The educational structure is determined by the national Ministry of Education (MOE), which determines national goals for education and coordinates the education programme for the whole country. The institutional structure is based on guidelines drawn up by the MOE, but determined by individual schools. School principals have autonomy to plan and coordinate individual schools’ educational programmes.
The Government is aiming to give schools more authority and to foster an environment that facilitates the implementation of new ideas within a collaborative network. To do this, the MOE has begun to create school 'clusters'. Each cluster of 13-14 member schools (which may consist entirely of primary schools, entirely of secondary schools, or include a mixture of both) is managed by a cluster superintendent, on whom the MOE confers greater authority than would normally be held at this level.
State education is free for Singapore citizens and all schools in the education system receive public funding; the level of funding depends on school type. Government schools are fully funded by the Government. Government-aided schools, which were originally set up by churches or similar organisations, receive 90 per cent funding from government for their development costs. Government schools or government-aided schools may be designated as 'independent', 'autonomous' or 'Special Assistance Plan' (SAP) schools and receive extra funding.
Malay, Chinese (Mandarin), Tamil and English are all official languages and this is reflected in the education system and curricula.
There is an average of ten years of formal general education, comprising six years of compulsory primary school (six/seven- to 12/13-year-olds) and four years or more in the secondary sector. The latter is not compulsory, although attendance is generally universal.
The requirement for children to attend primary education became compulsory in 2003. Prior to this, primary education, although not compulsory, was universal, with almost 100 per cent school enrolment of all eligible children. Compulsory Primary education commences in the January of the year in which a child reaches the age of seven.
Kindergarten (for three- to six/seven-year-olds) and childcare centres (for babies to six/seven-year-olds) provide pre-compulsory education in Singapore. They are run by the private sector, including community foundations, religious bodies, social organisations and business organisations. Under existing rules and regulations on education, kindergartens have to be registered with the MOE.
The pre-school curriculum framework (provided by the MOE) encourages learning processes aimed at the all-round holistic development of the child. The goal is to capitalise on a child's curiosity and activity level, based on their developmental stage, ensuring that he/she learns in fun ways, and that his/her motivation and interest in learning are stimulated through exploration and discovery. The desired outcomes for pre-school education focus on values, attitudes and skills, but make no mention of specific competencies in reading, writing and arithmetic. This is deliberate, with a view to preparing children for lifelong learning, rather than for entry to primary education.
Lower secondary (secondary) education caters for students aged 12/13 to 16/17 either in secondary schools or in full schools (all-through schools for students aged six/seven to 16/17 years). Schools are generally coeducational but there are 24 single-sex secondary schools and three single-sex full schools. There are no separate schools for different groups of students selected according to ability, denomination or curriculum. Differentiated courses are provided, however.
The core curriculum for all secondary school students includes English, mother tongue (Chinese, Malay or Tamil), mathematics, science, literature, history, geography, art and crafts, design and technology, home economics, Civics and Moral Education (CME), physical education (PE), and music.
Although lower secondary education is not compulsory in Singapore, there is universal attendance.
Upper-secondary (post-secondary/pre-university) education caters for students aged 16/17 to 18/19/20, in three different types of school:
centralised institutes, which offer three-year pre-university courses leading to the Singapore Cambridge (UCLES) GCE 'A' Level and tertiary education
Pre-university students study for a compulsory general paper and a maximum of four Singapore Cambridge (UCLES) GCE 'A' Level subjects, in addition to the mother tongue (Chinese/Malay/Tamil). There are also four hours of compulsory, non-examination studies (Civics and Moral Education (CME), PE and assembly).
Students not included in ordinary mainstream education usually attend special education schools, known as SPED schools (funded by the MOE and the National Council of Social Services). Various different forms of SPED schools exist for different disability groups, such as schools for the visually impaired, for children with hearing impairments, or for students with learning disabilities. In 2002, there were 19 SPED schools in Singapore.
There is also a Gifted Education Programme (GEP), which aims to equip students with the intellectual tools and attitudes necessary to cope with the challenges of a fast changing society. It also seeks to develop their abilities and values so that they will be in the forefront of change and progress, working for the betterment of society.
The school year comprises 40 teaching weeks, divided into four 10-week terms, and beginning on 2nd January each year. There is a one-week vacation after the first and third term, a four-week vacation mid-year and six weeks at year end. Examinations and other school activities may account for about four weeks of instructional time.
Most schools run double sessions, with different groups of students attending school either from 7:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. or from 1:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. from Monday to Friday.
In Primary 1 to Primary 4, children aged six/seven to 10 years, the core curriculum includes English, the mother tongue ([Mandarin] Chinese, Malay or Tamil) and mathematics. Science is introduced in Primary 3 (children aged eight to nine years). English usually includes general topics including health education and information literacy.
In Primary 5 and Primary 6, the subjects studied are English, the mother tongue, mathematics, science, social studies, art and crafts, music, PE and Civics and Moral Education (CME).
Details of the curriculum for students in what is officially post-compulsory (and consequently non-statutory) secondary education are provided in section 6. above.
Religious education is usually only offered in schools supported by religious foundations.
The study of the mother tongue includes Civics and Moral Education (CME) as it is felt that core Asian values are most effectively and appropriately transmitted through the mother tongue language medium. CME is an integral part of the formal curriculum as well as part of extra curricular activities. For instance, as part of the CME programme, all students in primary to post-secondary pre-university level education are required to participate in a 'Community Involvement Programme' for at least six hours in each year. The aim of this programme is to "nurture students to be socially responsible and to help them understand that every Singaporean has a role in enhancing the well-being of the community and the country".
The study of health education topics is included in the learning of the English language in Primary 1-4.
Textbooks produced by private publishers/commercial companies have to be reviewed and approved by the Ministry of Education (MOE) before they can be included in the Approved Textbook List (ATL). Some textbooks are also produced by the MOE. Textbooks are normally only approved for a five-year period. Teachers and heads of departments in schools select textbooks that best suit their needs from the ATL. Parents normally buy textbooks, but needy students can apply for free textbooks or other financial aid from the school.
Apart from national examinations (see below), all student assessment is school-based. The MOE provides schools with guidelines on the school-based assessment of students. Continuous, formative assessment forms an integral part of the teaching-learning process, whilst school-based mid- and end-of-year examinations provide a summative evaluation. Scores from these two forms of assessment are aggregated to provide a profile of the student's progress over the school year and form the basis on which students are placed on, and progress through, the different courses of study. The scores also constitute one of the sources of feedback that are used to counsel students at annual teacher-parent meetings.
Assessment at the end of Primary Four
On the basis of a school-based examination in English, the mother tongue and mathematics, which takes place at the end of Primary Four (children aged around 10 years), and on the basis of continuous assessment during the first four years of primary education, students are streamed for the final two years of primary school.
Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE)
The PSLE is a national examination which assesses a student's achievements at the end of the six years of primary school education and determines access to differentiated courses of secondary sector education. Students' performance in the PSLE is also one of the factors used to measure the performance of the school.
The Singapore Cambridge (UCLES) GCE 'N' Level and GCE 'O' Level
The Singapore Cambridge (UCLES) GCE 'N' Level and GCE 'O' Level examinations are national examinations which measure student attainment on completion of lower secondary (secondary) education. Students with good Singapore Cambridge (UCLES) GCE 'O' Level passes are normally admitted to junior colleges, where they complete the Singapore Cambridge (UCLES) GCE 'A' Level in two years, or to centralised institutes to complete the 'A' Level in three years.
The MOE is responsible for the initial training of teachers and for the selection of candidates for teacher training courses. Training takes place at the National Institute of Education (NIE).
Various forms of initial teacher training course - leading to the award of various levels of certificate - are available for those seeking to work in early childhood education. Teachers seeking to qualify to teach at other levels of the education system can complete:
a four-year Teacher Training Diploma in either art and music, mother tongue language or home economics (for teaching mother tongue languages in primary schools, and for teaching art and music and home economics in secondary schools) and for PE, a two-year training programme for the PGDE (PE) or Dip(PE).