Overview
Secondary schools follow a well-structured learning pathway; parents provided with an array of options
Singapore’s intensive education standard has expanded over the last decade. With its growing population came the need for better equipped and resourced educational institutions. The secondary education system has also improved over time and the number of schools catering to this sector has increased.
A typical secondary school caters to children within the age range of 13-18 years. Upon the completion of primary education, students are moved into the secondary curriculum that lasts for 5 years. Being a compulsory segment of the education system, entrance into the secondary level would solely depend upon an examination referred to as the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE). This would determine into which pathway students would be allocated - Express, Academic or Technical - in the secondary stage.
Entrance age levels vary depending on the type of school being entered. British curriculum-based schools cater to ages 11-14 in KS3, ages 14-16 in KS4 and 16-18 at KS5. The curriculum is based on honing independent learning skills and advanced thinking skills in order to assist with preparation for the IGCSE examinations. On the other hand, the American curriculum caters to ages 11-14 in Grades 6-8 and later, and 14-18 from grade 9-12. Each level focuses on core subjects such as Science, Math, Arts, Social Studies and the English Language. Focus is also placed on visual and performing arts, physical education and technology, and foreign languages.
The secondary school structure within Singapore varies in order to provide a wider range of educational frameworks, some of which are:
• Government schools - that provide a high standard of education and an affordable fee structure.
• Government-aided schools - which are funded by the government and follow the national syllabus.
• Independent schools - that offer a more varied fee and curriculum structure.
• Specialized schools - offering hands-on-learning techniques and an experimental syllabus.
Demographic challenges negatively affect the sector; notable decline in birth rates among families
Singapore has constantly been struggling with demographic challenges and the pandemic led to the advent of another. A notable decline in birth rates within the country has resulted in lowered enrolment in the sector. The impact of this decline starts from the primary sector and trickles down to the secondary sector as well. As a result, the number of students entering Secondary 1 decreased to 35,000 in 2017.
Economist Francis Tan has stated that Singapore would cross a demographic Rubicon in the coming years, where the number of youth would match the elderly population, which would have implications across the education landscape. These changes have impacted a large number of school activities and student learning pathways. Some schools within Singapore had even removed sport activities due to the reduced critical mass needed for a game to be played.
The decrease in students would also lead to reduced teacher recruitment, as evident from the 3,000 teachers in 2009 to 900 teachers in 2015. The government has tried to shuffle teachers within the secondary sector into the primary sector but this has made the transition a difficult one, due to secondary sector teachers having specific qualifications for a particular subject. Class sizes have reduced greatly due to the decrease in the student-to-teacher ratio, where in 2011 the ratio dropped from 1:15 to 1:12.
Government staying positive amidst demographic crisis; intimate learning could create an effective educational experience
The decreasing birth rate and reduced numbers within schools has brought forth a surplus of teachers and a lower number of students. Many within the sector have deemed this a positive occurrence as it would bring about a more intimate and interactive learning process for students. The Principal of Raffles Girls’ School has stated that this could be an opportunity for policymakers to switch from summative assessing to focus more on formative assessments.
Formative assessments would enable educators to utilize a more personalized approach and encourage project work. Educators within the sector are looking to introduce more experiential learning techniques instead of the regular syllabus. The negative impact on the population has resulted in the Ministry of Education (MOE) re-evaluating learning experiences, and introducing new pedagogies that are less academic-centered and directed more towards skill-based development.
Key Trends
MOE looking towards better facilitation as birth rate decreases; merging of schools gains popularity
In 2021, the birth rate within the country continued to decline and this has affected the demography in Singapore along with housing estates. As a means to combat these challenges, many schools and institutions have been combined and even relocated to other towns. The MOE has stated that a large number of schools would undergo the merging process in 2023 and has put up a list of institutions that would go through this merging.
In an attempt to stay updated on the sector, the MOE regularly reviews enrolment rates in schools, the suitability of merger partners and the receiving schools’ infrastructure provision in order to address the needs of the education sector. Other factors being considered are larger communities and the need for reduced transportation services, along with the community needs arising due to newer locations providing housing and real estate facilities.
Since 2010, 34 pairs of schools have undergone the merging process and in 2019, Singapore saw 14 schools being merged. The MOE has ensured that teachers and educators would not be retrenched, but that the added teacher capacity would in fact benefit students attending schools, while a shuffling or re-deployment would be the only changes noted by teachers.
Holistic approach to learning adopted by educators; mid-year examinations removed
With every passing year, the MOE’s approach towards education has increased and advanced. One such massive change would be the removal of mid-year examinations by both primary and secondary schools. Breaking away from standard examination and academics in view of the pandemic, the MOE hopes to encourage students through more activity-based education and skill development.
A secondary school in Singapore called Hua Yi Secondary School introduced a Learning Festival - to talk about and partake in workshops related to a field of interest. Many such activities such as culture fairs, sports-related activities and film appreciation festivals have been adopted by schools as a way of breaking away from mere knowledge-based learning pathways.
Honing skills and talents has proven to be as important as studying, and instead of sitting for mid-year examinations, educational institutions are providing children with a means to focus on skills they would enjoy learning. This would include carpentry, sushi-making, baking, archery and t-shirt printing, to name a few. It also enables teachers to follow a less stressful curriculum of exam preparation and help connect better with their students.
Students would also be provided with more after-school enrichment, dabbling in an array of interesting topics such as music, art, and character and citizenship education. Instead of a sit-down examination, children would be assessed on performance tasks, class participation, short written exercises, discussions, quizzes and presentations that would be carried out throughout the year.
Key Statistics
• In 2020, expenditure by the government on secondary schools and junior colleges was SGD 2.9 billion.
• There were 136 active secondary schools in 2020, which was a decrease from the 139 active schools that were present in 2018.
