The document outlines the evolution and current structure of Singapore's educational system, emphasizing its recognized achievements in mathematics and science, as well as its aims to provide a holistic and flexible education. It discusses the Ministry of Education's ongoing reforms in special education, including increased integration between special and mainstream schools and the provision of assistive technologies. The framework encourages students' self-development and leadership skills to prepare them for future societal contributions.

1. *

2. History of Education in Singapore
Organizational Structure
Outstanding Practices
Aims of educational system
Mission and Vision
Curriculum Framework
Special Education
Mathematics Education
Science Education
*

3. *
“vocational and
gifted education
programme”
“National
Junior
college”
“english is official
medium of
instruction”
Splitting of
normal
stream
(academic
and
technical)
MOE
Educational System
“bilingualism
policy”
10years
programme of
Education policy
“survival
driven
education”
Colony of
Singapore
Malay, Chinese/
Tamil,
English
3 Main
Type of
schools
Raffles
Institution
1823
Later
Backlog of
education
While English schools charged
Chinese and Tamil schools
Malay Schools provide free
school fees andtongues.is the
taught mother english Rise
for all students by British
main chinese nationalism. .
of medium of instruction
WW2
1947
1950 1960
1969 1980
1997present

4. *
MINISTRY
Political
Heads
Minister
Senior
Minister of
State
Mr. Heng Swee Keat Ms. Indranee Rajah
Senior
Management
Two senior
Parliamentary
secretary
Mr. Hawazi Daipi
Ms. Sim Ann
Permanent
Secretary
(MOE)

5. *
By Education
By
deputies
Deputy General
Education
Deputy
Secretary of
Policy
Deputy
Secretary of
Services
Director
Educational
Technology
Director
Educational
Services
Deputy Director
– Curriculum
Curriculum
Planning and
Development
Permanent
Secretary (MOE)
Deputy Director
– Schools
Deputy Director
– Prof.
Development
Student
Development
Curriculum
Curriculum
Policy Office
Academy of
Singapore
Teachers
Asst. Director –
Internal Audit

6. *
By Education
By
deputies
Director Corporate
Communications
Permanent
Secretary
Deputy General
Education
Deputy Secretary
of Policy
Deputy Secretary
of Services
Asst. Director –
Internal Audit
Director – Higher
Education
DirectorOrganizational
Development
Director Planning
Director Strategic
Communications
and Engagement

7. *
By Education
Deputy General
Education
Permanent
Secretary
Deputy
Secretary of
Policy
Deputy
Secretary of
Services
Director –
Finance and
Development
Asst. Director –
Internal Audit
Group Director
- HR
Director – Legal
Service
Director –
School Planning
and Placement

8. *High standards of teaching with a distinctive record of
11 Basic Education Cycle and 12/14 Pre-University Educ.
topping among 49 Quality
2nd Ranked inMathematicsof in the TIMSS – third Global
the countries Education System in
International
and Science Study
Competitiveness (2011-2012 report)
*Bilingual policy (english, tamil, mandarin, malay)
One of the World’s best performing school system
*Broad-based curriculum (more courses – special,
(Mckinsey report, published November 2010)
express, normal, technical)
Singapore Students ranked among the top in Reading,
*High qualityand Science (PISA 2007) system
and rigorous education
Mathematics
*Strong belief in investing in education, science
Singapore Students ranked among the top in
laboratories and technology facilities
Mathematics and Science ( TIMMS 2009)
*Universities fall in among the topin Asia’s best
good rankings
Singapore Ranked
in Literacy (PIRLS
universities
2006)
*

9. * According to critics including parents, education system is
very specialized, too rigid and elitist
* Excessive educational streaming at a young age
*

10. *While streaming still exists, various refinements
have been made
*There is not greater flexibility for students to
cross different streams
*Government now experimenting with abilitybanding in other ways such as subject-based
rather than overall academic performance
* continuous improvement is valued
*Principle of

11. 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 future
To 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 learning
To provide a more broad-based education to ensure all-round or holistic
development, in and out of the classroom
*

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

13. 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.
*

14. Character
Developm
ent
Knowledg
e
Applicati
on Skills
Thinking
Skills and
Creativity
Self
Managem
ent Skills
8 CORE
SKILLS &
VALUES
Social
and
Cooperati
ve Skills
Literacy
and
Numeracy
Informati
on Skills
Communi
cation
Skills
*

15. *

16. Classroom management, pedagogy,
teaching & learning resources
Aims & objectives,
content, skills &
competencies, values
& attitudes
*
Formative and
summative
Students ’
Learning
Experiences

17. 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
*

18. *
Framework

19. START
*

20. *

21. *
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

22. 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.

23. 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.

24. 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.

25. 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 preservice teachers have been introduced to the issue of disability through a 12hour segment within a core course on student differences.

26. 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.

27. 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.

29. 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 visuallyimpaired pupils to cope with the curriculum. MOE provides
assistive devices, e.g. FM equipment, Braille Notebook Computers
and talking calculators for these pupils.

30. 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 postsecondary 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.

31. 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.

32. 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.

33. 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.

34. 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.

35. *

36. 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

37. How is Work Experience Set Up?
ASSESS
School will assess students to ensure they possess
the required hard and soft skills for the available
work opportunities
ANALYZE
Job coaches from schools conduct a job site analysis
to facilitate a smooth transition from school to the
work place
GUIDE
Job coaches from school provide direct guidance
and coaching to enable students to complete their
assigned duties

38. 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.

39. Mathematics and
Science Education in
Singapore

40. 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

41. 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:

42. 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,

43. ……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.

44. Figure 1 shows the framework of the school mathematics
curriculum

45. 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.

46. SCHOOL SCIENCE CURRICULUM
Figure 2

47. 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.

48. 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.

49. 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).

50. 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

51. 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.

52. 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.