report on the ministry of education 1978

The Report on Ministry of Education by Goh Keng Swee

• Collections

In August 1978, then Deputy Prime Minister Goh Keng Swee was tasked to lead a study team to identify problems in Singapore’s education system and propose solutions for reform. The government was of the view at the time that a thorough review was crucial to align the education system with the rapidly changing social and economic needs of the country. Submitted on 9 February 1979, the Report identified three main shortcomings in the education system, namely, high education wastage, low levels of literacy and ineffective bilingualism. This artefact was part of the selection in the time capsule buried in 1990 by then DPM Ong Teng Cheong to celebrate Singapore’s 50th anniversary of independence in 2015.

See related items

Dark blue floral patterned blouse

Old Parking coupon (40 cents)

First brochure sent out on Medisave scheme

You may also like.

Rekindling Memories through the National Collection

Heritage Volunteer

1920s Terrace Shophouses

Swee Guan Hokkien Mee

The Digital In Cultural Spaces Publication

Intangible Cultural Heritage in Singapore: Living Heritage in a Multicultural Urban Environment

The Lives of Farrer Park: Capturing Moments and memories from the Golden Age of Singapore Sport

Peranakan Chinese Women and White Lingerie Dresses: Localisation of a Global Fashion Trend in the Early Twentieth Century

Explore the archives

(Stanford users can avoid this Captcha by logging in.)

• Send to text email RefWorks EndNote printer

Report on the Ministry of Education, 1978 [microform]

Available online, at the library.

Education Library (Cubberley)

The Education Library is closed for construction. Request items for pickup at another library.

More options

• Find it at other libraries via WorldCat
• Contributors

Description

Creators/contributors, bibliographic information, browse related items.

• Stanford Home
• Maps & Directions
• Search Stanford
• Emergency Info
• Terms of Use
• Non-Discrimination
• Accessibility

© Stanford University , Stanford , California 94305 .

Government agencies communicate via .gov.sg websites (e.g. go.gov.sg/open) . Trusted website s

Look for a lock ( ) or https:// as an added precaution. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Development of Education in Singapore

Family History Resources

Chinese Genealogy Resources

Malay Genealogy Resources

Eurasians: resources on tracing family history

50 Years of Singapore Chinese Periodicals 1940 to 1980

Select Chinese resources on Singapore

Primary accounts of Singapore from 1800s to 1942

Raffles in Southeast Asia

Colonial Period

Decolonisation Process

Communist Party of Malaya A Comprehensive Bibliography

S Rajaratnam’s Writings Before 1959: A Preliminary Annotated Bibliography

Post-Independence SEA

Singapore's Public Housing

Understanding Singapore (I)

Report on the Ministry of Education, 1978

By goh, keng swee.

• 0 Want to read
• 0 Currently reading
• 0 Have read

My Reading Lists:

Use this Work

Create a new list

My book notes.

My private notes about this edition:

Buy this book

This edition doesn't have a description yet. Can you add one ?

Showing 1 featured edition. View all 1 editions?

Add another edition?

Book Details

Edition notes.

Errata slip inserted.

Classifications

The physical object, source records, community reviews (0).

• Created April 1, 2008
• 5 revisions

Wikipedia citation

Copy and paste this code into your Wikipedia page. Need help?

Government agencies communicate via .gov.sg websites (e.g. go.gov.sg/open) . Trusted website s

Look for a lock ( ) or https:// as an added precaution. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

An Overview of Singapore’s Education System from 1819 to the 1970s

Director's Column

In Search of the Child: Children’s Books Depicting World War II in Singapore

Journey to the West: Dusty Roads, Stormy Seas and Transcendence

Why Politicians Don’t Stay? Making Sense of Critical Political Events in Post war Asia

Pantun: Sumber Rujukan Sosiobudaya Masyarakat Melayu

The Ya Yin Kwan Collection: Treasures of Early Southeast Asian History

邓小平与新加坡经验 Deng Xiaoping and Singapore Experience

14th General Conference of the Congress of Southeast Asian Librarians (CONSAL)

Through government reports and reviews held at the Lee Kong Chian Reference Library, Librarian Wee Tong Bao traces the evolution of Singapore’s education system.

Among the little-known national treasures on the shelves of the Lee Kong Chian Reference Library is a large collection of government reports and reviews on various subjects. One subject on which the Library has a wealth of documents and tracts is the history of Singapore’s education system. When the policies and inquiries that had been published from the founding of modern Singapore till 1978 are examined chronologically, one can see the evolution of Singapore’s education system – from a laissez-faire arrangement to a nationally centralised system by the late 1970s.

In the beginning, British administrators were concerned only with providing primary education in the schools they had established. Missionaries and communal leaders had also set up schools of their own using money that the government provided, in the form of “grants-in-aid”. From 1870 till the start of World War II, the colonial government paid more attention to the island’s schools when it commissioned inquiries into the different aspects of education. Many committees were formed to review teaching and other aspects of the education system in the English and Malay vernacular schools. Reports were written on how funds were disbursed to schools, recommendations for the curriculum for government Malay vernacular schools as well as the provision of tertiary education in the English school system. Many of these reports were later named after the respective chairpersons heading the inquiries.

The Education System before World War I

The founder of Singapore, Stamford Raffles, professed:

The British presence on the island was represented by the East India Company, which was mainly concerned with trade. This being so, the British administrators initially focused on commerce, leaving most of the other social concerns such as education to the different communities on the island. In 1858, the colony, along with two other settlements (Penang and Malacca) in the Malacca Strait, was put under the control of the Governor-General of India. The administrators maintained their laissez-faire approach to education in the Straits Settlements. Things begin to change with the transfer of oversight from the India Office to the Colonial Office in London in 1867. The new British administration became actively interested in the affairs of the Straits Settlements and forced various committees to look into various sectors. In 1870, the Woolley Committee compiled a report on the state of education in the colony. 1 In 1872, the position of inspector of schools was created to take charge of educational matters in the Straits Settlements. The first person to fill this position was A.M. Skinner. 2

After the publication of the Woolley Report in 1870, another committee chaired by E.E. Isemonger was formed to look into the state of vernacular education in the colony. 3 The impetus for this inquiry was the depressed trade conditions in the 1890s as a result of which the administration wanted to find out how best to expend the decreased revenue. The Isemonger Report was completed in 1894. Subsequent committees tasked to review and make recommendations concerning the disbursement of grants produced the “Report of the Committee appointed by His Excellency the Governor and High Commissioner to consider the working of the system of Education Grants-in-Aid introduced in 1920 in the Straits Settlements and the Federated Malay States“ by E.C.H. Wolff in 1922 and the “Report of the Committee to Consider the System of Grants-in-Aid to Schools in the Straits Settlements and the Federated Malay States” by F.J. Morten in 1932.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the British administrators wanted to find out more about the education that was being provided, especially post-primary and technical education. This was almost one century after they founded the Singapore Institution (later renamed Raffles Institution) in 1823 to educate the children on the island. The government had provided only primary education up to then, and the British rulers felt that it was time to consider post-primary education in the form of secondary or technical education. In 1919, a committee led by F.H. Firmstone was formed to propose the groundwork necessary for the “advancement of education preparatory to a University in Singapore”. 4 The “Report of the Commission appointed by the Secretary of State for the Colonies on Higher Education in Malaya” (McLean Report) followed in 1939. The main objective of this report was to assess the Malay education that had been provided and to propose how higher education could be introduced. Another objective of the McLean committee was to look into the conferment of degrees to graduates of Raffles College and King Edward VII College of Medicine as there was increasing dissatisfaction that the certification was not recognised by many organisations as full degrees.

It was around this time that the British rulers felt that the system of education in the Straits Settlements needed a new focus, once they realised that many students were not able to find jobs as clerks in the government service or with private companies. Several committees were commissioned between 1917 and 1938 to review and make recommendations on vocational and industrial education, which would equip students with practical skills. Four known reports on vocational and industrial education were published during this period. R.O. Winstedt conducted two such inquiries in 1917 and 1925. Winstedt reviewed vernacular and industrial education in the Netherlands East Indies in 1917 and recommended that government Malay schools teach “three basic subjects of reading, writing and arithmetic, [with] special attention… to the Malay traditional pursuits of husbandry and handicraft”. 5 The objective of his second review in 1925 was to determine the viability of industrial and technical education in Singapore, which built on the Lemon Report of 1919, a study of technical and industrial education in the Federated Malay States before the implementation of a higher education system in the colony.

It was the 1925 Windstedt Report that convinced the government that the Federated Malay States and the Straits Settlements were both ready for vocational training. In 1927, B.W. Elles was asked to plan for a school of agriculture, and to recommend the courses to be taught there. Vocational education was further supported by the publication of “Report on Vocational Education in Malay” by H.R. Cheeseman in 1938. Cheeseman’s committee recommended increasing the number of trade schools, introducing workshop craft for boys and domestic science for girls, including science in the curriculum of all secondary schools, and emphasised the “importance of gardening in schools and of agricultural training for vernacular school teachers”. 6

It must be noted at this juncture that much of the curricular “reform” or “rethinking” of the Education Department concentrated on Malay and English education because the Malayan Government had little control over Chinese schools. Hence, the official reports and reviews published during this period placed a strong emphasis on vocational and technical education for Malay students in the government Malay primary schools throughout Malaya.

Political Influences on Education Policies Before World War II

Education policies before World War II were not formulated solely with the economic situation in mind. The government was also influenced by political forces. For example, the 1920 Schools Registration Ordinance not only marked a big step forward in British direct involvement with the education of all children in Singapore, it also heralded the end of the British non-interference approach towards Chinese vernacular schools. With this ordinance, the local government sought to “gain control over all schools in the Colony”. The government officially declared the following:

Although the ordinance applied to the island’s mission, government and other schools, it was introduced also as a result of the sociopolitical conditions prevailing in 1919 and 1920. Many local Chinese were caught up with the political upheaval in China, exacerbated by the unfair terms of the Versailles Peace Conference, which ceded Shandong to Japan. A number of students and teachers in Malaya organised demonstrations and boycotted Japanese goods in protest. In Singapore, mass demonstrations and open violence broke out on 19 June 1919. Demonstrators attacked Japanese shops and destroyed Japanese goods. In response, the British authorities declared martial law. 7 These disturbances disrupted the economic progress of Singapore and the rest of British Malaya, and Chinese students and teachers were identified as the key agitators in these incidents.

The ordinance was first presented as the Education Bill to the Straits Settlements Legislative Council on 31 May 1920. It met with strong objections from some factions of the Chinese community, which felt that the government’s attempt to remove the political element from Chinese education was as good as putting an end to Chinese vernacular education. They were “full of fear and suspicion”, and sent their petitions through Lim Boon Keng, the Chinese representative of the Straits Settlements Legislative Council. Despite their objections, the ordinance was eventually passed in October 1920. 8

Under this ordinance, managers and teachers of schools were required to register with the Education Department within three months for existing schools, and one month for new schools. Any changes in the teaching staff or committee of management of the registered schools had to be reported to the Education Department within one month. Every registered school also had to be inspected by the director of education, who was empowered to declare schools unlawful if there was any evidence of involvement in political propaganda detrimental or prejudicial to the interests of the colony. 9 The ordinance and the general regulations were first amended in 1925, and were repeatedly amended to ensure compliance and effectiveness.

Postwar Development

When World War II ended, Singapore returned to British rule once again. On 7 August 1947, a “Ten-Year Programme” was established. This was meant to be the “basis for future educational development in the Colony of Singapore”. 10 The general principles outlined in this policy were “foster[ing] and extend[ing] the capacity for self-government, and the ideal of civic loyalty and responsibility; … [providing] equal educational opportunity to the children – both boys and girls – of all races, … upon a basis of free primary education there should be developed such secondary, vocational and higher education as will best meet the needs of the country”. 11

As Singapore was still recovering from the devastation of the war, it was understandable that “the first priority (was) rehabilitation”. 12 Much emphasis was given to primary education, though the scope of the policy also covered areas such as post-primary education in the English and vernacular schools, training of teachers, administration and inspection of schools and the types of schools. 13

This policy also stressed that “the basis of all schools should be regional rather than racial, and should ensure the intermingling of pupils of all races in all the activities of school life”. 14 To facilitate the implementation of the “Ten-Year Programme”, surveys were carried out throughout Singapore to determine the number of schools and pupils enrolled in each area. In total, 26 surveys were conducted, covering areas such as Jurong, Kranji and Lim Chu Kang in the west, Bedok, Tampines and Changi in the east, Sembawang and Seletar in the north, and New Bridge Road, South Bridge Road, Market Street, Raffles Place and Collyer Quay in the south. The surveys revealed that there were a total of 118,251 pupils in 449 schools at the time (see below). 15

Based on the data collected, the committee made proposals about school facilities, capacity of existing schools and ways to support the new initiatives in the years to come. The report of the committee also included appendices showing the estimated annual increases in enrolment and expenditure from 1951 to 1960.

In 1955, the Ministry of Education was formally established. In the following year, two important documents on education were released: the “Report of the All-Party Committee of the Singapore Legislative Assembly on Chinese Education” followed by the “White Paper on Education Policy”. The White Paper built on the findings of the All-Party Committee Report, and highlighted the challenges faced by Singapore: “to reconcile those elements of diversity which arise from the multi-racial structure of its population”, and “to cope with the phenomenal increase in the population of school-going age”. 16 To address the first challenge, the government decided on “build[ing] a Singapore or Malayan nationalism”. The paper explored how a “common Malayan loyalty” could be built in the schools. To underline its belief that the “education policy should be based on equal respect for the four principal cultures of Singapore”, the paper also proposed replacing the several legislation governing schools then – namely, Education Ordinance, 1948 (No. 22 of 1948), Registration of Schools Ordinance, 1950 (No. 16 of 1950) and Schools (General) Regulations, 1950 – with a single Education Ordinance that would apply to all schools. 17 This was achieved with the passing of the new Education Ordinance in 1957. To meet the second challenge of increasing numbers of school children, it was proposed that the schools be expanded, and that more teachers should be trained. 18

Throughout the 1960s, the government continued to pay attention to education – particularly vocational education – and ordered several more reviews. The impact that the type of education system had on the economy was of utmost interest to the government. With Singapore’s limited natural resources, the government realised that industrialisation would be the lifeline of Singapore’s economy, and thus “her human resources must be harnessed to the full”. 19 A review led by Chan Chieu Kiat, the “Report of the Commission of Inquiry into Vocational and Technical Education in Singapore” (subsequently known as the Chan Chieu Kiat Commission) in 1961 suggested restructuring the secondary education system to accommodate vocational, technical and commercial education. 20 So that students and teaching staff of vocational institutions could keep up with the advancements in their chosen fields, the commission also suggested that “the setting up of a technical and scientific section in the National Library deserved urgent consideration”. 21

The 1961 Chan Chieu Kiat Commission was complemented by the “Commission of Inquiry into Education” led by Lim Tay Boh the following year. The terms of reference of this commission were to “inquire into the Government’s Education Policy, its content and administration in all fields other than vocational and technical education, and to make recommendations”. 22 This inquiry, however, did not review the two universities. This commission submitted an interim report in 1962, and a final report in 1963. Some of the key recommendations of this commission included the adjustment of class size and pupil-teacher ratio for primary and secondary schools, revision of the Primary School Leaving Examination by aligning the examination syllabus to the teaching in the schools, training of teachers, allowance and remuneration of principals and teaching staff, as well as skills and facilities that could enhance students’ learning. Examples of recommendations made were: “all trainee teachers and some of the experienced teachers should be given training in librarianship”, and “the necessity to appoint a qualified School Library Adviser at the Ministry of Education”. 23

The most significant review in the 1970s was the 1978 Goh Keng Swee Report on the state of education. This study, however, was not a formal commission of inquiry, and no terms of reference were spelt out for the team. Goh remarked that “the approach we [the team] take is that of the generalist, and not of the specialist” (1978 Report, p. ii). 24 The team highlighted key problems in the education system at the time, such as the preference for English-stream schools, the importance of bilingual education, the necessity of streaming students according to their learning capabilities, moral education syllabus and administration at the Ministry of Education.

This report had a far-reaching impact on the development of education in the years to come. In 1979, primary three pupils were streamed into Express, Normal or Monolingual classes. With the preference for English-stream schools, all the four language-stream schools were merged into English-stream schools, where lessons on all subjects were conducted in English except for the mother tongue (Chinese, Malay or Tamil), which students studied as a second language. This merger was reflected in the 1984 “Directory of Schools and Institutions”, in which schools were no longer classified by language stream. As shown in the Preface of the Directory:

The Ministry of Education also ensured that pupils who had the capability to study another language as a first language could continue to learn their mother tongue as a first language too. This was implemented under the Special Assistance Plan (SAP) in nine schools in 1979.

Singapore’s education system from 1819 to 1978 can be seen to have passed through three distinct phases. In the first phase, before the outbreak of World War II, there were other providers of education besides the British. The second phase took place after World War II, and was marked by the government’s concerted effort to centralise the curriculum to maximise scarce resources in the immediate postwar years. The third phase was heralded by the creation of a national school system after the nation’s Independence in 1965. The legacy of different language traditions continued into the early 1980s. Even without an official history of these developmental phases, the motley of policy papers and reports kept in the Lee Kong Chian Reference Library capture the evolution and details of these phases. 25

Through the official reports and policies, one can see that the attempts by the government to exert control over all schools in Singapore were evident before World War II. The 1920 School Registration Ordinance can be considered to be the first such endeavour. Official reviews and inquiries were still being carried out along ethnic lines even after World War II. The following government reviews underscore this contention: “Report of the Committee on Malay Education” (Barnes Report) in 1951, “Report of a Mission Invited by the Federation Government to Study the Problem of Education of Chinese in Malaya” (Fenn Report) in 1951, “All-Party Committee on Chinese Education Appointed to Look into the Education Needs of Chinese Schools” in 1955 and the “Report of the All-party Committee on Chinese Education of the Singapore Legislative Assembly on Chinese Education” in 1956.

It was not till the 1957 Registration of School Ordinance that we see another attempt by the government to consolidate the numerous “micro-systems” that existed within Singapore’s education system. The main shift away from policies with communal considerations to those stressing national concerns took place after self-rule was attained. Some of these developments were captured in the 1961 “Commission of Inquiry into Vocational and Technical Education in Singapore” (Chan Chieu Kiat Commission) and in the 1962 “Commission of Inquiry into Education” (Lim Tay Boh Commission). The 1978 Goh Keng Swee Report recommended the merger of all four language-stream schools into a common English-stream system. All schools were transformed into English-medium schools by 1984. By then, it was no longer necessary to address educational issues peculiar to ethnicity and language stream as all policies and reviews subsequently applied to all Singapore schools.

If readers wish to explore the subject further, I recommended David Chelliah’s A History of the Educational Policy of the Straits Settlements with Recommendations for a New System Based on Vernaculars (1940) and Saravanna Gopinathan’s Towards a National System of Education in Singapore, 1945–1973 (1974). Both authors also consulted the resources that I have referred to in my article. Their works are available at Level 12 of the Lee Kong Chian Reference Library, National Library.

All-Party Committee on Singapore Chinese Middle Schools Students’ Union, Singapore, Singapore Chinese Middle Schools Students’ Union (Singapore Legislative Assembly Command Paper Cmd. 53 of 1956) (Singapore: Printed at the Govt. Print. Off., 1956). (Call no. RCLOS 371.83 SIN; microfilm NL9547)

All Party Committee on Chinese Education, Singapore, Report of the All-Party Committee of the Singapore Legislative Assembly on Chinese Education (Singapore: Govt. Printer, 1956). (Call no. RCLOS 371.9795105957 SIN)

C.M. Turnbull, A History of Singapore, 1819–1988 (Singapore: Oxford University Press, 1989. (Call no. RSING 959.57 TUR)

Central Advisory Committee on Education, Malaya, Report on the Barnes Report on Malay Education and the Fenn-Wu Report on Chinese Education [Kuala Lumpur: Govt. Press, 1951) (Call no. RDTYS 371.979920595 MAL)

Commission of Inquiry into Vocational and Technical Education in Singapore, Singapore, Report of the Commission of Inquiry Into Vocational and Technical Education in Singapore (Singapore: Govt. Print. Off., 1961). (Call no. RCLOS 371.426 SIN; microfilm NL11766)

Committee on a Polytechnic Institute for Singapore, Singapore, Committee on a Polytechnic Institute for Singapore (Singapore: Government Printing Office, 1953). (Call no. RCLOS 378.5951 SIN)

Committee on Malay Education, Malaya, Report (Kuala Lumpur: Govt. Press, 1951). (Call no. RCLOS 371.979920595 MAL; microfilm NL9546)

F.J. Morten and Straits Settlements, Report (Straits Settlements. Legislative Council Command Paper no. 103 of 1932) (Singapore: Printed at the Govt. Print. Off., 1932). (Call no. RRARE q379.12; microfilm NL7596)

Francis H.K. Wong and Gwee Yee Hean, Official Reports on Education: Straits Settlements and the Federated Malay States, 1870–1939 (Singapore: Pan Pacific Book Distributors, 1980). (Call no. RCLOS 370.95957 WON)

Goh Keng Swee and Education Study Team, Report on the Ministry of Education 1978 (Singapore: Printed by Singapore National Printers, 1979) (Call no. RSING 370.95957 SIN)

H.R. Cheeseman, Report on Vocational Education in Malaya (Singapore: Printed at the Govt. Print. Off., 1938). (Call no. RRARE 371.42 CHE; microfilm NL9821)

Legislative Assembly, Singapore, White Paper on Education Policy (Singapore Legislative Assembly Command Paper Cmd. 15 of 1956). (Singapore: Legislative Assembly, 1956). (Call no. RCLOS q370.95951 SIN; microfilm NL9547)

Legislative Council, Straits Settlement, Straits Settlements, Proceedings of the Legislative Council of the Straits Settlements (With Appendices) for … (Singapore: Government Microfilm Unit, 31 May 1921). (Microfilm NL1120)

Lee Kuan Yew, New Bearings in Our Education System: An Address … to Principals of Schools in Singapore on August 29, 1966 (Singapore: Ministry of Culture, 1966). (Call no. RCLOS 370.95951 LEE; microfilm NL9547)

Lee Ting Hui, Chinese Schools in British Malaya: Policies and Politics (Singapore: South Seas Society, 2006). (Call no. RSING 371.82995105951 LEE)

Lim Tay Boh, Final Report (Singapore: Govt. Printer, 1964). (Call no. RCLOS 370.95957 SIN; microfilm NL15271)

Lim Tay Boh, Interim Report on the Six-Day Week (Singapore: Govt. Printer, 1962). (Call no. RCLOS 370.95957 SIN; microfilm NL9547)

Malaya, Memorandum on Chinese Education in the Federation of Malaya (Kuala Lumpur: Art Printing Works, 1954). (Call no. RCLOS 371.979510595 MAL; microfilm NL9546)

Member for Education, Malaya, Annual Report … on the Education Ordinance, 1952 (Malaya Federal Legislative Council Command Paper no. 29 of 1954) [S. l.: s. n., 1954]. (Call no. RCLOS 370.9595 MMEAR-[RFL]; microfilm NL9546)

Ministry of Education, Singapore, Annual Report (Singapore: Printed at the Govt. Print. Off., 1946–1967). (Call no. RCLOS 370.95951 SIN; microfilm NL9335)

Ministry of Education, Singapore, Directory of Schools and Institutions (Singapore: Education Statistics Section, Computer Services Branch, Planning & Review Division, 1982–1984). (Call no. RSING 371.00255957 DSI)

Ministry of Education, Singapore, Educational Policy in the Colony of Singapore: Ten Years Programme (Singapore: Ministry of Education, 1947–1949). (Call no. RCLOS 370.95951 SIN; microfilm NL4083)

Ministry of Education, Singapore, ETV Singapore (Singapore: Ministry of Education, 1966–1979). (Call no. RCLOS 370.95957 SIN)

Ministry of Education, Singapore, Singapore, Educational Policy in the Colony of Singapore: Supplement to the Ten-Year Programme: Data and Interim Proposals (Singapore: Ministry of Education, 1949). (Call no. RCLOS 370.95951 SIN)

Ministry of Education, Singapore, Singapore Government Press Statement (Singapore: Ministry of Education, 1966–1976). (Call no. RCLOS 370.95957 SIN)

Mission Invited by the Federation Government to Study the Problem of the Education of Chinese in Malaya, Malaya, Chinese Schools and the Education of Chinese Malayans: The Report of a Mission Invited by the Federation Government To Study the Problem of the Education of Chinese in Malaya (Kuala Lumpur: Govt. Press, 1951).  (Call no. RCLOS 371.979510595 MAL)

Public Relations Office, Singapore, Education Week, May 8th–13th, 1950: The Steps to Success (Singapore: Published by Public Relations Office for the Dept. of Education, 1950). (Call no. RDTYS 370.95951 SIN)

Robert L. Jarman ed., Annual Reports of the Straits Settlements 1855–1941 ([Slough, UK]: Archive Editions, 1998). (Call no. RSING 959.51 STR-[AR])

Saravanan Gopinathan, Towards a National System of Education in Singapore, 1945–1973 (Singapore: Oxford University Press, 1974). (Call no. RSING 379.5957 GOP)

Singapore, Chinese Schools – Bilingual Education and Increased Aid (Singapore: Govt. Print. Off., 1953). (Call no. RCLOS 371.9795105957 SIN)

Sophia Raffles, Memoir of the Life and Public Services of Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles (Singapore: Oxford University Press, 1991). (Call no. RSING 959.57021092 RAF)

Straits Settlements, Annual Departmental Reports (Singapore: Printed at the Govt. Print. Off., 1891–1938). (Call no. RRARE 354.595 SSADR; microfilm NL2927, NL2928, NL 25412)

Straits Settlements, Straits Settlements Government Gazettes (Singapore: Mission Press, 1858–1942). (Call no. RCLOS 959.51 SGG)

Straits Settlements, Report (Straits Settlements. Legislative Council Command Paper no. 45 of 1922) (Singapore: Printed at the Govt. Print. Off., 1922). (Call no. RRARE q379.12 STR; microfilm NL7548)

Straits Settlements. Technical Education Committee, Report, 1925 (Singapore: Technical Education Committee, 1925). (Call no. RRARE 607.5951 STR; microfilm NL7596)

T.R. Doraisamy et al., 150 Years of Education (Singapore: TTC Publications Board, Teachers Training College, 1969). (Call no. RSING 370.95957 TEA)

Yeo Hailin, “The Registration of Schools Ordinance of British Malaya, 1920: Origins and Outcome,” (Bachelor’s Thesis, National University of Singapore, 1990, https://scholarbank.nus.edu.sg/handle/10635/166959

APPENDIX: A Select List of Education Policies and Papers from 1819 to the 1970s

1870: Report of the Select Committee of the Legislative Council to Inquire into the State of Education in the Colony (Woolley Report)

1894: Report of the Committee Appointed to Inquire into the System of Vernacular Education in the Colony (Isemonger Report)

1902: Report of the Commission of Enquiry into the System of English Education in the Colony (Kynnerseley Report)

1917: Report on Vernacular and Industrial Education in the Netherlands East Indies and the Philippines, by R.O. Winstedt

1919: Report by the Committee Appointed by His Excellency the Governor to Advise As to a Scheme for the Advancement of Education Preparatory to a University in Singapore (Firmstone Report)

1919: Report of the Committee on Technical and Industrial Education in the Federated Malay States (Lemon Report)

1922: Report of the Committee Appointed by His Excellency the Government and High Commissioner To Consider the Working of the System of Education Grants-in-Aid Introduced in 1920 in the Straits Settlements and the Federated Malay States (Wolff Report)

1925: Report of the Technical Education Committee (Winstedt Report)

1927: Report of the Committee Appointed to Draw Up a Scheme for a School of Agriculture as a Joint Institution for the Federated Malay States and Straits Settlement (Elles Report)

1928: Proceedings of the Committee Appointed by His Excellency the Governor and High Commissioner To Report on the Question of Medical Research Throughout Malaya. (Command Paper – Straits Settlements. Legislative Council; No. 13 of 1929)

1932: Report of the Committee to Consider the System of Grants-in-Aid to Schools in the Straits Settlements and the Federated Malay States (Morten Report) (Command Paper – Straits Settlements. Legislative Council; No. 103 of 1932)

1938: Report on Vocational Education in Malay, by H.R. Cheeseman

1939: Report of the Commission Appointed by the Secretary of State for the Colonies on Higher Education in Malaya (McLean Report)

1947–1949: Educational Policy in the Colony of Singapore: Ten Years Programme (Vol. 1) and Supplement to the Ten-Year Programme: Data and Interim Proposals (Vol. 2)

1951: Report of the Committee on Malay Education (Barnes Report)

1951: Chinese Schools and the Education of Chinese Malayans: The Report of a Mission Invited by the Federation Government to Study the Problem of the Education of Chinese in Malaya (Fenn Report)

1951: Report on the Barnes Report on Malay Education and the Fenn-Wu Report on Chinese Education

1953: Chinese Schools – Bilingual Education and Increased Aid (Command Paper – Singapore. Legislative Council; Cmd. 81 of 1953)

1953: Report of the Committee on a Polytechnic Institute for Singapore

1956: Singapore Chinese Middle Schools Students’ Union (Command Paper – Singapore. Legislative Assembly; Cmd. 53 of 1956)

1956: Report of the All-Party Committee of the Singapore Legislative Assembly on Chinese Education (Led by Chew Swee Kee)

1956: White Paper on Education Policy (Command Paper – Legislative Assembly; Cmd. 15 of 1956)

1961: Report of the Commission of Inquiry into Vocational and Technical Education in Singapore (Chan Chieu Kiat Commission)

1962: Interim Report on the Six-Day Week – Commission of Inquiry Into Education (Lim Tay Boh Commission)

1964: Final Report – Commission of Inquiry Into Education (Lim Tay Boh Commission)

1979: Report on the Ministry of Education 1978 (Prepared by Goh Keng Swee and the Education Study Team)

Doraisamy, 150 Years of Education , 26.  ↩

Wong and Gwee, Official Reports on Education , 66.  ↩

Straits Settlements. Technical Education Committee, Report, 1925   ↩

Cheeseman, Report on Vocational Education in Malaya .   ↩

Yeo, “Registration of Schools Ordinance,” 32–34.  ↩

Lee, Chinese Schools in British Malaya , 89–104.  ↩

Straits Settlements, Straits Settlements Government Gazettes , no. 21 (29 Oct 1920), sections 10, 11, 18 and 19.  ↩

Ministry of Education, Singapore, Educational Policy , 5.  ↩

Ministry of Education, Singapore, Educational Policy , 9.  ↩

Ministry of Education, Singapore, Educational Policy , 5–9.  ↩

Ministry of Education, Singapore, Educational Policy , 6.  ↩

Ministry of Education, Singapore, Educational Policy , 2.  ↩

Legislative Assembly, Singapore, White Paper on Education Policy , 4.  ↩

Legislative Assembly, Singapore, White Paper on Education Policy , 7.  ↩

Legislative Assembly, Singapore, White Paper on Education Policy , 10.  ↩

Commission of Inquiry into Vocational and Technical Education in Singapore, Singapore, Report of the Commission , 61.  ↩

Commission of Inquiry into Vocational and Technical Education in Singapore, Singapore, Report of the Commission , 38–46.  ↩

Commission of Inquiry into Vocational and Technical Education in Singapore, Singapore, Report of the Commission , 60.  ↩

Lim, Final Report , x.  ↩

Lim, Final Report , 97.  ↩

Goh and Education Study Team, Report on the Ministry of Education 1978 , ii.  ↩

See Appendix for a select list of educational policies and papers mentioned in this article.  ↩

Values education in Singapore

Singapore infopedia.

Compulsory values education was first implemented in schools in Singapore in the late 1950s through civics, ethics and religious studies classes. The purpose of values education is to impart moral values and help students become responsible members in their families and communities, and better citizens. In response to changes in educational policies, national needs and pedagogical approaches, the curriculum for values education has evolved from early programmes such as Civics (1958), Religious Knowledge (1958) and Ethics (1959) to Character and Citizenship Education (2014).

Beginnings Compulsory values education was implemented in the late 1950s, when education was undergoing major reforms towards a centralised education system and a Malayan-centred curriculum. The first notable mention of values education was in the White Paper on Educational Policy of 1956, in which the government announced its intention to implement civics education in all schools to build a “common Malayan loyalty” and provide facilities for religious or ethical instruction. 1  The government saw moral and religious education as a way to curb juvenile delinquency and to keep youths away from Communism and other subversive influences. 2

In 1956, the Ethics and Religion committee – comprising members of the Ministry of Education and leaders of the Buddhist, Christian, Confucian, Hindu, Muslim and Sikh communities – was formed to report on the value of religious studies or ethics as a compulsory subject in schools. 3   On its recommendations, the Ethics programme was rolled out to all non-mission and non-Malay schools in 1959. Depending on each school’s resources, students could also opt to study their own religion, instead of Ethics. 4

Ethics The aims of Ethics were to impart moral virtues, promote good habits and inculcate civic consciousness. 5  A series of teaching guides and syllabus were produced to support its teaching: the primary school syllabus “Right Conduct”, 6  the secondary school syllabus, 7  a teacher’s guide, 8  and four volumes of stories on the right behaviour. 9  To engage secondary school students, teachers were encouraged to bring them to the courts and the Legislative Assembly to learn about the organs of state. 10

Religious Knowledge The implementation of religious knowledge classes was met with greater challenges, because of the lack of qualified teachers and study materials. 11  In September 1958, the first religious classes on Islam began on an experimental basis in government Malay schools. 12  The programme was later extended to other religions in 1959, after the education ministry involved various religious authorities in curriculum planning and the running of classes. When classroom teaching was not available, students could attend lessons at places of worship. 13

Civics Introduced in November 1958, the Civics programme for secondary schools covered topics such as community, public and social services, organs of state, government, law and order, defence, citizenship rights, and racial harmony. 14  In 1966, the education ministry launched a comprehensive programme of moral education and civic training for primary and secondary schools. The civic training syllabus for primary schools emphasised character formation, good habits, moral development and citizenship responsibilities. The secondary school syllabus was developed along similar lines, with the aim of inculcating a noble character, a healthy body, good habits, and love for one’s country and community. These topics were explored in the context of the individual, the family, the school, the community, the nation and the world. 15

Education for Living After a review of the primary school Civics syllabus in 1973, a new interdisciplinary programme that combined civics, history and geography was introduced to replace Civics in primary schools. Called Education for Living, the programme was delivered in the mother tongue (Chinese, Malay or Tamil) and implemented in phases, beginning with Primary 1 and 2 in 1974. In secondary schools, Civics continued to be taught. 16

Report on the Ministry of Education 1978 In 1977, values education came under review again when the Ministry of Education set up a committee to study how moral education could be introduced to schools. Instead of formal classroom lessons, the committee proposed the integration of moral education, physical education and extra-curricular activities. The committee also favoured the use of English as a medium of instruction over the mother tongue. However these recommendations were overturned with the subsequent release of the Report on the Ministry of Education 1978 and the Report on Moral Education 1979. 17

The 1978 report was prepared by a committee led by Deputy Prime Minister Goh Keng Swee to identify problems in the education system and propose solutions for reforms. Foremost among the proposals was to develop a new programme to replace the existing Education for Living and Civics. The committee advocated the use of mother tongue, which was believed to be a more fitting medium of instruction for imparting traditional values and understanding Asian cultural traditions. Storytelling, especially of Asian tales, was also recommended as a teaching method. The committee proposed that civics be taught at a basic level in secondary schools and removed from the primary school syllabus entirely, as its concepts were too advanced for children. 18

Report on Moral Education 1979 In 1978, Acting Minister of Culture Ong Teng Cheong was tasked to form a team to evaluate the existing moral education programmes. In its Report on Moral Education 1979, the committee concluded that Education for Living and Civics were ineffective, because the content coverage was too wide, the presentation too dull and the language level too difficult for students in the English stream to understand. They proposed that these courses be replaced with a single programme called Moral Education, which would focus on personal behaviour, social responsibility and loyalty to the country. The new programme would also incorporate the teaching of Asian values. On the medium of instruction, the committee felt that mother tongue would be a more effective language for the transmission of Asian moral values and cultural traditions. 19

Moral education, social studies and religious knowledge The 1980s was a period of experimentation for values education. Education for Living and Civics were gradually being phased out and replaced with two moral education programmes: Good Citizen, and Being and Becoming.20 Good Citizen was based on the moral education syllabus recommended by Dr (Rev) Robert Balhetchet, the education ministry’s consultant.21 Initially only available in Chinese, the Good Citizen textbooks were launched in 1981 to replace Education for Living for Primary 1 and 2 students. The programme was later expanded to include other mother tongue languages and other primary levels. 22

Dr Balhetchet developed the syllabus for Being and Becoming, which was introduced to Bukit Merah Secondary School in 1980, and subsequently rolled out to lower secondary school students and some primary schools. 23  Despite being implemented at the same time in primary schools, the two programmes represented different teaching approaches. While Good Citizen adopted a more didactic approach, Being and Becoming used journalling, discussions and activities to help students understand and internalise the moral precepts. This innovative approach to learning was not readily accepted by some teachers who were accustomed to the more traditional styles of teaching. 24

In addition, Religious Knowledge and Confucian Ethics were instituted as compulsory and examinable subjects for Secondary Three and Four students in 1984. 25  This policy was later reversed by the government in 1989 in the face of religious revivalism in Singapore. In so doing, the government stated its position of neutrality on religious matters, and that religious education was the prime responsibility of parents, with schools playing a minor role. 26 Civics and Moral Education In 1992 the Ministry of Education implemented a new moral education programme called Civics and Moral Education. Initially developed for upper secondary school students to address the gap left by Religious Knowledge, it became a programme implemented in primary and secondary schools. The new courseware placed a greater emphasis on citizenship education, such as the five shared values : placing society before self; upholding the family as the basic building block of society; respecting the rights of individuals and offering community support; resolving issues through consensus, not conflict; and racial and religious harmony. 27 National Education In 1997, the National Education programme was launched, adding another dimension to values education. The aim of the initiative is to develop national cohesion in students by fostering a sense of Singaporean identity, recounting Singapore’s journey as a nation, helping students understand the unique challenges and vulnerabilities of Singapore, and instilling core values such as meritocracy and racial harmony. 28  National Education is not taught as a separate subject but infused into the school curriculum. 29

Character and Citizenship Education In 2011, then Minister for Education Heng Swee Keat announced that the various strands of values education – Civics and Moral Education, National Education and co-curricular activities – would be streamlined and offered as an integrated programme called Character and Citizenship. The curriculum focuses on inculcating personal, moral and citizenship values that would prepare young Singaporeans to meet the challenges of a changing global world. 30  Character and Citizenship was introduced to primary and secondary students in 2014, and pre-university students in 2016. 31  The Character and Citizenship programme is supplemented by other programmes that inculcate values through community involvement, such as Values in Action (2012), which succeeded the Community Involvement Programme , and Values in Practice (2016). 32 Author Gracie Lee References 1. Legislative Assembly of Singapore,  White Paper on Education Policy  (Singapore: Legislative Assembly, 1956), 6. (Call no. RCLOS 370.95951 SIN). 2. “ Ethics to Be Taught in Colony Schools ,”  Singapore Standard , 2 February 1956, 2; “ Moral Ethics Bid in Colony Schools ,”  Singapore Standard , 22 February 1956, 2; “ Religion for Schools Begins in ’58 ,”  Singapore Free Press , 9 August 1957, 5. (From NewspaperSG) 3. “ Morals for the Masses at School ,”  Sunday Times,  4 December 1955, 13 (From NewspaperSG); “ Moral Ethics Bid in Colony Schools ”; “ Religion May Be a ‘Must’ in All Colony Schools ,”  Singapore Standard , 10 June 1957, 3 (From NewspaperSG); “ Religion for Schools Begins in ’58 .” 4. Ministry of Education,  Annual Report 1958  (Singapore: Government Printing Office, 1959), 1 (Call no. RCLOS 370.95951 SIN); “ Religion or Ethics for All ,”  Singapore Free Press , 6 January 1958, 5; “ Choose Your Religion Courses Soon ,”  Singapore Free Press , 4 March 1958, 7; “ Religious Education for All ,”  Sunday Standard , 16 March 1958, 4; “ Religious Choice at Primary School ,”  Straits Times,  31 October 1958, 7; “ Religious Instruction Poses a Problem ,”  Straits Times,  9 January 1959, 5. (From NewspaperSG) 5. Ministry of Education,  Right Conduct: Syllabus for Primary English Schools  (Singapore: Ministry of Education, 1958). (Call no. RCLOS 372.832043 SIN) 6. Ministry of Education,  Right Conduct ; “ Syllabus Out for Ethics Classes ,”  Straits Times , 8 November 1958, 2. (From NewspaperSG) 7.“ 480 Trained to Teach Ethics ,”  Singapore Free Press , 2 April 1959, 7; “ Ethics Guide for Teachers ,”  Straits Times,  28 July 1959, 9. (From NewspaperSG); Ministry of Education,  Syllabus for Ethics in Primary and Secondary Schools  (Singapore: Ministry of Education, 1961). (Call no. RCLOS 375.17 SIN) 8.  Right Conduct: A Teacher’s Guide to Books 1 and 2  (Singapore: Federal Publications, 1959. (Available via PublicationSG) 9. Ong Teng Cheong and Moral Education Committee,  Report on Moral Education 1979  (Singapore: Singapore National Printers, 1979), 2 (Call no. RSING 375.17 SIN); Ministry of Education,  Stories  (Singapore: Ministry of Education, 1959). (Call no. RCLOS 372.832044 STO) 10. Ong and Moral Education Committee,  Report on Moral Education 1979 , 2; Ministry of Education,  Syllabus for Ethics in Primary and Secondary Schools , 15. 11. “ Religious Instruction Poses a Problem .” 12. “ Religious Studies Begin in the Schools ,”  Singapore Free Press , 6 September 1958, 5; “ Assistance to Choose Textbooks ,”  Singapore Free Press , 17 October 1958, 5. (From NewspaperSG) 13. “ Schools Get Go-Ahead on Religion ,”  Singapore Free Press , 21 November 1958, 5; “ Religion in Schools: Teachers Now under Training ,”  Sunday Times,  11 January 1959, 5; “ All Ready Now for teaching Religion to Schoolchildren ,”  Singapore Free Press , 16 January 1959, 7. (From NewspaperSG) 14. “ Civics Course for Students ,”  Sunday Tiger Standard , 2 November 1958, 3; “ Civics for Students in Colony ,”  Singapore Free Press , 7 November 1958, 7; “ Students to Have Civics Course ,”  Straits Times,  7 November 1958, 4; “ Syllabuses to Bring About Common Loyalty ,”  Singapore Tiger Standard , 18 April 1958, 6; “ Moral, Civic Training in S’pore Schools ,”  Straits Times,  2 December 1966, 13 (From NewspaperSG); Ministry of Education,  Syllabus for Civics in Secondary Schools  (Singapore: Ministry of Education, 1958). (Call no. RCLOS 375.3 SIN-[RFL]) 15. “ Call for Views on Civics Lessons ,”  Straits Times,  30 March 1967, 6; Ministry of Education,  Primary and Secondary Schools Civic Syllabus and Programme of Training  (Singapore: Government Printing Office, 1969) (Call no. RCLOS 372.832 SIN); Ong and Moral Education Committee,  Report on Moral Education 1979 , 2; Ministry of Education,  Annual Report 1966  (Singapore: Government Printing Office, 1959), 6 (Call no. RCLOS 370.95951 SIN); Ministry of Education,  Annual Report 1967  (Singapore: Government Printing Office, 1959), 6. (Call no. RCLOS 370.95951 SIN) 16. Ong and Moral Education Committee,  Report on Moral Education 1979 , 2–3. 17. “ Story of Moral Education ,”  Straits Times,  26 October 1982, 14; Teresa Ooi, “ About-Turn! Goh Gives the Order in His Report on Moral Education ,”  New Nation , 16 March 1979, 3. (From NewspaperSG) 18. Goh Keng Swee and Education Study Team,  Report on the Ministry of Education 1978  (Singapore: Printed by Singapore National Printers, 1979), 1–5. (Call no. RSING 370.95957 SIN) 19. Ong and Moral Education Committee,  Report on Moral Education 1979 . 20. June Tan, “ How Do We Get Out of the Minefield of Moral education? ”  Sunday Times,  6 December 1981, 6; “ Story of Moral Education .” 21. “ 4 New Books for Primary Schools ,”  New Nation , 26 November 1980, 2. (From NewspaperSG) 22. “ Awareness of the Self and the World ,”  Straits Times,  18 September 1981, 9; June Tan, “ Classes in Moral Education Next Year ,”  Straits Times,  27 November 1980, 15. (From NewspaperSG) 23. “ Experiment in Moral Education at Bukit Merah ,”  Straits Times,  8 July 1980, 7; “ 6-Step Moral Education Programme for Schools ,”  Straits Times,  20 August 1980, 6; “ Being – What You Are and Becoming – a Better Person ,”  New Nation , 19 August 1980, 2. (From NewspaperSG) 24. June Tan and Hedwig Alfred, “ Moral Education Runs into Cultural Barrier ,”  Sunday Times , 5 December 1982, 15; Bertilla Pereira, “ School Drops Moral Education Scheme ,”  Singapore Monitor , 19 February 1983, 4; “ Common Syllabus for Moral education ,”  Straits Times,  18 January 1982, 1. (From NewspaperSG) 25. Hedwig Alfred and June Tan, “ Changes in Learning ,”  Straits Times,  3 January 1984, 40; “ Religious Knowledge as a Study Subject ,”  Business Times , 6 December 1983, 3; “ Moral Lessons, Then Religion ,”  Straits Times,  18 January 1982, 1; June Tan, “ Religion to Be a Compulsory Subject ,”  Sunday Times,  17 January 1982, 1. (From NewspaperSG) 26. “ Religious Knowledge as a Compulsory Subject to Be Phased Out: Dr Tan ,”  Business Times , 7 October 1989, 2; “ We Erred in Making RK a Compulsory Subject – Dr Tay ,”  Straits Times,  7 October 1989, 23; Bertha Henson, “ RK to Be Replaced with Civics ,”  Straits Times,  7 October 1989, 1. (From NewspaperSG) 27. “ Younger Pupils Will Be Taught New Civics Course ,”  Sunday Times,  24 February 1991, 13; M. Nirmala, “ Students Learn Civic and Moral Values through Active Role in New School Programme ,”  Sunday Times,  9 February 1992, 12. (From NewspaperSG) 28. Chua Mui Hoong, “ BG Lee: Knowing the Past Will Prepare Young for Future ,”  Sunday Times,  18 May 1997, 1. (From NewspaperSG) 29. “ What National Education Means ,”  New Paper,  17 May 1997, 6. (From NewspaperSG) 30. Teh Shi Ning, “ Education to Centre on Character-Building ,”  Business Times , 23 September 2011, 12. (From NewspaperSG) 31. Sharon See, “ Character and Citizenship Classes for Schools ,”  Today , 15 November 2012, 24; Janice Heng, “ New Policies in the New Year ,”  Straits Times , 1 January 2014, 8 (From NewspaperSG); “ Character & Citizenship Education ,” Ministry of Education Singapore, 11 December 2017. 32. Lim Min Zhang, “ Grooming Socially Responsible Citizens ,”  Straits Times , 17 July 2017, 9; Yuen Sin, “ Getting Pupils to Put Values into Practice ,”  Straits Times , 21 April 2016, 7. (From NewspaperSG) Further resources Caroline Koh, “Moral Development and Student Motivation in Moral Education: A Singapore Study,” Australian Journal of Education 56, no. 1 (2012): 83–101. (From ProQuest Central via NLB’s eResources website)

Charlene Tan, “ The Teaching of Religious Knowledge in a Plural Society: The Case for Singapore ,” International Review of Education 54 (2008): 175–91. Desmond P. Pereira, Robert P. Balhetchet and Moral Education for Singapore Schools Project Team, Being and Becoming (Singapore: Longman Singapore [for] Curriculum Development Institute of Singapore, 1986). (Call no. RSING 370.114 BEI) Eng Soo Peck et al., Report on the Moral Education Programmes: “Good Citizen” and “Being and Becoming” (Singapore: Institute of Education, 1982). (Call no. RSING 370.114095957 REP) Jason Tan, Values Education amid Globalization and Change: The Case of Singapore's Education System (Hong Kong: Faculty of Education, Hong Kong Institute of Educational Research, Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2008). (Call no. RSING 370.114095957 TAN) Joy Chew Oon Ai, “Civics and Moral Education in Singapore: Lessons for Citizenship Education?” Journal of Moral Education 27, no. 4 (1998): 505–24. (From ProQuest Central via NLB’s eResources website)

National Library Board, “ Community Involvement Programme ,” HistorySG, last updated 2014.

National Library Board, “ National Education ,” HistorySG, last updated 2014.

National Library Board, “ Report on Moral Education 1979 ,” HistorySG, last updated 2014.

National Library Board, “ Report on the Ministry of Education 1978 ,” HistorySG, last updated 2014.

S. Gopinathan, “Moral Education in a Plural Society: A Singapore Case Study,” in Education and the Nation State: The Selected Works of S. Gopinathan (London; New York: Routledge, 2013), 109–19. (Call no. RSING 370.95957 GOP)

S. Gopinathan, “Being and Becoming: Education for Values in Singapore,” in The Revival of Values Education in Asia and the West , ed. W. K. Cummings, S. Gopinathan and Y. Tomoda (Oxford: Pergamon Press, 1988), 131–45. (Call no. RSING 370.114 REV)

Tan Tai Wei, “Moral Education in Singapore: A critical appraisal,” In Education in Singapore: A Book of Readings , ed. Jason Tan, S Gopinathan and Ho Wah Kam (Singapore: Prentice Hall, 1997), 91–102. (Call no. RSING 370.95957 EDU) The information in this article is valid as at July 2018 and correct as far as we are able to ascertain from our sources. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history of the subject. Please contact the Library for further reading materials on the topic.  

Rights Statement

The information on this page and any images that appear here may be used for private research and study purposes only. They may not be copied, altered or amended in any way without first gaining the permission of the copyright holder.

• Corpus ID: 153165719

Report on the Ministry of Education, 1978

• 呉 慶瑞 , Education Study Team
• Published 1979

94 Citations

Biology teaching in secondary schools in singapore: the historical background, recent developments and the current perspectives of teachers.

• Highly Influenced
• 11 Excerpts

An ecological view of conceptualising change in the Singapore Education System

Navigating datascapes: mapping testing practices within and across national and global contexts, toward equity innovations: lower tracked students and classroom digital media use in singapore, salvaging mandarin education in singapore through community, singapore comes to terms with its malay past: the politics of crafting a national history, human capital and stock market performance of some selected emerging economies, changing assessments and the examination culture in singapore: a review and analysis of singapore’s assessment policies, policy and pedagogical reforms in singapore: taking stock, moving forward, the development of science education during the ability-driven phase in singapore, 1997–2011, related papers.

Showing 1 through 3 of 0 Related Papers

The Texture and History of Singapore’s Education Meritocracy

• First Online: 07 April 2022

Cite this chapter

• Charleen Chiong 21  

Part of the book series: Education in the Asia-Pacific Region: Issues, Concerns and Prospects ((EDAP,volume 66))

3566 Accesses

‘Meritocracy’ lies at the ideological heart of social policy in Singapore, representing a key guiding principle in policy-makers’ visions of a fair, equitable Singapore. Within a Singaporean conception of meritocracy, any individual with talent and hard work can succeed, regardless of their social or economic background. In this chapter, I explore the texture of Singaporean meritocracy as comprised of interlocking elements of dependency and responsibility. I discuss how the dependent-yet-responsible posture towards the state has been historically constituted through education policies over time (1965 to present-day). In various ways, education policy encourages Singaporeans’ dependence on the state—notably, through its provision of reasonably high-quality, highly subsidised public education. The ‘dependable’ state provides a context in which individuals and families are expected to take responsibility for future success. While the terms seem antithetical, then, they can be mutually reinforcing and synergistic. I conclude by examining the policy challenges for achieving equity through ‘meritocracy’, going forward.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Subscribe and save.

• Get 10 units per month
• Download Article/Chapter or eBook
• 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
• Cancel anytime
• Available as PDF
• Read on any device
• Instant download
• Own it forever
• Available as EPUB and PDF
• Compact, lightweight edition
• Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
• Free shipping worldwide - see info
• Durable hardcover edition

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Equity and Meritocracy in Singapore

Diversity and equity in singapore education: parental involvement in low-income families with migrant mothers.

Fostering Economic Competitiveness, National Identity and Social Equity Through Education Reforms: The Cases of Singapore and Hong Kong

Allen, A. (2011). Michael Young’s the rise of the meritocracy: A philosophical critique. British Journal of Educational Studies, 59 (4), 367–382. https://doi.org/10.1080/00071005.2011.582852

Article   Google Scholar  

Ang, J. (2018) Lower fees for students from lower- and middle-income families in independent schools . The Straits Times. Available at: https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/education/more-financial-help-for-students-from-lower-and-middle-income-families-in . Accessed August 16, 2020.

Bellows, T. J. (2009). Meritocracy and the Singapore political system. Asian Journal of Political Science, 17 (1), 24–44.

Brown, P. (1990). The “third wave”: Education and the ideology of parentocracy. British Journal of Sociology of Education, 11 (1), 65–85.

Bryson, J. (2019). A century of public housing: lessons from Singapore, where housing is a social, not financial, asset . Available at: https://theconversation.com/a-century-of-public-housing-lessons-from-singapore-where-housing-is-a-social-not-financial-asset-121141 . Accessed 16 August, 2020.

Castells, M. (1988). The developmental city-state in an open world economy .

Google Scholar  

Chew, A. Y. (2017). The hidden costs of a successful developmental state: prosperity and paucity in Singapore . London School of Economics.

Chiong, C. & Dimmock, C. (2020). Building trust: how low-income parents navigate neoliberalism in Singapore’s education system. Comparative Education . Taylor & Francis, 0 (0), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1080/03050068.2020.1724487

Chong, T. (2014). Vocational education in Singapore: Meritocracy and hidden narratives. Discourse. Taylor & Francis, 35 (5), 637–648. https://doi.org/10.1080/01596306.2014.927165

Chong, Y. K. & Ng, I. Y. H. (2016). Constructing poverty in anti-welfare Singapore. Social Identities: Journal for the Study of Race, Nation and Culture . Taylor & Francis, 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504630.2016.1207514

Chua, B. H., & Tan, J. E. (1999). Singapore: Where the new middle class sets the standard. In M. Pinches (Ed.), Culture and Privilege in Capitalist Asia (pp. 137–158). Routledge.

Chua, B. H. (2017). Liberalism Disavowed: Communitarianism and State Capitalism in Singapore . Cornell University Press.

Deng, Z., & Gopinathan, S. (2016). PISA and high-performing education systems: Explaining Singapore’s education success. Comparative Education. Taylor & Francis, 52 (4), 449–472.

Deng, Z., Gopinathan, S., & Lee, C.K.-E. (2013). The Singapore curriculum: convergence, divergence, issues and challenges. In Z. Deng, S. Gopinathan, & C.K.-E. Lee (Eds.), Globalization and the Singapore curriculum: From policy to curriculum (pp. 263–276). Springer.

Chapter   Google Scholar  

Dimmock, C., & Tan, C. Y. (2015). Explaining the success of the world’s leading education systems: The case of Singapore. British Journal of Educational Studies, 64 (2), 1–24.

Gee, C. (2012). The educational ‘arms race’: All for one, loss for all . 20. Institute of Policy Studies.

Goh, C. B. & Gopinathan, S. (2006). The development of education in Singapore since 1965. In Toward a better future: Education and training for economic development in Singapore since 1965 , 1965(June), (pp. 12–38).

Gopinathan, S. (2012). Are we all global citizens now? Reflections on citizenship and citizenship education in a globalising world (with special reference to Singapore) . Centre for Governance and Citizenship, The Hong Kong Institute of Education.

Gopinathan, S. (2001). Globalisation, the state and education policy in Singapore. In Challenges facing the Singapore education system today . Prentice Hall.

Göransson, K. (2015). Raising successful children: Children as accumulation strategy and the renegotiation of parenting arrangements in Singapore. Asia Pacific Journal of Anthropology Taylor & Francis, 16 (3), 211–226.

Government of Singapore (2017) Percentage of Students With at Least 5 O-Level Passes . Available at: https://data.gov.sg/dataset/percentage-of-students-with-at-least-5-o-level-passes . Accessed June 5, 2019.

Government of Singapore (2020) What are the racial proportions among Singapore citizens? Available at: https://www.gov.sg/article/what-are-the-racial-proportions-among-singapore-citizens . Accessed October 10, 2020.

Hage, G., & Eckersley, R. (2012). Responsibility . Melbourne University Press.

Hakeem, D. (2018). Education Minister reiterate importance of ‘meritocracy’ and defend PSLE in light of NMPs calling for it to be scrapped , The Online Citizen . Available at: https://www.onlinecitizenasia.com/2018/07/17/education-minister-reiterate-importance-of-meritocracy-and-defend-psle-in-light-of-nmps-calling-for-it-to-be-scrapped/ . Accessed October 10, 2020.

Heng, S. K. (2013). MOE work plan seminar 2013—keynote address—Heng . Available at: https://www.moe.gov.sg/news/speeches/keynote-address-by-mr-heng-swee-keat--minister-for-education--at-the-ministry-of-education-work-plan-seminar-2013--on-wednesday--25-september-2013-at-915am-at-ngee-ann-polytechnic-convention-centre

Jones, S. A. (2018). Teachers, parents, and nine-year-old children explicate the home-school relations at three Singaporean primary schools. Oxford review of education . (pp. 1–18). Routledge.

Khong, L. Y. L., & Ng, P. T. (2005). School-parent partnerships in Singapore. Educational Research for Policy and Practice, 4 (1), 1–11.

Kittay, E. F. (1999). Love’s labor: Essays on women, equality, and dependency . Routledge.

Lee, S. A., & Qian, J. (2017). The Evolving Singaporean Welfare State. Social Policy and Administration, 51 (6), 916–939. https://doi.org/10.1111/spol.12339

Lee, K. Y. (1983). Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew’s May Day Rally Speech at the Singapore conference hall . Available at: https://www.nas.gov.sg/archivesonline/data/pdfdoc/lky19830501.pdf . Accessed August 21, 2020.

Lee, H. L. (2012). Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s National Day Rally 2012 Speech , Prime Minister’s Office, Singapore . Available at: http://www.pmo.gov.sg/mediacentre/prime-minister-lee-hsien-loongs-national-day-rally-2014-speech-english . Accessed June 24, 2019.

Lim, L. (2013). Meritocracy, elitism, and egalitarianism: A preliminary and provisional assessment of Singapore’s primary education review. Asia Pacific Journal of Education, 33 (1), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1080/02188791.2012.711294

Lim, L. (2016). Analysing meritocratic (in)equality in Singapore: Ideology, curriculum and reproduction. Critical Studies in Education. Routledge, 57 (2), 160–174. https://doi.org/10.1080/17508487.2015.1055777

Lim, L., & Apple, M. W. (2016). Introducing the strong state and curriculum reform in Asia. In L. Lim & M. Apple (Eds.), The strong state and curriculum reform: Assessing the politics and possibilities of educational change in Asia (pp. 1–20). Routledge.

Lim, L. & Kwek, K. (2006). Why the elite envy? . The Straits Times, 9 December.

Littler, J. (2018). Against Meritocracy . Routledge.

McLeod, J. (2017). Reframing responsibility in an era of responsibilisation: Education, feminist ethics. Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education Taylor & Francis, 38 (1), 43–56. https://doi.org/10.1080/01596306.2015.1104851

Mijs, J. J. B. (2016). The unfulfillable promise of meritocracy: Three lessons and their implications for justice in education. Social Justice Springer, US, 29 (1), 14–34. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11211-014-0228-0

Ministry of Education [MOE] (1978). Report on the Ministry of Education 1978—prepared by Dr Goh Keng Swee and the Education Study Team . Available at: http://www.nas.gov.sg/archivesonline/data/pdfdoc/956--1979-02-10.pdf . Accessed June 26, 2019.

Ministry of Education [MOE] (2014). Growing Our Teachers, Building Our Nation . Ministry of Education Singapore, 23 September. Available at: https://www.moe.gov.sg/news/speeches/keynote-address-by-mr-heng-swee-keat--minister-for-education--at-the-ministry-of-education-work-plan-seminar-2014--on-tuesday--23-september-2014-at-9-15am-at-ngee-ann-polytechnic-convention-centre

Ministry of Education [MOE] (2019) MOE Financial Assistance Scheme (FAS) . Available at: https://www.moe.gov.sg/education/financial-assistance/moe-financial-assistance-scheme-(fas ). Accessed May 30, 2019.

Ministry of Finance [MOF] (2013). The 6th Rajaratnam Lecture by Mr. Tharman Shanmugaratnam: The invisible hand of social culture, 2 December. Available at: https://www.mof.gov.sg/newsroom/speeches/The-Invisible-Hand-of-Social-Culture

Moore, R. Q. (2000). Multiracialism and meritocracy: Singapore’s approach to race and inequality. Review of Social Economy, 58 (3), 339–360.

Musset, P. (2012). School choice and equity: Current policies in OECD countries and literature review. Education Working Paper (66), 1–51. https://doi.org/10.1787/5k9fq23507vc-en

Ng, I. Y. H. (2014). Education and intergenerational mobility in Singapore. Educational Review, 66 (3), 362–376. https://doi.org/10.1080/00131911.2013.780008

OECD (2011) Singapore: Rapid improvement followed by strong performance , strong performers and successful reformers in education: Lessons from Pisa for the United States . Available at: http://www.oecd.org/countries/singapore/46581101.pdf . Accessed December 31, 2018.

OECD (2012) Equity and quality in education: Supporting disadvantaged students and schools . https://doi.org/10.1787/9789264130852-en

Ong, A. (2014). Beware growing “parentocracy”: NIE don . The Straits Times, 30 March. Available at: https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/beware-growing-parentocracy-nie-don . Accessed June 20, 2019.

Pereira, A. A. (2008). Whither the developmental state? Explaining Singapore’s continued developmentalism. Third World Quarterly, 29 (6), 1189–1203. https://doi.org/10.1080/01436590802201162

Quah, J. S. T. (2010). Trust and governance in the Philippines and Singapore: A comparative analysis. International Public Management Review, 11 (2), 4–37.

Rodan, G. (2016). Capitalism, inequality and ideology in Singapore: New challenges for the ruling party. Asian Studies Review. Routledge, 40 (2), 211–230. https://doi.org/10.1080/10357823.2016.1155536

Rose, N., O’Malley, P., & Valverde, M. (2006). Governmentality. Annual Review of Law and Social Science, 2 , 83–104. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-08-097086-8.12196-8

Rose, N. (1992). Governing the enterprising self. In Heelas, P. & Morris, P. (Eds.) The values of the enterprise culture: The moral debate . Routledge.

Shamir, R. (2008). The age of responsibilization: On market-embedded morality. Economy and Society, 37 (1), 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1080/03085140701760833

Tai, J. (2019). Kids from needy families face risk of poorer outcomes: Study . The Straits Times, 1 April.

Talib, N., & Fitzgerald, R. (2015). Inequality as Meritocracy. Critical Discourse Studies, 12 (4), 445–462.

Tan, K. P. (2008). Meritocracy and elitism in a global city: Ideological shifts in Singapore. International Political Science Review, 29 (1), 7–27. https://doi.org/10.1177/0192512107083445

Tan, C., & Ng, P. T. (2007). Dynamics of change: Decentralised centralism of education in Singapore. Journal of Educational Change, 8 (2), 155–168. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10833-006-9016-4

Tan, J.P.-L., et al. (2017). Educating for twenty-first century competencies and future-ready learners: Research perspectives from Singapore. Asia Pacific Journal of Education. Routledge, 37 (4), 425–436. https://doi.org/10.1080/02188791.2017.1405475

Tawney, R. H. (1931). Equality . George Allen and Unwin.

Teng, A. (2018). Parliament: Do not lose faith in meritocracy, says Education Minister Ong Ye Kung . The Straits Times, 11 July.

Teo, Y. (2011). Neoliberal morality in Singapore: How family policies make state and society . Routledge.

Book   Google Scholar  

Teo, Y. (2013). Support for deserving families: inventing the anti-welfare familialist state in Singapore. Social Politics, 20 (3), 387–406.

Teo, Y. (2018). This is what inequality looks like . Ethos Books.

Teo, T.-A. et al . (2018). Singaporean youth and socioeconomic mobility, (November). Available at: https://www.rsis.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/PR181120_Singaporean-Youth-and-Socio-Economic-Mobility.pdf

Tremewan, C. (1994). The political economy of social control in Singapore . The Macmillan Press.

Wear, A. (2020). Solved! How other countries have tackled the world’s biggest problems and we can too . Black Inc.

Wee, C. J. W. L. (2001). The end of disciplinary modernisation? The Asian economic crisis and the ongoing reinvention of Singapore. Third World Quarterly, 22 (6), 987–1002. https://doi.org/10.1080/01436590120099759

Yaacob, H. (2020). Address by President Halimah Yacob for First Session of the Fourteenth Parliament . Ministry of Education. Available at: https://www.istana.gov.sg/Newsroom/Speeches/2020/08/24/Address-by-President-Halimah-Yacob-for-First-Session-of-the-Fourteenth-Parliament .

Download references

Author information

Authors and affiliations.

Melbourne, Australia

Charleen Chiong

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and affiliations.

National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore

Yew-Jin Lee

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2022 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

About this chapter

Chiong, C. (2022). The Texture and History of Singapore’s Education Meritocracy. In: Lee, YJ. (eds) Education in Singapore. Education in the Asia-Pacific Region: Issues, Concerns and Prospects, vol 66. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-9982-5_9

Download citation

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-9982-5_9

Published : 07 April 2022

Publisher Name : Springer, Singapore

Print ISBN : 978-981-16-9981-8

Online ISBN : 978-981-16-9982-5

eBook Packages : Education Education (R0)

Share this chapter

Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:

Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.

Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative

• Publish with us

Policies and ethics

• Find a journal
• Track your research

Report on the Ministry of Education, 1978 /

• Description

Similar Items

• Report on the Ministry of Education, 1978 by: Goh, Keng Swee, 1918-2010 Published: (1979)
• Perception and practice in education : an STU report, 1980 Published: (1980)
• Education in Singapore Published: (1972)
• Education in Singapore by: Tan, Peng Boo Published: (1970)
• Report on moral education, 1979 by: Ong, Teng Cheong Published: (1979)

Ask the publishers to restore access to 500,000+ books.

Internet Archive Audio

• This Just In
• Grateful Dead
• Old Time Radio
• 78 RPMs and Cylinder Recordings
• Audio Books & Poetry
• Computers, Technology and Science
• Music, Arts & Culture
• News & Public Affairs
• Spirituality & Religion
• Radio News Archive

• Flickr Commons
• Occupy Wall Street Flickr
• NASA Images
• Solar System Collection
• Ames Research Center

• All Software
• Old School Emulation
• MS-DOS Games
• Historical Software
• Classic PC Games
• Software Library
• Kodi Archive and Support File
• Vintage Software
• CD-ROM Software
• CD-ROM Software Library
• Software Sites
• Tucows Software Library
• Shareware CD-ROMs
• Software Capsules Compilation
• CD-ROM Images
• ZX Spectrum
• DOOM Level CD

• Smithsonian Libraries
• FEDLINK (US)
• Lincoln Collection
• American Libraries
• Canadian Libraries
• Universal Library
• Project Gutenberg
• Children's Library
• Biodiversity Heritage Library
• Books by Language
• Additional Collections

• Prelinger Archives
• Democracy Now!
• Occupy Wall Street
• TV NSA Clip Library
• Animation & Cartoons
• Arts & Music
• Computers & Technology
• Cultural & Academic Films
• Ephemeral Films
• Sports Videos
• Videogame Videos
• Youth Media

Search the history of over 866 billion web pages on the Internet.

Mobile Apps

• Wayback Machine (iOS)
• Wayback Machine (Android)

Browser Extensions

Archive-it subscription.

• Explore the Collections
• Build Collections

Save Page Now

Capture a web page as it appears now for use as a trusted citation in the future.

Please enter a valid web address

• Donate Donate icon An illustration of a heart shape

REPORT OF THE MINISTER OF EDUCATION, ONTARIO, fiscal year of 1978/1979

Bookreader item preview, share or embed this item, flag this item for.

• Graphic Violence
• Explicit Sexual Content
• Hate Speech
• Misinformation/Disinformation
• Marketing/Phishing/Advertising
• Misleading/Inaccurate/Missing Metadata

No copyright page found.

plus-circle Add Review comment Reviews

Download options.

For users with print-disabilities

IN COLLECTIONS

Uploaded by associate-angela-dugas on May 20, 2014

Education Ministry ready to provide counselling to children in school bus driver case

Friday, 06 Sep 2024

Related News

Progress report on curriculum intervention to be announced soon, says MOE

Moe to add 11 more k9 schools to tackle dropout rates in remote areas, mobile guardian potential vulnerability reported by public had been patched: moe.

ALOR SETAR: The Education Ministry is ready to provide counselling support to the children involved in the case of a school bus driver recording videos of them and uploading the footage on social media.

Deputy Education Minister Wong Kah Woh said that counselling services would be offered through the state Education Department and the District Education Office (PPD) if necessary.

"Regarding the issue of the school bus driver, the police have already taken action against the driver and initiated an investigation.

"The ministry is always prepared to help our children," he told reporters here on Friday (Sept 6).

The 24-year-old bus driver was detained at 2.57am on Friday.

Meanwhile, Wong said the ministry has clear guidelines that must be adhered to concerning the invitation of dignitaries or politicians to attend programmes in schools.

He said the guidelines had been clarified several times in Parliament when raised by members of Parliament, and they should be understood by all parties.

"I believe that the provisions and guidelines set out are very clear. Therefore, all parties must be responsible and comply with these guidelines,” he added.- Bernama

Related stories:

Tags / Keywords: MOE , school bus driver , children , counselling , investigation , Wong Kah Woh

Found a mistake in this article?

Report it to us.

Thank you for your report!

LBS DELIVERS STEADY GROWTH IN Q2FYE2024

Next in nation.

Trending in News

Air pollutant index, highest api readings, select state and location to view the latest api reading.

• Select Location

Source: Department of Environment, Malaysia

Others Also Read

Best viewed on Chrome browsers.

We would love to keep you posted on the latest promotion. Kindly fill the form below

Thank you for downloading.

We hope you enjoy this feature!