Singapore Education Updated

8/8/2019 Singapore Education Updated

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NationalLibraryBoard

2008

Bibliography Lee Kong Chian Reference Library

Singapore education system and policy: a select bibliography


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Contents

Page

Introduction 3

Part I: Singapore Education: 1820s to 1965 41.1 Books 51.2 Databases 71.3 Microfilms 9

Part II: Singapore Education: 1965 to present 111.1 Books 13

Reference Point 17

Author Credits 18


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Introduction

Today, Singapores education system is touted as one of the best in the world, a far cry from thesporadic village schools that used to occupy the island some 200 years ago. Singapores educationpolicy and system underwent numerous changes and reforms as it interweaves with the politicalhistory of Singapore.

This bibliography aims to provide a list of books and electronic resources available at the Lee KongChian Reference Library that trace the development of Singapores education policy and systemfrom the time the country was founded by Sir Stamford Raffles to the present.

Part I covers the period 1820s to 1965, the year Singapore gained its independence. Singaporeseducation system changes as it politically changes from being part of British Malaya, the StraitsSettlements and a self-governing colony to a newly independent nation.

Part II covers 1965 to the present. As a new nation, education played an important role in shapingthe economy of the resource scarce nation. As the nation matured and developed, the educationsystem was refined for the better. Today, Singapore is fast becoming the educational hub of Asia.


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Part I: Singapore: Education 1820s to 1965

Raffles founded the Singapore Institution in 1823 with the aim "to educate the sons of the higher orderof natives and others, to afford the means of instruction in the native languages to such of theCompany's servants and others they may desire it, to collect the scattered literature and tradition ofthe country..."

This has laid the corner stone of the British educational policy in Singapore. Gopinathan (1997,p.593) points out that Singapores colonial educational history is characterized by benign neglect, adhoc policy making and indifference to consequences. The educational goal then is not for socialprogress, but to make the social structure more efficient.

Malay education, funded by the British government, was encouraged and provided for free. Englishwas not taught in the village schools as the British deemed early training in the childs mother tongueas an absolute necessity. The objective of Malay education was to make them better fisherman andbetter peasant than their forefathers.

With the exception of Malay education, Chinese and Indian schools were largely left to their owndevices. The Chinese schools were entirely funded by private enterprises. The Chinese community

was largely responsible for setting up their own schools. The teachers, nearly all China-born, taughtusing textbooks imported from China. The students in these Chinese schools were very emotionallyattached to the political happenings in China. The rise of Chinese nationalism at the close of 1900forced the British government to re-examine their educational policy in vernacular schools. Tamillanguage was taught in the Indian vernacular schools. Most Indian schools were small privateschools. Similar to the Malay and the Chinese schools, the Indian schools are all primary grade.

Last of all, English schools opened to all children on fee-paying basis. English schools weresupported by private enterprise but assisted by the government. English is the medium of instruction.Many of these publicly funded government institutions and aided schools started by the Christianmissions were free from government control until 1919.

In 1920, the British government implemented the Registration of School Ordinance which

subsequently underwent several amendments and revisions. It was revised into the EducationOrdinance, 1957.

The aftermath of the Pacific War in 1945 had instilled a sense of belonging and patriotism among thelocal people and brought new directions for the education policy in Singapore. After the war, theBritish government declared the new policy of providing free primary education to all races.

In 1959, the Peoples Action Party came into power and introduced the Five Year Plan. The planincludes equal treatment of four streams of education, Malay was recognised as the Nationallanguage and emphasis was given to Science and Technical education.

In 1965, Singapore declared independence and the Government pursued a tripartite system ofacademic, vocational and technical schools to support the countrys basic economic policies. Theyoung nation recognised its educational objective was to inculcate patriotism and national identityamong the young students so as to achieve a multiracial, multicultural and multilingual society.


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Books

To help you begin your research on this topic, here are some recommended works that are availableat Lee Kong Chian Reference Library. For contact details and locations of the libraries, please visithttp://www.nlb.gov.sg.

Title:

Author:Publisher:Call number:Description:

A history of the educational policy of the Straits Settlements withrecommendations for a new system based on vernacularsChelliah, D. D.Kuala Lumpur: Govt. Press, 1960RCLOS English 370.9595 CHEThis thesis is a historical survey that traces the changes in the educationalsystem and policy of Penang, Malacca and Singapore from 1800 to 1925.

Title:Editor:Publisher:Call number:Description:

A history of SingaporeChew, Ernest C. T. & Lee, Edwin (Eds)Singapore: Oxford University Press, 1991RSING 959.57 HIS -[HIS]The chapter on Education (page 268-287), written by Gopinathan, outlines

Singapores educational development in the post-war years.

Title:Author:Publisher:Call number:Description:

150 years of education in Singapore.Doraisamy, T. R. (Ed.)Singapore: TTC Publications Board, Teachers Training College, 1969.RSING 370.95957This book provides readers, particularly students, teachers andeducationists with a survey and access to selected materials on education inthe last 150 years, from1819 to 1969.

Title:Author:Publisher:

Call number:Description:

Towards a national system of education in Singapore, 1945-1973Gopinathan, S.Singapore: Oxford University Press, 1974

RSING 379.5957 GOPThis book examines the educational policies of Singapore from 1945 to1973 and covers the major features and problems of the policies in thecreation of the unified national system out of the four separate languagestreams.

Title:


Education for unity in Malaya: an evaluation of the educational systemof Malaya with special reference to the need for unity in its pluralsociety. Issued under the auspices of the Malayan educator.Ho, Seng Ong.Penang: Malayan Teacher's Union, [1952].RCLOS 370.9595 HOThis book offers an analytical evaluation of the British educational policy in

Malaya and recommended a single type (non-racial) of school so as to builda United Malaya.


New bearings in our education system: an address ... to principals ofschools in Singapore on August 29, 1966Lee, Kuan YewSingapore: Ministry of Culture, 1966RCLOS 370.95951 LEEAn important speech by Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew of the newly


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independent Singapore, charts the new directions in the education system,which eventually laid the foundation for the social structure of the nation.


Chinese schools in British Malaya: policies and politics.Lee, Ting HuiSingapore: South Seas Society, 2006RSING 371.82995105951 LEEThis is the published Masters thesis of Lee Ting Hui, also known as Lee AhChai. This book documents the political events that shaped the Chineseeducation in Malaya, from the very beginning to 1941. Prior to 1894, mostChinese schools were organised by private institutions as the Britishgovernment has no policy towards Chinese education in Malaya. The Britishstance began to change when they realized how political events in Chinaengendered the pro-china sentiments and influenced the Chinese educationin Malaya.

Title:Author:Publisher:

Call number:Description:

Seeds of separatism: educational policy in Malaya, 1874-1940Loh, Philip F. S.Kuala Lumpur; New York: Oxford University Press, 1975

RSING 370.9595 LOHThis book discusses the origins and evolution of the four separately fundedschool systems of the Federated Malay States from 1874 to 1820 and thedetermining factors influencing the British educational policy before theSecond World War.


Education in SingaporeMinistry of EducationSingapore: Educational publication bureau, 1972R SING 370.95957 SINThis book gives a brief historical background of Singapores educationsystem and outlines its latest development in pre-school, primary &secondary, tertiary, teacher training, adult and special education up to 1972.


The Politics of Chinese education in Malaya, 1945-1961.Tan, Liok Ee.Kuala Lumpur; New York: Oxford University Press, 1997RSING 371.9795105951 TANThis book chronicled the development of Chinese schools during thecolonial rule, prior to Malaysian independence. It depicts the Chineseorganizations united politically to fight for Chinese culture and education inMalaya during the Chinese Education Movement between the periods 1951to 1961.

Title:Author:

Publisher:Call number:Description:

Sunset of the empire in Malaya: a New Zealander's life in the ColonialEducation Service.

Taylor, T. K.London; New York: Radcliffe Press, 2006RSEA 373.12012092 TAYIn this memoir, Taylor describes his experiences in Malayan schools, from aSenior Master in English to his appointment as the Chief Education Officerfor Selangor. The book outlines the role of education as the colony rebuiltafter World War II and transit towards independence.


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Social engineering in Singapore: educational policies and socialchange, 1819-1972.Wilson, Harold E.Singapore: Singapore University Press, 1978RSING 379.5957 WILExamines the social impacts of the educational policies implemented inSingapore from 1819 to 1972. It focuses on the period 1918 to 1959, duringwhich the education policies underwent drastic changes and transformationsunder four different administrations, namely; the colonial rule, JapaneseMilitary Administration, post-war colonial rule and the early years of self-government.


Official reports on education: Straits Settlements and the FederatedMalay States, 1870-1939Wong, Francis H.K.Singapore: Pan Pacific Book Distributors, 1980RSING 370.95957 WONThis book contains the extracts of important official reports that chart theeducational development in the Straits Settlement and the Federated Malay

States from 1870 to 1939, over a period of 70 years.


Perspectives: the development of education in Malaysia and SingaporeWong, Francis H. K.Singapore: Heinemann Educational Books, 1972RSING 370.9595 WONThis book traces the evolution of the education system in Singapore andMalaysia, from their common colonial origins to the vastly differing systemsand policies that evolved following Singapores independence in 1965.

DatabasesJSTORJSTOR provides online access to archived contents of important scholarly journals, mainly in thehumanities and social sciences. Researchers are able to retrieve high-resolution, scanned images ofback issues of journals as they were originally printed. Existing titles are updated and new titles areadded on an ongoing basis.

Keywords: Malaya, Singapore, education

Title:Author:Date:

Source:Description:

Chinese education Perennial Malayan problemComber, L.Oct. 1961

Asian Survey, 1 (8), 30This article explores the development of Chinese education in Malaya.The heavily involved Chinese community fought hard to preserve theChinese language and culture in Malayas educational system.

Title:Author:Date:Source:Description:

Educational Patterns in Colonial MalayaHirschman, C.Oct., 1972Comparative Education Review, 16 (3), 486Using the data from the educational attainment from the 1957 Population


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census of the federation of Malaya, this article aims to present the trendin the expansion and distribution of formal education in Malaya.

Title:

Author:Date:Source:Description:

American Educational Policy in the Philippines and the BritishPolicy in Malaya, 1898-1935Koh, E. K.Jun., 1965Comparative Education Review, 9 (2), 139Using American and British policy in Philippines and Malaya as examples,this article attempts to show the interrelationships between political,economic and educational policies and practices during the period 1896and 1935.


Chinese Education in South-East AsiaMurray, D. P.Oct. - Dec., 1964The China Quarterly, 20, 67This article discusses the development of Chinese education in theChinese societies in Southeast Asia and how it relates to their

assimilation with the indigenous communities.


The Crisis in Malayan Education (in Notes and Comment)Purcell, V.Mar., 1953Pacific Affairs, Vol. 26, No. 1This article examines the root cause of the crisis in Malayan education the teaching of mother tongues in the multi-racial society.

Title:

Author:Date:

Source:Description:

Education in British Colonial Dependencies, 1919-39: A Re-AppraisalWhitehead, C.Mar., 1981

Comparative Education, 17(1), 71A critical examination of British colonial education policy during the inter-war years (between the 2 world wars). This period witnessed somepositive and initiatives by the Colonial Administrative office.

Title:

Author:Date:Source:Description:

Rethinking the Education/State Formation Connection: PedagogicReform in Singapore, 1945-1965Wong, T-H, Apple, M.May, 2002Comparative Education Review, 46 (2), 182Using Singapores post World War II experience, this article examines thedynamic relationship between education and state formation.


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Microfilms

Microfilm collections are located at Level 11 of Lee Kong Chian Reference Library.

Title:Author:


Policies and politics in Chinese schools in the Straits Settlements andthe Federated Malay States, 1786-1941

Lee, Ah Chai.Singapore: University of Singapore Library, 1968Call Number: MFM NL 14318This Masters thesis of Lee Ah Chai (also known as Lee Ting Hui), reliedheavily upon both Chinese and English resources to outline how politicalevents affected the Chinese education in British Malaya.


Progress in education: a brief review of education in Singapore from1959 to 1965.Ministry of EducationSingapore: Ministry of Education, 1966MFM NL9547This booklet presents a brief summary of the progresses Singapores

education system from the formation of self-government in 1959 toindependence in 1965, including cost of education, school fees,development of primary, secondary, vocational and technical education,teacher training, textbooks, syllabuses,


Educational policy in the Colony of Singapore: ten years programme.Singapore. Ministry of Education.Singapore: Ministry of Education, 1947-49MFM NL4083This title comprises of 2 volumes, published in 1947 and 1949. Vol. 2 wasentitled Ten-year programme - data and interim proposals. Volume 1suggests the principles of Singapores Education policy for the next 10years. They were, education aiming at promoting self-government, equal

educational opportunities for all races and free primary education and todevelop secondary, vocational and higher education to meet the needs ofthe country.


Educational needs of the Straits Settlements and Federated MalayStates.Nagle, J. Stewart.Baltimore, Md.: [s.n.]. , 1928MFM: NL5380This dissertation was submitted to the John Hopkins University in 1926.Based on the facts and figures of the past and present development, itprojects the future trends such as growth of school attendance andeducational financing needs in the Straits Settlement and the FederatedMalay States in the next 30s years, which is up to 1950s.


The task ahead:P.A.P.'s five-year plan, 1959-1964People's Action Party (Singapore)Singapore: Petir, 1959.MFM NL9547The five year plan marked the beginning of self-government. Part 2 of thispublication discusses the role of education as part of the nation buildingplan. Emphasis was given to technical education.


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First education triennial survey: covering the years 1955-7 inclusive.SingaporeSingapore: Printed at the Govt. Print. Office, 1959MFM NL9547The first two parts of this publication sketches the historical retrospective ofSingapore educational scene in the 1950s and briefly outlines the educationsystem at that time. The last part examines in details the changes inlegislation, administrative, finance of schools and the development ofprimary, secondary education and vocational training during the period1955-57.

Title:


Commission of Enquiry into the System of English Education in theColony. Report.Straits Settlements.Singapore: Printed at the Govt. Print. Off.?, 1902[MFM NL5826 & NL15271]A team was sent to enquire into and report upon the system of Englisheducation in the colony, especially secondary and technical education.


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Part II: Singapore Education from 1965 to present

Prior to 1965, Singapore had heavily depended on trade with Malaysia to survive. Uponindependence, she was left to fend for herself. The new government of Singapore had to fostersocial unity and build a new national identity to unite all citizens regardless of race and religion. Italso has to face the task of having to transform the countrys economy from entrepot trade to an

export oriented economy, as well as to build up an education system to suit the young nationsneeds.

Education was used as a social engineering tool to transform this resource poor island into aregional economic power. To create workers who have the relevant industrial skills to operatemachines, technical education was introduced in the 1960s whereby all male lower secondarystudents had to take up technical subjects. To create a common national identity, the bilingual policywas adopted which made English as the first language and mother tongue as the second in 1966.The Institute of Education was set up in 1973 to train teachers in their profession.

From 1978, the education system had to be modified due to massive changes within Singaporeseconomy. The old system had become inefficient with low levels of literacy and gaps betweenlabour market needs and school leavers skills. To reduce the number of school dropouts, streaming

was introduced in 1978 to support the learning abilities of different children. The results were highernumber of students who went for further education which produced the right workers for Singaporesmanufacturing industry.

With increasing globalization and the opening up of China and India, Singapore could no longercompete effectively in the low cost-manufacturing sector. In 1997, new education initiatives wereintroduced to transform Singapore into a knowledge-based society that can contribute more to theservices industry in Singapore. Some of the initiatives include Thinking Schools, Learning Nation(TSLN), IT Masterplanand National Education(NE).

TSLN was introduced to encourage creative thinking, more varied curriculum and improvement toteachers education. The IT Masterplan aimed to use information technology as an education tool toexpose students to new information sources anywhere and anytime. Lastly, NE was implemented in

schools to develop a sense of common purpose and destiny in all students as citizens of Singapore.NE was given great emphasis by incorporating it into various teaching subjects like English, History,Sciences and Maths.

In 1999, old schools were selected for upgrading under the Programme for Rebuilding andIMproving Existing schools(PRIME). A total of 290 schools have to be upgraded at an estimatedcost of $4.46 billion over a period of seven years, from 1999 to 2005. To draw the publics interestsinto the educational process, "Stakeholders in Education" was initiated by Community and Parentsin Support of Schools (COMPASS) to spell out the important roles various stakeholders play byhelping our children learn, grow and reach their fullest potential. The stakeholders include familymembers, school alumni, teachers, principals and non-teaching staffs within schools.

It was announced in 2007 that the Special and Express Courses would be merged into the Express

Course starting from the Secondary One students in 2008. This is due to the Integrated Programwhich has attracted a lot of Special stream students and the distinction between Special andExpress is made redundant. From January 2010, students will have a further pathway to choosefrom, when MOEs new School of Science and Technology, Singapore (SST) takes in its first batchof students. The SST will be established as a Specialised Independent School, complementing theNUS High School of Mathematics and Science, the Singapore Sports School and the School of theArts in adding further diversity to our education landscape.


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The education landscape is very dynamic and ever changing. It also reflects on how thegovernment has adopted education as a social engineering tool to align with other sectors like theeconomy, national defence and community support. Enhanced human capital skills are seen ascrucial to Singapores economy leading to new educational changes and bigger investments intoeducational resources and infrastructures. Surely, within the next few years, bolder educationinitiatives will be put in place to transform Singapore into a world city with a vibrant economy and ahighly educated population.


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Shaping tomorrow todayMinistry of Education.Singapore: Ministry of Education, 2003RSING q370.95957 SINThis publication covers the policies and initiatives that are implemented in2003 by MOE. Some of the topics covered include BlueSky initiative toprepare our young for future challenges, creating centers of excellence andproject work at the A levels.


Shaping Singapore's future: Thinking schools, learning nationTan, E. T. & Ng, P. T. (Eds.)Singapore: Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2005RSING 370.95957 SHAThis book covers the latest educational initiatives like the IT Masterplan,Innovation and Enterprise, National Education and Knowledge and Inquiry.All these initiatives are part of the Thinking Schools, Learning Nation (TSLN)strategy launched in 1997. The objective is to develop a total learningenvironment in the country. This title will stimulate reflection and discussionamong educationists.

Title:


Singapore's new education system: Education reform for nationaldevelopmentSoon, T. W.Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, 1988RSING 370.95957 SOOThis book examines the streaming policy and processes of primary schoolstudents. A comprehensive coverage of the transition of the old educationalsystem to the new was included. The policy of the New Education System(NES) was introduced and discusses how it was implemented, the publicresponse to streaming and the impact on Singapore education.

Title:


Challenges facing the Singapore education system today

Tan, E. T., S. Gopinathan. & Ho. W, K. (Eds.)Singapore: Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2001RSING 370.95957 CHAThis title debates about the various challenges within Singapore educationsystem. Some of the subjects covered include the effect of globalization onSingapores education, the use of IT as a medium of instruction, the usageof Problem-Based Learning, the social equality of education and languageeducation policies.

Title:

Author:


Independent schools and autonomous schools in Singapore: A studyof two school privatization initiatives aimed at promoting schoolinnovationTan, E. T.

USA: Ann Arbor, Michigan, 1996RSING 371.02095957 TANThis is a master thesis on the history and evolution of private andautonomous schools in Singapore. The author examined the role ofindependent schools and autonomous schools in promoting innovation ineducation. The research is well covered through interviews with 16 schoolheads, the director of education and the Minister of State for education.


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Editors

Chow Wun Han, Senior Manager

Contributors

Ong Hui Pheng, Reference LibrarianJason Chang, Reference Librarian

Lee Kong Chian Reference Library

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Singapore Education Updated