education in singapore
DESCRIPTION
Education in Singapore. A Response to Economic Challenges & Nation Building. Education during the Colonial Period (1819-1945). Mission Schools – English medium Singapore Free School (1834) – later RI (1963) King Edward VII College of Medicine (1905) Raffles College (1926) - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Education in Singapore
A Response to Economic Challenges
& Nation Building
Education during the Colonial Period (1819-1945)
Mission Schools – English medium Singapore Free School (1834) – later RI (1963) King Edward VII College of Medicine (1905) Raffles College (1926) Vernacular Schools – Chinese, Malay and Tamil
Govt support for Malay schools (not all) Role of community – clan associations, businessmen
UniversityOf Malaya
Strengths
Enterprise & pioneering spirit of the various community
existed entirely on their own resources Preservation of cultural & linguistic differences in
Singapore
Challenges
Education was limited to those who could afford (end of colonial period, >40% were illiterate)
Divided along racial lines Due to world events (revolutionary fervor & changes in
China in the early 20th C)
Politicized threat to the govt
Post-War Years (1945-1965)
1947 – Ten-Year Plan Free Education – ages 6-12 yrs To foster capacity for self-govt
MT as medium of instructionEL from 3rd yearStandardised curriculumSelection for English Primary School
Training CollegeMeanwhile, Unrests continued
Post-War Years (1945-1965)
1955 – Limited Self-Government All-Party Committee Proposed education policy that met the
needs of various committees nationhood NE
Bilingual primary education Trilingual secondary education ECA Teaching of civics
Parity of treatment for all 4 language streams
Technical education and industrial training emphasized
•1959- Policy took shapeEmphasis on Maths and Science•1960- 2nd Lang compulsory in Primary School
Challenges of Independence
Political•Confrontasi•Clashes with Malaysian leaders Highlighted our vulnerability
Economic•Lost Malaysian hinterland•Unemployment (double digit)-fall in entrepot trade-1967 withdrawal of Br forces
Social•Lacked built-in reflexes(loyalty, patriotism, shared history/ tradition)•Population divided by race, language, religion…- 1964 racial riots
Solution?Solution?Dual role of educationEconomic transformationDisciplined cohesive society
Post Independence YearsLabour-Intensive Industries
(1966-1970s) Aims:
Nation Building Economic Development Education for more people
•Different types of education were provided for differentage groups•Malay as the National Language•Overall increase in student intake at various levels•Focus on Mathematics, Science and Technical subjects
Nation Building Pledge taking, flag raising
& lowering ECA grades 1969, common curriculum
for all Sec 1 & 2 in all 4 language stream schools
•Improved quality of education
•Attention to teaching resources, planning (facilities), research, organisation, and evaluation•Promote use of Mandarin•1978, SAP schools•1971, GCE ‘O’-levels
Meeting Economic Challenges•1966- Second Language in Secondary schs •1969- Lower Sec – Tech SubjectGirls had a choice/ VITB/ Science Labs in all Sec/ SP and NA Tech College
Post Independence YearsLabour-Intensive Industries
(1966-1970s)
Problems
High education wastage Attrition rate 29% for primary 36% for secondary
Variation in academic performance
New Economic Challenges Labour Shortage Competition from Other Countries
Lower cost Lower productivity
Industrial Restructuring -1980s
Higher/ Tertiary education was encouraged
Increased intake NU merged with U of
Singapore = NUS NTI, 1981 (engineering
and technology) 1991, NTU BEST (EL, MA) for large
protion of the workforce who have less tha P6 education
•Improved quality of education
•Streaming introduced to bring out the best in every individual and to reduce dropout rate•GEP, 1984
•Increased investment•Building more schools, single-session schools
•1988,89 – Independent Schools
•Relaxed entry to Secondary school
Moving into the 1990s
Economic Restructuring
What was the focus in the 1990s?
1990s
Further concentration on post secondary and tertiary education
to develop the manpower needed for the push to high tech and knowledge intensive products and services
•1992, SIM – Open U•1997, became privatized
•1992, ITE•1993, Edusave•1994, 4th Polytechnic, TP•1994-6, Autonomous schools
1990s
Twin forces of globalization and technological change •Ability-driven
•Curriculum•School environment•Teaching service•Education structure•Education hub•Administrative excellence
1990s
1997, $2 bil on IT in classrooms IT Masterplan PW NE ECA CCA Post-grad and Arts education encouraged PRIME SEM Cluster Schools Compulsory Education, 2000
Education Policies & Practices in Singapore
60s-70s•Flag-raising & Pledge-taking
•Billingualism
•ECAs
•Technical Education
80s-early 90s•Streaming
•Moral Values
•Vocational Traning
•Schools givenGreater Autonomy
Late 1990s•Caring Thinking& Creative thinking
•IT
•NE
•CIP
•Compulsory PriEducation (2000)
Education Policies & Practices in Singapore
21st CenturyTLLM (2003)Integrated Programme/ Through Train (2003)Future Schools (2008)Specialised Schools - NUS Maths & Science School - School of Science & Technology - School of the Arts - Singapore Sports School - Pathlight & Northlight Schools
Education Policies & Practices in Singapore
Leveling up for all economic-social classes?• Financial Assistance Schemes• Government Bursaries• Edusave Scheme (1993)
• to maximise opportunities for all Singaporean children
• rewards students who perform well or who make good progress
• provides students and schools with funds to pay for enrichment programmes or to purchase additional resources.
Summing Up
What are the features of our education system?
Do you agree with what the government has done so far?
What would you do differently?
http://www.moe.edu.sg/
Practice Question
‘Instilling and reinforcing national loyalty through National Education is
the main consideration of our education system’.
Do you agree with the statement? EYA