Social Context of Teaching and Learning

HOW DO WE PROMOTE EQUALITY IN THE SINGAPORE EDUCATION SYSTEM TO ENABLE MERITOCRACY TO FUNCTION?

• Compulsory Education Act (MOE, 2008)
  • A child of compulsory school age born after 1st January 1996, and who is a citizen of Singapore and residing in Singapore, has to regularly attend a national primary school as a pupil, unless he/she has been granted exemption.
  • Singapore students have to undergo a mandatory 6-year primary school education.
• Integrated Schools
  • Different races integrated into the student population of English medium schools where English is a neutral language to all races.
• Heavily subsidised education (MOE, 2018)
  • The Edusave Scheme maximises opportunities for students by providing resources for school enrichment activities.
  • Under the Financial Assistance Scheme (FAS), students of Gross Household Income (GHI) not exceeding $2,750 per month or Per Capita Income (PCI) not exceeding $690 per month are eligible for waived school fees & standard miscellaneous fees, free textbooks & school attires and transport credit.
  • Not only is education at the primary and secondary levels heavily subsidised, education in elite schools and the national universities is never priced out of reach of the average Singaporean household, with readily available grants and bursaries for application.
• Standardised curriculum and common examinations
  • Curriculum Planning and Development Division (CPDD) develops and implement common syllabus.
  • Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board (SEAB) developed and conduct national exams in Singapore.
• Every School A Good School
  • A good school is defined as one that could provide every child with the opportunity to develop holistically and maximise his or her potential.
  • To ensure quality teachers in the service:
    • The Ministry recruits students from the top third of each graduating high school class into a fully paid four-year teacher-education program (or, if they enter later, a one-to-two-year graduate program).
    • The Academy of Singapore Teachers (AST) provides various platforms for teachers to expand their repertoire of strategies to enrich their students’ learning.
    • The government pays for 100 hours of professional development each year for all teachers.
  • Partnerships are promoted between schools and the community to create a supportive learning environment.
  • The Ministry encourages learning and innovation across schools. MOE ExCEL Fest is organised to enable sharing of innovative educational practices between teachers, and schools to support student learning.