Singapore Fast Facts

• When Singapore gained its independence in 1965, most of its population of two million people were unskilled and illiterate.
• The government invested in education, and by the early 1970s, all children had access to lower secondary education.
• In 2009, the first year Singapore participated in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) tests, they placed near the top for all tested subjects: fifth for reading, second for mathematics, and fourth for science. See all 2009 PISA scores.
• Teaching is a highly-respected and well-compensated profession in Singapore. All teachers are trained at the country’s National Institute of Education (NIE).
• All new teachers are paired with experienced teachers for mentoring, and peer feedback is built into the schedule.
• Teachers are entitled to 100 low or no-cost hours of professional development each year.
• There are approximately 522,000 students attending about 350 schools in Singapore’s education system.
• Class sizes are large, especially at the secondary level, averaging 36 students per class.

In the coming months, look for episodes about Canada, Shanghai, and Germany. See the Finland episode here or visit our global learning resource page for more resources.

Source: Singapore: Rapid Improvement Followed by Strong Performance PDF report by the OECD, from the Strong Performers and Successful Reformers in Education: Singapore page by the Pearson Foundation.