INCA Education around the world

Singapore : Keywords


Last updated: 05-Nov-2008

Abbreviations and acronyms

ATL Approved textbook list
BA Bachelor of Arts
BSc Bachelor of Science
CCA Co-curricular activities
CME Civics and Moral Education
CPDD Curriculum Planning and Development Division (of the Ministry of Education).
CPT Certificate in Pre-School Teaching
CSV Core Skills and Values
CTA Centre for Testing and Assessment
DipEd Diploma in Education
Dip(PE) Two-year teacher training programme for primary teachers teaching PE as one of their subjects
DPE Diploma in Pre-School Education
DPE-L Diploma in Pre-School Education - Leadership
DPE-T Diploma in Pre-School Education - Teaching
EM1 Top stream in Primary Years 5 and 6 (see section 4.2.1)
EM2 Middle stream in Primary Years 5 and 6 (see section 4.2.1)
EM3                    Lowest stream in Primary Years 5 and 6 (see section 4.2.1)
EPT Entrance Proficiency Test
FLAiR  Focused language assistance in reading
GCE               (Singapore Cambridge International) General Certificate of Education
GCE 'A' Level

 (Singapore Cambridge International) General Certificate of Education Advanced Level examination (age 18+, on completion of upper/post-secondary education)
GCE 'AO' Level
 (Singapore Cambridge International) General Certificate of Education Alternate Ordinary Level examination
GCE ' N' Level

 (Singapore Cambridge International) General Certificate of Education Normal Level examination (usually taken at age 16+, on completion of [lower] secondary education)
GCE 'O' Level

 (Singapore Cambridge International) General Certificate of Education Ordinary Level examination (usually taken at age 16/17+, on completion of [lower] secondary education)
GDP Gross domestic product
GEO General Education Officer
GEOs General Education Officers
GEP  Gifted Education Programme 
ICT  Information and communication technology 
ILO International Labour Organisation
IP  Integrated programme (secondary schools and junior colleges) 
IT Information technology
ITE Institute for Technical Education
MCYS Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports
ME3
 Stream in Primary Years 5 and 6 (students aged 10-12) for academically less able students (see section 4.2.1)
MOE Ministry of Education
MTL Mother Tongue Language
MTLs Mother Tongue Languages
NAFA Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts
NFER National Foundation for Educational Research (in England and Wales)
NIE National Institute of Education
PE Physical education
PGDE Postgraduate Diploma in Education
PGDE (PE) Postgraduate Diploma in Education (PE)
PPT Physical Proficiency Test
PQAC Pre-school Qualifications Accreditation Committee
PSE Pre-School Education
PSLE Primary School Leaving Examination
QCA


 Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (England), formed on 1 October 1997 from the merger of the School Curriculum and Assessment Authority (SCAA) and the National Council for Vocational Qualifications (NCVQ)
SAP Special Assistance Plan
SAT

Scholastic Assessment Test 

SAT1 Scholastic Assessment Test
SATs

Scholastic Assessment Tests

SDPE Specialist Diploma in Pre-School Education
S$ Singapore Dollars
TLLPC  Tamil Language Learning and Promotion Committee
TSLN  Thinking Schools Learning Nation 
UK United Kingdom
US United States
US$ United States' Dollars

Glossary

'A' Level See GCE 'A' level
alma mater A school, college or university attended previously, or from which one graduated.
'AO' Level

See GCE 'AO' Level

centralised institute (plural, centralised institutes) upper secondary institution for students aged 16/17+, offering three-year pre-university courses leading to the Singapore Cambridge (UCLES) GCE 'A' Level and tertiary education.
full school
(plural, full schools)		 combined primary and secondary schools catering for students aged 6-16.
government school
(plural, government schools)		 a school which is fully funded by the Government.
government-aided school
(plural, government-aided schools)		 originally set up by churches and other religious organisations, government-aided schools receive 90 per cent funding from Government for their development costs. The recurrent costs of government-aided schools are also borne by the Government.
junior college
(plural, junior colleges)		 upper secondary (post-secondary or pre-university) educational institution for students aged 16/17+ which offers two-year pre-university courses leading to the Singapore Cambridge (UCLES) General Certificate of Education Advanced Level (GCE 'A' Level) examinations and tertiary education.

'O' Level

See GCE 'O' Level

polytechnic
(plural, polytechnics)		 offers three-year post-secondary courses for students aged 16/17+ leading to a diploma.
post-secondary upper secondary (or pre-university) education in Singapore, catering for students aged 16/17+ in varying types of educational establishment, is known as post-secondary education.

Practicum

A period of intensive development by trainee teachers which enables them to acquire beginning teaching competencies through teaching practice in schools.

primary school
(plural, primary schools)		 primary sector education in Singapore caters for students aged 6-12 in two cycles or stages: the foundation stage (age 6-10) and the orientation stage (age 10-12). In the foundation stage, students are taught in mixed-ability classes, whilst in the orientation stage they are placed in different streams according to academic ability (EM1, EM2, EM3 and, occasionally ME3, in descending order).
primary sector primary sector education in Singapore caters for students aged 6-12 in two cycles or stages: the foundation stage (age 6-10) and the orientation stage (age 10-12). See primary school above.
principal
(plural, principals)		 headteacher.
secondary school
(plural, secondary schools)		 secondary school education in Singapore caters for students aged 12-16/17 (depending on type of course) on differentiated courses according to their learning pace, ability and inclinations. (It is followed by post-secondary (upper secondary) education on two- or three-year courses for students aged 16/17+.)
secondary sector secondary sector education in Singapore caters for students aged 12-16/17 (depending on type of course) on differentiated courses according to their learning pace, ability and inclinations. (It is followed by post-secondary (upper secondary) education on two- or three-year courses for students aged 16/17+.)

Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT/SAT1) (plural, Scholastic Assessment Tests)

 Verbal and numerical reasoning tests compulsory for entry into higher education 

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