News and Announcements | Singapore Maths Tuition

Changes to Singapore’s education system meant to send a strong signal

January 10, 2019 by Maths Statistics Science Tutor

10 January 2019

Education Minister Ong Ye Kung announced changes to Singapore’s education system last year. He called them calibrated moves which are deliberate and fairly significant.

“To send a strong signal that I think we are at a strong position of rigour, we can afford to unwind a bit without undermining the performance outcomes of our students,” he told reporters.

The changes to the education system include freeing up more time in schools to strengthen holistic development, self-discovery and engaged learning.

“These changes will provide more opportunities for student-centred teaching and learning approaches,” the Ministry of Education said.

MOE will conduct a separate review on how to reduce the emphasis on grades in junior colleges, said Mr Ong in a speech at the Schools Work Plan seminar.

“Our engagements with junior colleges tell us there is a more complex set of issues in JCs, one of which involves preparing students well for the A-Levels in order to enroll for universities,” he added.

Prime Minister urges parents to embrace changes to Singapore’s education system

January 9, 2019 by Maths Statistics Science Tutor

09 January 2019

Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has urged parents to support the recent changes to the education system, which aim not just to equip students needed to earn a living, but also to develop character and values.

Mr Lee said that for the Republic to succeed, Singaporeans must not only be well-educated citizens and well-trained workers, they also need to have “intangible but essential values”.

He added that there is a need for students to understand the world, and to feel a sense of nationhood and community. They must also have the “resilience and determination to overcome adversity, defend ourselves, prosper and thrive in the world”.

Recent changes to the education system will make learning more meaningful for students. These include reducing the emphasis on academic results, dedicating more curriculum time to deeper learning, and helping students draw the link between textbook content and the real world.

More students from the Normal stream in Secondary School qualify for entrance into universities and local polytechnics

January 5, 2019 by Maths Statistics Science Tutor

06 January 2019

There are now more students from the Normal streams in secondary school who are able to qualify for entrance into the polytechnics and into universities.

According to the Ministry of Education, more than 10 per cent of Secondary 1 Normal (Academic) students move on to publicly funded universities.

More than 20 per cent of students in the Normal (Technical) stream have made it to at least polytechnic diploma courses.

Five in 100 students who graduated from polytechnics between 2015 and last year were from the N(T) stream. For students from the N(A) stream, they made up 35 per cent of those finishing with a diploma, and 5 per cent with a degree.

Less continual assessments, more emphasis on applied learning

January 4, 2019 by Maths Statistics Science Tutor

04 January 2019

Education Minister Ong Ye Kung recently gave a speech in which he mentioned the Learn for Life movement, which aims to move away from an overemphasis on academic results.

“A major impetus is to shift away from an overemphasis on grades and assessment, and invigorate the classroom through applied and inquiry-based learning,” said Mr Ong.

The MOE will be setting guidelines for schools so that there should be only one class test for each subject per term that count towards the year-end score. Teachers will also use assessment tools such as worksheets, class work and homework to gauge the progress of students.

Said Mr Ong: “At first, parents were sceptical and worried that without continual assessments, the children would not study hard. But they soon came around when they saw that fewer continual assessments actually made the students more interested in learning.”

Do more to boost diversity and inclusiveness at Singapore’s elite schools

January 3, 2019 by Maths Statistics Science Tutor

03 January 2019

Educators say that more can be done to increase diversity in Singapore’s elite schools and make our education system more inclusive.

Already, the Ministry of Education has instituted the enhanced Independent School Bursary scheme, under which students at independent schools from low-or middle-income families will pay lower fees than what they are charged now.

Education Minister Ong Ye Kung said that the enhancements meant are to put students’ and parents’ minds at ease.

But aside from cost, there are other factors that parents from lower-income families would normally consider for their child’s choice of secondary school. These include distance from home, friendships and networking, as well as academic demands and rigour.

National University of Singapore economics lecturer Kelvin Seah explained that children from poor families may not be aware of the differences between an independent school and a government one – in terms of curriculum, environment, and resources – and thus “may not recognise the value in applying to such schools”.

The MOE said about 14 per cent of students across the eight independent schools and two specialised independent schools received bursaries this year.

Ministry of Education decisively ramps up aptitude-based admissions for institutions of higher learning

December 28, 2018 by Maths Statistics Science Tutor

28 December 2018

The Ministry of Education has decisively implemented aptitude-based admissions for institutions of higher learning in Singapore.

Three autonomous universities – Nanyang Technological University, National University of Singapore and Singapore Management University – will raise the intake of students through their discretionary admission exercises from 10 per cent to 15 per cent.

The intake of students entering polytechnics through the Early Admissions Exercise has also been increased to 15 per cent for this year’s academic intake.

More students can now gain early admission into the Institute of Technical Education based on their talents and interests, as the courses will no longer have a cap limiting the number of students admitted through this processs.

The Ministry believes that switching to aptitude-based admission schemes and programmes will encourage Singaporeans to build on their unique strengths instead of chasing after grades and qualifications.

More students from Normal stream qualify for higher education in Singapore

December 18, 2018 by Maths Statistics Science Tutor

18 December 2018

More students from the Normal streams in secondary school have qualified for entry into publicly funded universities as well as polytechnic diploma courses.

The Ministry of Education said that streaming has helped students learn at a pace suited for them because educators are able to customize their teaching and learning approaches for the benefit of these students.

This has led to better educational outcomes and a lower attrition rate.

Most observers and educators said Singapore’s decades-old method of streaming has benefited students, but the problem is the social stigma attached to those on the Normal streaming path.

A spokesman for MOE said: “Contrary to the misperception that streaming at the secondary school level limits the academic progression of certain groups of students, evidence has shown that a great majority of students have actually been able to continue with post-secondary education, and their further progression is not limited by the stream they started with.”

Singapore education system needs to recognise that something fundamental has changed

December 3, 2018 by Maths Statistics Science Tutor

03 December 2018

Education Minister Ong Ye Kung has said that in order to prepare Singapore’s youths for the future, several trade-offs in our educational system would have to be made.

He reiterated the need to preserve meritocracy, and yet develop a mindset that that goes beyond academics.

Mr Ong also said that the idea of lifelong learning has changed the concept of how an individual with a good education would most likely be prepared for the rest of his or her career.

While an academic degree will help open doors, it should not be the only path to success, said the minister. Increasingly, employers are also looking for demonstrated skills and competencies that go beyond academic qualifications.

Mr Ong said that tailoring teaching to students’ needs will give them a greater chance of doing well. Finding a balance between the rigour of education and the joy of learning is also important, said the minister.