with sensory-impairment who are able to access mainstream curriculum, sit for the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE). If successful, they leave SPED schools to continue their education in mainstream secondary schools. These students attend regular classes in mainstream secondary schools and follow the mainstream curriculum.

Currently there are 8 designated secondary schools for sensory impaired students who need specialised support.

The designated schools have additional support including resource teachers to help the hearing-impaired and visually-impaired pupils to cope with the curriculum. MOE provides assistive devices, e.g. FM equipment, Braille Notebook Computers and talking calculators for these pupils.

Educational Pathways for Pupils with Intellectual Disability

Pupils with intellectual disability, who meet the eligibility criteria, will undergo a vocational education programme resulting in national vocational certification such as ITE Skills Certificate (ISC) and WDA Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ). Delta Senior School is certified as an Approved Training Organisation (ATO) while Metta School is certified as an Approved Training Centre (ATC).

Pupils who are unable to go to mainstream secondary or post-secondary education, or find open employment upon leaving school, will proceed to one of the training centres or workshops run by Volunteer Welfare Organisations (VWOs). Such training equips them with the necessary skills for employment. Those who are able are placed in open employment while those who require more supervision attend production sheltered workshops or work activity centres.

Assistive Technology for Visual and Physical Impairment

Assistive technology is also provided to students with visual impairment and physical impairment to enhance their learning in the classrooms. Examples include closed circuit televisions, adapted keyboards, or specialised software.

FAQs for Assistive Technology

Do the schools or the students with visual impairment need to pay for the assistive technology?

The school and the child need not pay for the assistive technology. MOE will bear the maintenance cost if there is a need, due to wear and tear and/or prolonged use.

Who owns the assistive technology? The student or the school?

The assistive technology will be considered the property of the school. The school will make the necessary arrangements for the child to use the assistive technology in school. Students are not encouraged to bring the assistive technology home as well as to ensure the safekeeping of the assistive technology in school.

What happens if repair/replacement is needed? Who bears the cost?

If repair/replacement is needed due to wear & tear and/or prolonged use, MOE will bear the cost. Schools will have to inform PSB (for FM devices and assistive technology for visual and physical impairment) and provide evidence for approval before proceeding with the repair/replacement.

If repair/replacement is needed due to negligence on the school’s part, schools will bear the cost.

What happens to the assistive technology when the student transfers to another school? Does the school or student needs to reapply for the assistive technology?

If the student transfers to another school, the FM equipment should be transferred to the child's receiving school so that his/her learning will not be disrupted. For example, if a student is posted to a secondary school after PSLE, the assistive technology should be transferred to the student's secondary school.

Edusave for SPED students

Students in MOE-funded special education schools who are Singapore Citizens will benefit from Edusave in three ways:

•Edusave Pupils Fund

•Edusave Grants

•School-based Achievement Awards for Special Education Schools

Edusave Pupils Fund

Each SPED student who is a Singapore citizen will be given an Edusave account and receive a yearly contribution from the Government’s Edusave Pupils Fund. The Government contributes $200 to the Edusave account of each eligible SPED student. For SPED students pursuing mainstream secondary education and vocational certification programmes, the Government contributes $240 to the Edusave account of each eligible student.

Edusave Grants

SPED schools also receive annual Edusave grants. Schools use the grants to organise enrichment programmes or purchase additional resources which benefit students

School-based Achievement Awards for Special Education Schools (SAASPED)

SAASPED is awarded to eligible SPED students according to criteria set up by individual SPED schools, and serves to recognise the achievements and progress of SPED students. SAASPED is funded from the Edusave Endowment Fund.

*MOE- SNEF Work Experience Programme

 

The MOE–SNEF Work Experience Programme is a collaboration between the Ministry of Education (MOE) and the Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF) to provide a structured educational experience for students from special education (SPED) schools, which enables them to work in an actual work setting.

Why Should Employers Offer Work Experiences?

•CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY (CSR)

•POTENTIAL SOURCE OF EMPLOYEES

•BUILDING STAFF CAPABILITY AND CAPACITY

What Can Employers Expect from the MOE-SNEF Work Experience Programme?

•TRAINED STUDENTS

•REGULAR EMPLOYER BRIEFINGS

•SUPPORT FROM SCHOOLS

How is Work Experience Set Up?

ASSESSSchool will assess students to ensure they possess the required hard and soft skills for the available work opportunities

ANALYZEJob coaches from schools conduct a job site analysis to facilitate a smooth transition from school to the work place

GUIDEJob coaches from school provide direct guidance and coaching to enable students to complete their assigned duties

How Does Open Door Fund (ODF) Benefit Employers?

Employers who are interested in hiring persons with disabilities can tap on the benefits offered by the OPEN DOOR Fund (ODF) administered by SNEF. Each company may receive funding of up to $100,000 as an incentive for Redesign of Job Scope/Process, Workplace Modifications, Integration Programmes, and Apprenticeship Programmes.

How Can Employers Participate in the MOE-SNEF Work Experience Programme?

Employers who wish to offer Work Experience opportunities can indicate their preferences by filling in the response form and submitting it to SNEF. Information required includes job descriptions, number of vacancies, duration, and time of year for Work Experience.

Employers can negotiate with schools on the provision of a nominal allowance and other benefits to students during the Work Experience.

Mathematics and Science

Education in Singapore

Singapore’s participation in TIMSS and PISA

• Singapore participates in international studies such as Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) and Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) to benchmark the outcomes of schooling and it also does so to learn from educational systems that are excelling, to update school curriculum and keep abreast of global advances and to contribute towards the development of excellence in education internationally. To date Singapore has participated in Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) in 1995, 1999, 2003 and 2007.

Table 1. Singapore students’ achievement in TIMSS

Table 2 shows Singapore students’ achievement in mathematics and science for PISA 2009. For the first time Singapore participated in the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD study- Programme for International Student

Assessment (PISA) in 2009.

Table 2:

The Curriculum

Several significant developments have shaped the school curriculum from 1956 till the present.

A. In 1959 when the Peoples Action Party (PAP) came to power it acted upon the White Paper of 1956 and put in place a Five-Year Plan in education (Yip, Eng & Yap, 1990). The main features of this Plan were: • Equal treatment for the four language streams of education: Malay, Chinese, Tamil and English; •The establishment of Malay as a national language of the new state;• Emphasis on the study of Mathematics, Science and Technical Subjects.

B.The Goh‟s report (Ministry of Education, 1979) led to the new education system (NES) which was implemented in 1981. The main feature of the NES was streaming as it was deemed to provide an opportunity for less capable students to develop at a slower pace and it would also enable a child to go as far as he can. Students who are not academically inclined could still acquire basic literacy and numeracy required for skills training. This was in line with the ,simple objectiv of education in Singapore,

……to educate a child to bring out his greatest potential so that he will grow into a good man and a useful citizen.

C. In 1997, three significant initiatives were launched in Singapore‟s education system. They were National Education, Information Technology (IT), and Critical and Creative Thinking. With the infusion of these initiatives in all curriculum subjects at schools, the teaching of mathematics and science underwent significant changes compared to the time prior to 1997. In tandem with the above three initiatives the Thinking Schools, Learning Nation (TSLN) vision was adopted by the MOE in 1997.

Figure 1 shows the framework of the school mathematics curriculum

In Singapore the study of mathematics is compulsory both in the primary and secondary schools.

The curriculum is encapsulated as mathematics for all but more mathematics for some (see Kaur, 2003). The school mathematics curriculum has mathematical problem solving as its primary goal. The learning of concepts, acquisition of mathematical skills, use of thinking skills and problem solving heuristics are emphasized.

SCHOOL SCIENCE CURRICULUM

Figure 2

School Science Curriculum

In Singapore the study of science is compulsory both in the primary and secondary schools. However, the breadth and depth of science taught to students varies according to their ability. The science curriculum emphasizes a balance between acquisition of science knowledge, skills and attitudes. Student as an inquirer and teacher as the leader of inquiry are key to learning science in Singapore schools.

Review and Revision of Mathematics & Science Curricula

The mathematics and science syllabuses in Singapore, for schools, are issued by the Ministry of Education in collaboration with University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate. Every six years or so, the syllabuses undergo a periodic review to ensure that they remain relevant so as to prepare pupils for global challenges and opportunities of the future and also to be in line with the national objectives. The changes are often refinements as the core of the syllabuses are stable from cycle to cycle of revision.

The Teacher

The National Institute of Education (NIE) is the sole teacher education institution in Singapore where all the pre-service primary, secondary and junior college teachers for the Singapore Education Service are trained.

The NIE represents the nation’s hopes that its teachers will be well educated, committed, caring and dedicated to the task of moulding the future of Singapore (The National Institute of Education, 2002).

The Ministry of Education in Singapore recruits suitable candidates for teaching positions in primary schools, secondary schools and junior colleges all year round.

Successful candidates without teaching qualifications are appointed into the Singapore Education Service as trainee teachers on the General Education Officer 1 (GEO 1) or General Education Officer 2 (GEO 2) salary scales depending on their entry qualifications.

Teachers are the key to the success of the mission and hence their on-going professional development (PD) is critical. From the year, 1998 onwards all teachers are entitled to 100 hours of funded training and core-upgrading courses each year to keep abreast with the current knowledge and skills. Schools have People Developers who take charge of the PD needs of their teachers. Yet another development that has accorded teachers the responsibility of their own professional development is the Enhanced Performance Management System (EPMS) (Ministry of Education, undated) put in place by the Ministry of Education (MOE) in 2005.

The EPMS is an appraisal system that contains rubrics pertaining to fields of excellence in the education system be it teaching, leadership or senior specialist. The EPMS clearly articulates the expectations of teachers in their chosen fields of excellence.

For the field, excellence in teaching teachers must slowly but surely develop themselves in the core competency (nurturing the whole child) which comprises of 4 main areas: cultivating knowledge (subject mastery, analytical thinking, initiative and teaching creatively), winning hearts and minds (understanding the environment, developing others), working with others (partnering parents, working in teams) and knowing self and others (turning into self, personal integrity, understanding others and respecting others).

The levels in the teaching field are characterized as follows:

• Beginning Teacher

• General Education Officer (GEO) 1 / 2

• General Education Officer (GEO) 1A1 / 2A1

• General Education Officer (GEO) 1A2 / 2A2

• Senior Teacher

• Master Teacher

The Learner

No child is deprived of educational opportunities. Adequate funding is available for all to school comfortably. Both the rich and poor are equal in the system as rewards are based on merits.

The lower socio economic status students are assisted in multiple ways to bridge their needs in terms of support for school meals, textbooks, uniforms, subsidies for educational trips, etc. Parents of students are key stakeholders of the school and they are engaged through multiple avenues, for example Parent Support Groups, Parent-Teacher meetings, etc.

Teachers have high expectations of their students, and make special effort to track the progress of their charges through the academic year.

Parents too, generally, have high expectations of the children and are often in communication with teachers about the development of their child in school.

The Learning Environment

In 1959 the government embarked on an accelerated school building programme with the objective of providing a place in school for every child of school-going age in Singapore.

Today, state of the art technology pervades all schools, resources for learning both virtual and real are available. Schools have sporting facilities that meet high standards and a rigorous curriculum in sports is a must for all students in school.

School cafeterias provide students with balanced meals at affordable prices.

The school is a very safe environment. Strangers are not allowed into the premises of the school. In the primary schools, a teacher is on duty each day to see that every child has left the school premises by a certain hour after school dismissal, before he or she takes leave to go home. In secondary schools and junior colleges, the school security guards do the same.

XIE XIE

ZAI JIAN