| dc.description.abstract | There is great interest internationally to understand the success of the Singapore
education system in the light of its strong and consistent results in international
tests, such as PISA, TIMSS and PIRLS. Singapore ranks consistently among the top
few countries for Reading, Mathematics and Science (OECD 2014). Interestingly,
while some might have previously attributed the good results to rote learning and
memorisation, the results of PISA 2012 have offered a different complexion to the
issue. When students were assessed on twenty-first-century skills such as
problem-solving and flexibility in thinking, Singapore once again performed well
(MOE 2014).
Notwithstanding its success, the Singapore education system is changing to help
prepare its students for the more complex and demanding socio-economic environment
of the twenty-first century. It continuously evolves to ensure that their
students are well placed and well prepared to meet the emerging demands of a
knowledge-driven global economy (MOE 2010; 2013). Under the 1997 umbrella
vision of Thinking Schools, Learning Nation (TSLN), many initiatives were subsequently
launched. These included National Education (NE), a four-phased ICT
Masterplan and the Teach Less Learn More (TLLM) reform. These, and many other
initiatives, reflected the system’s transformation to shift the focus of learning from
quantity to quality (Ng 2008).
Today, the Singapore education system continues its evolutionary path of
change by adopting a student-centric, value-driven education paradigm. It aspires to
achieve (Heng 2012a): | en_US |
