Education in Singapore: People-Making and Nation-Building (Education in the Asia-Pacific Region: Issues, Concerns and Prospects, 66)

This edited book is a comprehensive resource for understanding the history as well as the current status of educational practices in Singapore. It is a one-stop reference guide to education and educational issues/concerns here. There are three sections: Part 1 provides a sectorial overview of how education has been organized in this country such as preschool, special needs, primary and secondary, and adult education divisions. In Part 2, contributors critically delve into issues and policies that are pertinent to understanding education here such as underachievement, leadership, language education, assessment, and meritocracy to question what Part 1 might have taken for granted. Part 3 contains the largest number of contributors because it offers a scholarly examination into specific subject histories. This section stands out because of the comparative rarity of its subject matter (history of Physical Education, Art, Music, Geography Education, etc.) in Singapore. Series Editor’s Introduction Contents Introduction 1 Educational Stages and Sectors 2 Educational Policies and Issues 3 School Subjects in Singapore References The Next Phase of Developments in Singapore’s ECCE: Quality in the Best Interest of All Children? 1 Introduction 2 Policy Developments Since 2012 2.1 ECCE Provision and Governance 2.2 Vulnerable Populations and Children with Diverse Needs 2.3 Two National Frameworks to Guide Programmes 2.4 Quality Assessment 2.5 Teacher Development and Retention 3 Discussion 3.1 Situating Policy Developments within the Global Landscape 3.2 Purpose of ECCE and the Definition of ‘Quality’: Towards ECCE as a Public Good? 3.3 Inclusivity in ECCE 4 Conclusion References Inclusive Education for Children with Special Educational Needs in Singapore Schools 1 Understanding Inclusive Education 1.1 Justifying Inclusive Education as an Outcome 1.2 Justifying Inclusive Education as a Process 2 Inclusion for Who? Special Educational Needs in Singapore 3 Understanding Inclusive Education in Singapore 3.1 Inclusion Education in Preschools 3.2 Inclusion in Primary Schools 3.3 Inclusion in Secondary Schools 4 Directions for Inclusive Education in Singapore 4.1 Preschool 4.2 Primary School 4.3 Secondary School 5 Conclusion References Primary and Secondary Education in Singapore: Bringing Out the Best in Every Learner 1 Contexts of Education 2 What Defines Education in Singapore 3 Key Policies and Programmes 4 Primary Education 4.1 Multiple Pathways 4.2 Bilingualism 4.3 Balancing Rigour with Joy of Learning 5 Secondary Education 5.1 Multiple Pathways 5.2 Within Schools: Subject-Based Banding 5.3 Across Schools: Diverse Programmes to Meet Diverse Needs 5.4 Bilingualism 5.5 Joy of Learning 6 Conclusion References Post-secondary Education in Singapore 1 Introduction 1.1 PSE Pathways 2 The Development of PSE 2.1 Foundation Phase 2.2 Expansion Phase 2.3 Consolidation Phase 3 Future-Oriented Changes in PSE 3.1 Enhancing Learning Experiences 3.2 Making Admissions More Flexible 3.3 Blurring Paths Between PSE Options 3.4 Shifting Junior College Education 4 Challenges Facing PSE 4.1 Ensuring Smooth Secondary to Post-Secondary Education Transitions 4.2 Addressing Multiple Demands 4.3 Balancing Lifelong Learning Outcomes 5 Conclusion References Higher Education in Singapore: Perspectives and Future Orientation 1 Introduction 2 The Historical Development of Singapore’s Tertiary Education 2.1 Colonial Singapore 2.2 1970s and 1980s- 2.3 1990s- 2.4 The New Millennium 3 The Future of Higher Education in Singapore—Some Considerations 4 Concluding Remarks References Post-secondary Education Institutions Internships—The Singapore Experience 1 Introduction 1.1 Bridge Between Theory and Practice: Universities 1.2 Multiple Pathways: Polytechnics and the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) 1.3 Institute of Education (ITE) 1.4 Concluding Remarks: Internships in the Space of Skills Future Initiatives References The Dynamic Landscape of Adult Education in Singapore 1 Introduction 2 A Brief Historical Account of the Adult Education Landscape in Singapore 3 What Constitutes the Training and Adult Education Sector? 4 The Adaptability of the Training and Adult Education Ecosystem 5 Competency-Based Training (WSQ) for Enabling the Potential of Workers 6 Compliance Regimes and Spaces for Innovation 6.1 Spaces for Innovation 7 Workplace Learning 8 Opening up Learners’ Pathways 9 Conclusion References The Texture and History of Singapore’s Education Meritocracy 1 Introduction 2 Meritocracy, a Vision for Equity? 3 A Proposed Framing of meritocracy’s Constituent Parts 4 Developing Dependent yet Responsible Subject-Citizens 4.1 Five Trends in the Production of Dependency 4.2 Responsibilising Students and Families 5 Policy Challenges: Reflections on and Beyond Singapore References From Meritocracy to Parentocracy, and Back 1 Introduction 2 Social Mobility Unleashed 3 Talent Spotting 4 Singapore’s Treasure Chest of Meritocracy 5 Grades and Metric Fixation 6 Growing Inequalities in Advanced Economies 7 Loss of Social Cohesion 8 Tackling Inequality 9 Policy Solutions 10 Policy Solutions not Without Contradictions 10.1 Changes to the DSA Scheme 10.2 Changes to the PSLE Scoring System 10.3 Subject-Based Banding and Social Mixing 11 Conclusion References Education for the Minority Malay Community in Singapore: A Sociological Perspective 1 Introduction 1.1 Origins of the Singaporean Malay Community 1.2 Evolution of Singapore’s Education System 1.3 Economic Progress 2 Unintended Consequences on Malay Students’ Educational Achievements 2.1 Changing Social Landscape 2.2 Achievement Gap 2.3 Diminishing Social Capital 2.4 Marginalisation 2.5 Malay Youth Identity 3 Malay Youth Potential 3.1 A Young Community 3.2 Role Undertaken by Government 3.3 Role Undertaken by NGOs and MMOs 3.4 Role Undertaken by Larger Society 4 Moving Forward 4.1 Creating a More Inclusive ‘Education for the Future’ 4.2 Developing ‘Conscientised’ Learners 4.3 Evolving the ‘Markers’ of Success 5 Coda References The Dynamic Interplay Between Curriculum and Context: Revisions in Response to National, Societal, and Contextual Needs 1 Introduction 1.1 A Brief Historical Overview 2 Curriculum Decision-Making 2.1 Centralized Curriculum Decision Making 2.2 Decentralized Centralism 2.3 Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Decentralizing Curriculum 3 Impact of Context on Curriculum Elements of Subjects 3.1 The Impact of Context on Curriculum Elements of English Language as a Subject 3.2 The Impact of Context on Curriculum Elements of Mathematics as a Subject 4 Conclusion References School Leadership in Decentralized Centralism of Singapore Education 1 Introduction 2 Transition Towards Decentralization of Curriculum Development 3 School-Based Curriculum Development 4 Distributed Instructional Leadership Supporting SBCD 5 Teacher Leadership is the Next Frontier 6 Challenges of Teacher Leadership 7 Conclusion References Assessment Reforms in Singapore 1 Intro to Singapore Assessment 2 The Singapore Education System and Its Assessments 3 From 2008: The Shift from Learning for Grades to Reducing Examinations and Using Assessment to Support Learning 3.1 Reduction of School Examination Frequency 4 From 2016—Changes to the Primary School Leaving Certificate National Examination 5 From 2018—Changes to Assessment and Streaming in Secondary Schools 6 Conclusion—The Disruptive New Order of Pandemic Induced Education References Chinese Language Education and Assessment Policy in Singapore (1965–2021) 1 Singapore’s Education and Examination System 2 Chinese Language and Assessment Policy in Singapore 2.1 History of Chinese Language Education in Singapore 2.2 Bilingual Policy Rationale 2.3 Limitations and Implications of the Bilingual Policy 3 Conclusion References Key Developments in English Education in Singapore from the Post-independence Period to the Present 1 Introduction 2 Survival-Driven Education (1950s to 1960s) 3 Efficiency-Driven Education (1970s to 1980s) 4 Ability-Driven Education (1990s to 2000s) 5 Student-Centric, Values-Driven Education (2010 to the Present) 6 Conclusion References Innovating Towards Reading Excellence in the Singapore English Language Curriculum 1 Introduction 2 English Language Learning in Singapore 3 Innovations in Reading Curriculum and Practice 4 Reading and English Acquisition Programme (REAP): Integrating Extensive Reading into the English Language Curriculum 5 Strategies for English Language Learning and Reading (STELLAR): Sustaining Extensive Reading Through Pedagogical Reform 6 The Building a Reading Culture (BRC) Study: From Extensive Reading in Classrooms to Library Transformations 7 Moving into the Future: Challenges and Opportunities References Paths to a Whole: Placing Music Education in Singapore 1 Introduction 2 Primary Music Education 3 Secondary Music Education 4 Post-secondary 5 GMP: Recent Developments 6 Beyond the In-curriculum Classroom: ECA and CCA 7 Curious Question/ing/s Assessment 8 Accessibility 9 Music, Culture and School/ing References The Coherence Between Policy Initiatives and Physical Education Developments in Nation-Building 1 Introduction 2 1965–1978: Physical Education and the Whole Child 3 1978–1997: Physical Education for Fitness Development 4 1997–2010: Physical Education for Critical Thinking and Collaborative Learning 5 2010 and Beyond: Physical Education and Holistic Development 6 Conclusion References Geography Education in Singapore 1 Introduction 2 Regional Geography in School Geography, 1960s 3 Systematic Geography, 1980s 4 Geography for Environmental Education, 1990s 5 Geography for National Education, 2000s 6 Geography and Inquiry-Based Learning, 2013 7 Concluding Thoughts References History Education in Singapore: Development and Transformation 1 Introduction 2 Education, the State, and the Construction of a National Identity 3 History Education in the Pre-independence Decades 4 History Education After 1965: Educational Priorities Amidst the Search for Identity 5 Inquiry-Based Learning for Twenty-First Century History Education 6 Transformation and Continuities in History Teaching and Learning 7 History Education in Singapore: Future Directions 8 Conclusion References Singapore School Mathematics Curriculum 1 Introduction 2 Developments of School Mathematics Curriculum Since 1950s 2.1 First Local Syllabus 2.2 Math Reforms 1970–1980 2.3 Back to Basics 1980–1995 2.4 New Initiatives 1995–2005 2.5 Twenty-First Century School Mathematics Curriculum 3 Implemented Mathematics Curriculum in the Singapore Classrooms 3.1 Activity-Based Learning 3.2 Teacher-Directed Inquiry 3.3 Direct Instruction 4 Discussions of Singapore Mathematics Education 4.1 Central Mathematics Curriculum 5 Concluding Remarks References A Journey Begins: Singapore Design and Technology Education, an Education in STEM 1 Introduction 2 Developments in D&T Practice 3 Solving Real-World Problems 4 Educating for the Future 5 Process for Solving Real-World Problems 6 Developing a Creative-Self 7 Conclusion References