Education System in Singapore: Unique Features, Grading System, & More

As per the World Competitiveness Yearbook (WCY) 2022, a comprehensive annual report and worldwide reference point on a nation’s competitiveness, Singapore ranked #2. This highlights the strong education system in the country. The education system in Singapore is designed to help children harness their potential, and the Ministry aims to develop them into lifelong learners. Another goal of the education system of Singapore is to make sure that children have the core competencies to flourish in the modern era. 

Trivia: Singapore first participated in the PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) in 2009, with commendable performances. That year, Singapore’s 15-year-olds were among the top performers in all three subjects (reading, science, and math).

Education Levels in Singapore: Primary and Secondary School

The primary education system in Singapore includes six years of primary school to build their foundations. The core components of the elementary education system in Singapore include the mother tongue language, English, mathematics, citizenship education, art, music, character, physical education, and social studies. The initial foundation stage is Primary 1 to Primary 4, and students can take English language, mother tongue language, science, and mathematics at the standard/foundation level at Primary 5 and 6. Higher mother tongue language may also be chosen by those doing well in this subject. 

After Primary 6, students sit for the Primary School Leaving Examination(PSLE), which puts them in suitable secondary school courses. They can also seek admission under the Direct School Admission initiative. There is the GEP (Gifted Education Programme), which takes care of the educational requirements of intellectually gifted students. 

The secondary level has several pathways, including the Express Course (four years and leads to the Singapore-Cambridge General Certificate of Education O-Level examination) and Normal (Academic) Course (four years leading to the GCE (N(A)-Level examination). In addition, you can pursue – Normal (Technical) [N(T)] courses. This four-year course leads to the GCE N(T)-Level exam. During this course, you learn English and a Mother Tongue Language, and it offers you experiential learning.

Grading System of Singapore

There are several education levels in Singapore with unique grading systems and criteria. 

Here is a look at the universally followed PSLE scoring system: 

• The PSLE indicates the level of achievement of the child via scoring bands. 
• The N (A), N (T), and Express streams will be removed from 2024. 
• Students will get into secondary school through Posting Groups 1, 2, and 3. 
• The PSLE T-Score has been swapped with scoring bands called ALs or Achievement Levels. 
• Every subject is scored with 8 ALs. 

Here is the approximate marks range: 

The PSLE score will be the sum total of four subject scores, between 4 and 32. The best possible score is 4 under this system. As per the official AL framework, the grades will be from AL A to AL C for the foundation subjects. 

Singapore Top Universities Grading System 

While the grading system might differ based on the university, we have covered the grading system of some of the top universities in Singapore. 

Post-Secondary Education & Universities in Singapore 

Post Secondary 4 or Secondary 5, most students proceed to one of the following post-secondary education institutions: 

• Junior Colleges (Pre-university education for two years) or centralized institutes (three-year courses). These lead to the GCE A-Level examination or IB diploma. 
• Singapore Sports School/School of the Arts is available for specialized IB diplomas. 
• Polytechnics offers full-time diplomas, including Specialist Diploma and Advanced Diploma courses. 
• The Institutes of Technical Education offer technical/vocational education. 
• Arts institutions include the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts and LASALLE College of the Arts, which have degree and diploma programs in various disciplines. 
• Universities offer degree programs to students. There are six autonomous publicly-funded universities in Singapore. Research-intensive universities include the NUS (National University of Singapore), NTU (Nanyang Technological University), Singapore Management University, Singapore University of Technology and Singapore Institute of Technology. 

Recommended Article: Study in Singapore after 12th

Type of Educational Institutes

As per the education structure in Singapore, there are various kinds of institutions for students at multiple levels. These include: 

Characteristics of Singapore Educational System

Here are some key characteristics of the Singapore education system: 

• Schools offer diverse and rich learning experiences by building foundations in numeracy, literacy, and social, aesthetic, physical, emotional, and moral aspects. 
• Students are encouraged to build their talents in arts, sports, and music, among other activities. 
• Education in Singapore is geared towards equipping students with leadership skills and core capabilities vital in the 21st century. 
• The Values in Action programs and Applied Learning experiences are crucial pillars of the system that help learners find their interests and choose proper pathways. 
• The education system in Singapore emphasizes both the mother tongue and English language for students as a part of its bilingual policy. 
• Students are exposed to multicultural environments to help them flourish in a more global world in the future. 
• Teachers are nurtured by the system with evidence-based and extensive pre-service training at the National Institute of Education. 

In a nutshell, the education system of Singapore is designed to help learners grow into responsible, creative, and innovative global citizens. This has made Singapore one of the world’s most acclaimed countries in education over the last few years. 

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