Education in Singapore is managed by the Ministry of Education (MOE), which controls the development and administration of state schools receiving government funding, but also has an advisory and supervisory role in respect of private schools. For both private and state schools, there are variations in the extent of autonomy in their curriculum, scope of government aid and funding, tuition burden on the students, and admission policy.
Education spending usually makes up about 20 percent of the annual national budget, which subsidises state education and government-assisted private education for Singaporean citizens and funds the Edusave programme, the costs for which are significantly higher for non-citizens. In 2000 the Compulsory Education Act codified compulsory education for children of primary school age (excepting those with disabilities), and made it a criminal offence for parents to fail to enroll their children in school and ensure their regular attendance. Exemptions are allowed for homeschooling or full-time religious institutions, but parents must apply for exemption from the Ministry of Education and meet a minimum benchmark.
The main language of instruction in Singapore is English, which was officially designated the first language within the local education system in 1987. English is the first language learned by half the children by the time they reachpreschool age and becomes the primary medium of instruction by the time they reach primary school. Although Malay,Mandarin and Tamil are also official languages, English is the language of instruction for nearly all subjects except the official Mother Tongue languages and the literatures of those languages; these are generally not taught in English, although there is provision for the use of English at the initial stages. Certain schools, such as secondary schools under the Special Assistance Plan (SAP), encourage a richer use of the mother tongue and may occasionally teach subjects in Mandarin Chinese. A few schools have been experimenting with curricula that integrates language subjects with mathematics and the sciences, using both English and a second language.
Singapore’s education system has been described as “world-leading” and in 2010 was among those picked out for commendation by the now-former British education minister Michael Gove.
The school year is divided into two semesters. The first begins in the beginning of January and ends in May; the second begins in July and ends in November.
| Level/Grade | Typical age |
|---|---|
| Preschool | |
| Pre-school playgroup | 3–4 |
| Kindergarten | 4–6 |
| Primary school (Children enter P1 in the year they turn 7). | |
| Primary 1 | 6–7 |
| Primary 2 | 7–8 |
| Primary 3 | 8–9 |
| Primary 4 | 9–10 |
| Primary 5 | 10–11 |
| Primary 6 | 12–13 (13 if failed PSLE) |
| Secondary school | |
| Secondary 1 | 12–13 |
| Secondary 2 | 13–14 |
| Secondary 3 | 14–15 |
| Secondary 4 | 15–16 |
| Secondary 5 | 16–17 |
| Post-secondary education | |
| Tertiary education (College or University) | Ages vary |
Institute of Technical Education Singapore
The Institute of Technical Education is a post-secondary institution in Singapore that provides pre-employment training to secondary school leavers and continuing education and training to working adults. Established by Ministry of Education, it was formerly known as Vocational and Industrial Training Board (VITB). ITE has three colleges that offer the National ITE Certificate (NITEC), Higher NITEC, Master NITEC and diploma programmes.
Student Intake
Annually, ITE takes in 25% of an annual school cohort, or an intake of about 13,000 students per year, with an annual enrollment of about 25,000. Full-time students are typically secondary school graduates with the requisite GCE ‘N’ or ‘O’ level qualifications.
Colleges
- ITE College Central – formerly ITE East Network
- ITE College East – formerly ITE Regional Campus (Simei)
- ITE College West – formerly ITE West Network
Polytechnics
Polytechnics in Singapore provide three-year diploma courses and accept students based on their GCE O-level, GCE A-level or Institute of Technical Education (ITE) results.
Polytechnics offer a wide range of courses in various fields, including engineering, business studies, accountancy, tourism and hospitality management, mass communications, digital media, humanities, social sciences and biotechnology. There are also specialised courses such as marine engineering, nautical studies, nursing, aviation management, social enterprise and optometry. They provide a more industry-oriented education as an alternative to junior colleges for post-secondary studies. About 40% of each Primary 1 cohort will enrol in polytechnics.
Polytechnic graduates with good grades can continue to pursue further tertiary education at local and many overseas universities, notably those in Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom, and be exempted for modules completed in their polytechnics.
List of Local Polytechnics in Singapore
- Singapore Polytechnic
- Ngee Ann Polytechnic
- Temasek Polytechnic
- Nanyang Polytechnic
- Republic Polytechnic
University in Singapore
Over the years, there is an upgoing trend in the private universities sector in Singapore. As Singapore is emerging into a Asia education hub, the number of foreign students and local students joining both public and private universities is significantly increasing.
Years ago, many Singaporean perfer to pursue their futher education in foreign countries such as Australia, Canada, Europe, United State of America and the United Kingdom. However, over the years, universities in Singapore have gained wide recognition and reputation and are able to secure a ranking in the international university ranking.
To pursue university education in singapore, students can choose to enroll into a public university which is managed by the ministry of education in Singapore, the government. Alternatively, student can choose to enroll in any one of the private universities in singapore.
List of Universities in Singapore
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