1.2 Purposes of education

1.2.1 Aims, objectives, values, principles

1.2.2 Special programmes

1.2 Purposes of education

1.2.1 Aims, objectives, values, principles

The mission of the education service in Singapore is:

"To mould the future of the nation, by moulding the people who will determine the future of the nation. The Service will provide our children 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."

The Ministry of Education's vision of "Thinking Schools, Learning Nation" (TSLN) was first announced in 1997. This vision describes a nation of thinking and committed citizens capable of meeting the challenges of the future, and an education system geared to the needs of the 21st century. The vision states that:

"Thinking schools are learning organisations 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.

A Learning Nation envisions a national culture and social environment that promotes lifelong learning in our people. The capacity of Singaporeans to continually learn, both for professional development and for personal enrichment, will determine our collective tolerance for change."

Further information about the mission and vision of the Singaporean Ministry of Education is available online.

The education system also aims to be flexible and to cater to every child's abilities, interests and aptitudes so as to help each develop to his full potential. It focuses on the development of human resources to meet Singapore's need for an educated and skilled labour force. It also facilitates the "inculcation of sound moral values to serve as a cultural ballast in the face of rapid progress and change".¹⁷

The values that underpin education in Singapore are a mix of Confucian and modern (where Confucian emphasises the importance of an individual meeting their responsibilities to family and society above their own needs), and are expressed in a national statement of shared values:

• Nation before community and society above self.
• Family as the basic unit of society.
• Community support and respect for the individual.
• Consensus not conflict.
• Racial and religious harmony.²

The Education Act empowers the Minister for Education to make regulations regarding the conduct and efficiency of schools.²⁵ The Ministry of Education outlines its vision for education in Singapore as a whole, that is, its aims and purposes with respect to society as a whole. Desired Outcomes of Education have been developed for each level of education. ⁴

In order to provide high quality, general education to every child in school, the Singapore education system emphasises five key areas: literacy, numeracy, bilingualism (mother tongue and English), physical education and moral education.¹⁷

Aims for pre-school/early years education

Kindergarten programmes (for children aged 3- to 6-years-old) place emphasis on the overall development of the child, namely the intellectual, emotional, physical, social and moral so as to lay a good foundation for formal education and lifelong learning.¹⁹

The Desired Outcomes of Education for pre-school education are that children will:

• Know what is right and what is wrong
• Be willing to share and take turns with others
• Be able to relate to others
• Be curious and be able to explore
• Be able to listen and speak with understanding
• Be comfortable and happy with themselves
• Have developed physical co-ordination and healthy habits
• Love their family, friends, teachers and kindergarten.⁸⁹

Aims for primary and secondary education

The aims of primary education are to foster the learning of basic core subjects, building on a firm foundation in English and mathematics. Secondary education essentially aims to "prepare students for further education or to join the workforce". ³

The table below shows what children are expected to be able to achieve at the end of each stage of schooling. Each level builds on what has been done before and lays the foundation for what will be built during the next stage.⁹²

Increasing flexibility and diversity 

In recent years, the Singaporean education system has been moving towards a system which is more flexible and diverse. The aim is to provide students with greater choice to meet their differing interests and ways of learning. Education is also becoming more broad-based to ensure students' all-round or holistic development in and out of the classroom. This includes looking at other and broader measures of educational achievement than performance in examinations solely. ⁹⁷

To increase choice and flexibility, new types of schools are being introduced and existing schools are receiving additional autonomy and resources to develop their own distinct strengths and specific areas or niches of excellence. These can either be in a particular area of strength, in co-curricular activities, or in character development. The differing needs of students are to be met through a wide range of school types and educational programmes. Measures being introduced include:

• Allowing schools to offer new 'O' Level subjects and elective modules, or to offer different curricula and examinations such as the International Baccalaureat.
• New programmes in schools, such as the Programme for School-based Excellence in primary schools and the Integrated Programme (IP) and Bicultural Studies Programme (Chinese) in selected secondary schools and junior colleges.
• The introduction of specialist independent schools, the Singapore Sports School, the High School for Maths and Science, and a proposed Arts School.
• Greater flexibility in streaming students.
• Greater flexibility and streaming in mother tongue languages (MTL).⁹⁷

1.2.2 Special programmes

Changes to primary education

Based on the recommendations of the Primary Education Review and Implementation Committee in April 2009, the Ministry of Education is planning to implement changes which aim to provide a more holistic learning experience for children. The changes include:

• by 2016, moving all primary schools to a single-session structure to free up facilities in the afternoon for enrichment programmes and co-curricular activities (CCAs). Currently, in some schools, some classes attend in the morning and some in the afternoon, which can place constraints on the time and facilities available for CCAs;
• placing less emphasis on examinations in Primary 1 and 2 (ages six to eight) and exploring the use of bite-sized forms of assessment to help build pupils' confidence and desire to learn; and
• reducing the pupil to teacher ratio from 21:1 to 16:1 by 2015.⁹⁵

Measures to support students at risk of dropping out of school

The Ministry of Education (MOE) has launched a package of measures aimed at students at risk of dropping out of school. Measures include:  

• Providing schools with additional staff to ensure that students receive effective guidance and support at school, home and in the community.
• Developing systems to allow earlier identification and more effective monitoring of students at risk.
• Strengthening student engagement by encouraging participation in extra-curricular activities.
• Investigating ways in which community organisations can work with students at risk and their families.⁸⁷

Measures to improve the quality of pre-school education

From 2009, the Ministry of Education (MOE) raised the minimum academic qualifications for pre-school teachers to five 'O' Levels, including English, and a 'Diploma in Pre-school Education - Teaching'. Currently, pre-school teachers are required to have three 'O' Levels and a 'Certificate in Pre-school Teaching'. The Diploma can be obtained within four years of joining the pre-school sector. In addition, a voluntary quality assurance and accreditation framework will be introduced from 2011. This builds on earlier initiatives (since 2000) which the MOE has introduced to improve the quality of pre-school education, such as developing a curriculum framework, introducing training and qualification requirements for teachers, accrediting teacher training courses and raising the English proficiency of pre-school teachers. Strategies have also been implemented to increase participation in pre-school. These include partnering with community agencies to reach out to children not attending pre-school and providing Focused Language Assistance in Reading (FLAiR) in kindergartens to help children from disadvantaged families acquire foundational skills in English.⁸⁶

Greater integration for gifted primary pupils

In 2008, primary level Gifted Education Programme (GEP) centres (see section 1.2.1 special) introduced measures to give GEP and other children more opportunities to learn and play together. GEP children, who are currently taught in separate classes, are likely to spend approximately a third to a half of their daily curriculum time with other children. Core subjects (including English, mathematics and science) will continue to be taught separately. The Government has advised that children in integrated classes should be of broadly comparable ability to ensure effective learning, and all teachers of these classes are to receive training to teach gifted pupils.⁸⁵

Changes to lower secondary courses

Changes to the streaming arrangements in lower secondary schools in Singapore were introduced in January 2008, when the ' special ' and ' express ' courses for 12- to 16-year-olds were merged. The main difference between the special and other courses had been that students on special courses studied the mother tongue language (Malay, Chinese or Tamil) at a higher level. However, in recent years, students on other courses had been following the higher mother tongue language courses if they had the ability and interest. The merger is intended to more accurately reflect this situation and to allow schools more flexibility in the organisation of their classes.⁸⁴ 

ICT in Education

Five schools have been selected to participate in the first phase of an initiative to increase student engagement in learning through information and communication technology (ICT). The schools are to develop innovative education programmes which involve the use of ICT across all levels and subjects, whilst following the national curriculum. However, schools will still have the freedom to tailor programmes according to student need. In addition, the chosen schools will undertake studies on the impact of ICT on student development, the findings of which will be shared with other schools. The programme began in 2008.⁸³

The Ministry of Education has also announced a new six-year plan for Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in the classroom. Strategies for the Third Masterplan for ICT in Education include:

• Strengthening the integration of ICT into the curriculum, assessment and teaching.
• Ensuring teachers have the necessary skills to use ICT effectively in lessons.
• Improving the sharing of best practices and supporting innovation.
• Enhancing student access to ICT.⁹³

Programmes to promote Tamil

The Tamil Language Learning and Promotion Committee (TLLPC) initiated a new range of programmes in 2007. These aimed to promote the use of spoken Tamil and to encourage young people's appreciation of the Tamil language, literature and culture by:

• Creating new opportunities to use the language, such as literary activities and overseas study trips and work experience.
• Developing resources to promote students' listening, speaking and reading skills, and to assist parents in promoting the use of Tamil at home.
• Organising seminars and workshops for Tamil teachers to share and develop teaching methods.⁸²

Indoor sports facilities for all schools