Education(教育)
StudentshavingassemblyinthehallofaSingaporesecondaryschool.
StudentshavingassemblyinthehallofaSingaporesecondaryschool.
Englishisthefirstlanguagelearnedbyhalfthechildrenbythetimetheyreachpreschoolageandistheprimarymediumofinstructioninprimaryschool;howevermothertonguesaretaughtintherespectivelanguages.
Manychildrenattendprivatekindergartensuntiltheystartatprimaryschoolattheageofsix.Singapore'srulingpoliticalparty,thePAP,isabigproviderofpreschooleducationthroughitscommunityarm.
Englishisthelanguageofinstructionformathematicsandthenaturalsciences.FortheChinesecommunity,thereareSpecialAssistancePlanschoolswhichreceiveextrafundingtoteachinMandarin.Someschoolsalsointegratelanguagesubjectswithmathematicsandthesciences,usingbothEnglishandasecondlanguage.
CurricularstandardsaresetbytheMinistryofEducationwithamixofprivateschoolsandpublicschools.Thereisnostrictpublic-privatedichotomy:thedegreeofautonomy,regardingcurriculumandstudentadmission,governmentfundingreceived,andtuitionburdenonthestudentsisfurtherclassifiedinto"government-run","government-aided","autonomous","independent",and"privately-funded".Inaddition,internationalschoolscatertoexpatriatestudents,andtoafewlocalstudentsgivenpermissionbytheeducationministry.
TherearefourstateuniversitiesinSingapore;theNationalUniversityofSingapore,NanyangTechnologicalUniversity,SingaporeManagementUniversityandSIMUniversity.Afurtherpublicuniversityisunderconsiderationasthegovernmentlookstoprovidehighereducationfor30percentofeachcohort.Therearealsofivepolytechnics(TemasekPolytechnic,SingaporePolytechnic,NgeeAnnPolytechnic,NanyangPolytechnicandRepublicPolytechnic).Unlikesimilarlynamedinstitutionsinmanyothercountries,Singaporepolytechnicsdonotteachtodegreelevel.
Theeducationalsystemfeaturesnon-compulsorykindergartenforthreeyears,followedbysixyearsofprimaryeducationconcludingwiththePrimarySchoolLeavingExamination(PSLE).Fourtofiveyearsofsecondaryeducationfollow,leadingtoNlevelorSingaporeanGCE'O'Levelexaminationsthatassesstheirindividualsubjectmasteryanddeterminewhichkindoftertiaryeducationtheycanpursue.
JuniorcollegeslikeTampinesJuniorCollegeandMillenniaInstituteprovideatwoorthree-yearpre-universityeducationroutetouniversity.Analternative,theIntegratedProgramme,letsthemoreacademically-inclinedskip'O'levelstoproceedstraightto'A'levels.Polytechnicsoffercoursesleadingtoadiplomaforstudentsasasubstitutefor'A'levelswhiletertiaryinstitutionsoffervariousbachelor's,master's,doctoraldegrees,otherhigherdiplomas,andassociatedegreecourses.
OtherinstitutesincludetheNationalInstituteofEducation(NIE),ateachingcollegetotrainteachers,variousmanagementinstitutes,andvocationaleducationinstitutessuchastheInstituteofTechnicalEducation(ITE).
TheEconomicDevelopmentBoard(EDB)hasbeenactivelyrecruitingforeignschoolstosetupcampusesinSingaporeunderthe"GlobalSchoolhouse"programmewhichaimstoattract150000foreignstudentsby2015.INSEAD,al